Multi axis thrust vectoring for turbo fan engines

Apparatus for altering the direction of fluid flowing axially through a housing having a longitudinal axis, said housing having inner and outer walls and defining a conduit through which said fluid flows, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one peripheral window of fixed longitudinal dimension in the walls of said housing communicating the interior of said conduit with the ambient,
• first means, disposed in said window, for altering the direction of said fluid flowing axially through said conduit, said first altering means comprising an array of pivotable vanes having a first position in which said vanes overlap and abut one another to create a fluid tight seal such that the array of vanes effectively form a closed door, and at least one other position in which said vanes are pivoted out of contact with one another such that the vanes allow passage of fluid from within said housing to the ambient,
• second means, disposed in said window, for altering the direction of said fluid flowing axially through said conduit, said second altering means comprising two panels connected together at a pivot point for operation between a first closed position in which said panels are essentially co-planar, and at least one other open position in which said panels are folded toward each other about said pivot point, said first and second altering means being spaced from one another with said first altering means being disposed closer to the ambient than said second altering means, and
• means, coupled to both of said first and second altering means, for synchronously driving each of said first and second altering means from their respective first positions in which both said altering means are inoperative and the flow of fluid is in said axial direction in the conduit through a range of other positions in which fluid flows from the conduit to the ambient through a spectrum of flow directions ranging from a direction essentially in the same direction as the flow of fluid through the housing to a direction essentially counter to the direction of flow of fluid through the housing.