Abstract: The invention is a short/vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. In detail, it comprises an airframe having aerodynamic lift and flight control surfaces. An engine is mounted in the airframe in a reversed position having the inlet facing toward the rear of the aircraft and the exhaust nozzle assembly, having a pair of exhaust nozzles, facing toward the front. The exhaust nozzles extend outward from the sides of the aircraft and are rotatable from a vertically downward position to provide upward thrust to a horizontally rearward direction to provide forward thrust. The thrust axis when in the vertical position is approximately through the center of gravity. A generally U-shaped engine inlet duct is mounted in the airframe having an inlet opening facing forward and an outlet coupled to the inlet of the engine.

Abstract: An aircraft having supersonic and subsonic flight capabilities which utilizes a variable dihedral angle tail unit to vary the aircraft geometry to improve aerodynamic efficiency, especially when changing from subsonic to supersonic speeds and vice versa, which saves propulsion energy and can be used to present minimal radar cross section from a given direction.