Thrust deflector and force augmentor

A thrust deflection, thrust reversal, and force augmentation device for an aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing and vertical takeoff and landing, comprising:

• an aircraft wing;
• a thrust engine mounted on said wing with the exhaust from said engine traveling over the upper surface of said wing;
• a plenum inside said wing having an inlet connected to a source of gas pressure and an outlet in the trailing edge of said wing;
• said outlet being formed as a slot means between an upper portion and a lower portion:
• said upper portion being a part of the upper surface of said wing and having a reduced thickness near the rear edge;
• said lower portion forming the rear wall of the plenum, the lower edge of the slot and the rear edge of said wing, said lower portion being circular in cross section and having a constant radius of between 0.5% and 20% of the chord length of said wing;
• said slot means having a smoothly converging nozzle with the portion of said nozzle having the minimum height being at the rear edge of said upper portion, said slot means having a height of between 0.8% and 10% of said radius;
• wherein gas from said source of gas pressure is controlled to travel through said plenum, escape through said converging nozzle and slot means and travel along the rear edge of said wing so as to cause said exhaust to be selectively deflected at an angle between 90.degree. and 165.degree. with the deflected exhaust retaining a substantial portion of the original thrust at angles of between 90.degree. and 165.degree., so that the deflected exhaust acts substantially to slow down and lift the aircraft, allowing a short takeoff and landing capability for deflections near 90.degree. and a vertical takeoff and landing capability for deflections greater than 90.degree..