Originally Posted by
jimjim1
Hmmm.
The very definition of hover is that the lift vector is vertical.
Any non vertical component to the thrust (net thrust from all sources - if you like) will produce an acceleration in some horizontal direction until the drag equals the horizontal component of the thrust.
I guess I am missing something.
I probably should have said the fan lift vector is not vertical. I think in this case the fan inlet flow over the wing is producing wing lift perpendicular to the wing surface, the vertical component of which is additional lift and the horizontal component being cancelled by the horizontal component of the angled fan thrust vector.
WRT the Harrier, I was wondering if the jet plume induced any airflow over the wing to speak of that could generate a noticeable lift component (or more likely a noticeable horizontal thrust component that needed compensating for)