Due to the new advances in directional thrust capabilities and the advent of UAVs which can take higher "G" loadings, we need to design aircraft and UAVs which have better turning capabilities. This would allow UAVs to fly between city buildings like Felluhja or monitor down town areas like DC for crime. We can build better directional thrust intake flows to allow jet engines to get continuous flows for full power and thrust a very slow speed and extremely high angles of attack while completely departing from the forward flow relative wind. By doing this we can maintain high rates of turns to dodge enemy fired missiles, maneuver in tight portfolio of structures and obstacles while staying on mission.
To better understand a good starting point of this discussion and to better visualize in your mind the basic concept building such a craft and the possible shape it might have; Below are some links to Pictures of the possible general design we have in mind. In these pictures are previous no-pivoting versions of the basic design we have in mind. This aircraft is the "Optica" and it was designed for high visibility, efficiency and STOL – Short Take-Off and Landing Capability.
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&saf…ilor.com+optica
Imagine this look and forward observation area with a shortened swept wingspan in prospect to relative size. The wing perhaps the shape of an A-4 or even an F-104.
In our model with the observation area, which could encompass a pilot or a set of sensors and / or video monitors would be up front of the jet engine intake. The observation area would pivot, similar to a double length bus in some cities, much like a snake. Thus when the aircraft was to make a turn the relative wind would assist in the rapid turning as the fuselage observation component turned as it would push on the side. The front part of the fuselage would then force air around it into the intake as the air tried to get around it, while simultaneously opening a larger portion of the intake to the relative wind prior to turning preventing for maximum thrust to be maintained as the turn was entered. Such abilities and erratic maneuverability would increase survival rates from SAMs – Surface to Air Missiles and other aircraft in dog fighting. We saw in the movie Matrix II that it was very difficult to hit and shoot down the swarms of UAVs as they moved like snakes. The aircraft would also have the latest directional thrust capacities such as that of the hybrid F-16 with aerodynamic design to assist in trust vectoring performance. To help you better appreciate this concept I would like you to view this photo as well:
[http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/images/Optica.jpg]
Our model will be similar but sleeker for high speeds, as well as flying within a non-atmospheric tube of plasma, created by pulsed waves in the direction of the intended flight to eliminate the friction from air. Later models would also include an antigravity criss-crossed wave disruptions within such non-atmospheric tubes for complete control, unbelievable acceleration, hovering and increased useful loads once in flight. There are a few other interesting models, within the thinking phase of the concept, which are not so dissimilar to the Optica. The front observation fuselage component would be similar to the head of a bee and the thorax being the body or the engine in our model, but it would be relatively thinner in design, more like a dragonfly in length to width ratios, but of course with out the long wings to cut down on drag for higher speeds. We envision swept canards on the front observation fuselage, which are much similar to that of a shark but horizontal and slightly curved upward to disrupt the air flow enough to keep any wing tip vortices coming off them as the aircraft turns flowing directly into the engine since additional thruster will be needed and take ram air during intestinal flight maneuvers.
The front observation fuselage will not be perfectly bulbus on it's nose cone, but be more closer to a tropical fish than completely spherical looking like the 'Opitca' aircraft. This will allow for more horizontal directional control in flight, as the aircraft front fuselage comes back towards the engine it will become more rounded to allow for maximum and stable airflow into the turbine. The engine component or middle fuselage will be 3.33 times as long as the observation fuselage and will taper off aft-ward. Under the fuselage will be the wings, with landing gear apparatus. Since directional thrust will assist in landing it will not have a substantial landing gear like conventional aircraft.
The forward observation fuselage will be made of composite, along with wings and rear fuselage along with a circle tail with a cross which will be the vertical and horizontal stabilizers which will pivot to assist the directional thrust exhaust nozzles, so the directional thrust is blown across final tail assembly for stability and increased turning radiology effectiveness as well as stability control. It will cost us about $ 35,000 to build a miniature version of this, which in turn could lend itself well to battlefield observations in urban settings. A full size human piloted version will run about $ 400,000 for a workable prototype. Although it would take several prototypes to build a unit worthy of the aerodynamic innovation and an even greater prototype to hold the weight of pulse wave technologies for gravity wave disruptions and plasma ionization, although well within the realm of possibilities and modern technologies.