Abstract: Rocket booster motor vectoring system and method for shortening take-off distance of aircraft, the aircraft being airborne before it is going fast enough for its conventional controls to provide adequate stability and control. A rocket booster motor (52) is coupled to aircraft (50) by means of thrust arm link (56) is pivotal engagement with the aircraft and fixed to the booster, and coupled by rearwardly positioned links (62, 64, 66) having ball and socket joints at both ends, one end being connected to the aircraft through aerodynamic surfaces (68, 70) or through actuators (124, 126), the aerodynamic surfaces being operable by conventional systems within the basic aircraft, and the actuators also being operated by motion sensing systems within the aircraft to vector the thrust of the booster to provide stability augmentation of the aircraft during the boosted launch phase to provide pitch, roll, and yaw control.

Abstract: An empennage assembly for supersonic aircraft includes longitudinally and rearwardly extending booms (12) mounted upon the wings (16) or fuselage of the aircraft. The booms (12) include aft rotatable sections (22) upon which are mounted larger (18) and smaller (20) tail surfaces. The boom sections (22) are angularly rotated through angular displacements .theta. such that the dispositions of the tail surfaces (18, 20) are interchanged between their dispositions during low subsonic and high supersonic flight conditions. In this manner, the directional and longitudinal aerodynamic static stability components of the aircraft are rendered substantially constant at an optimum low or near-neutral level of stability in order to enhance the flight maneuverability capabilities of the aircraft throughout the subsonic, transonic, and high supersonic speed ranges.