Abstract: A vertical lift aircraft comprises a cabin mounted to an enclosed rotary wing which provides vertical lift for the aircraft. The rotary wing includes an annular housing and a main rotor blade rotatable within a space circumscribed by the housing. The main rotor blade is rotatable about a rotation axis that is tilted forwardly from a vertical axis of the aircraft. A horizontal directional control for the aircraft includes a plurality of control slides disposed at spaced locations along the housing and being movable inwardly and outwardly in a radial direction between a neutral position in which the control slides are retracted from the downdraft area and an operational position in which the control slides are extended into the downdraft area. Selective deployment of one or more control slides in the operational position effects horizontal directional turning of the aircraft in the direction of the one or more deployed control slides.