Thrust vectoring—essentially redirecting the plane’s exhaust flow—allows modern fighters to quickly change direction, giving them an edge in close combat. Thrust vectoring nozzles are one of the most ...

At RIAT, the F-22 Raptor launches into a near-vertical climb before pitching over into a controlled power loop using thrust vectoring. The jet appears to pause in the sky, nose high, before rotating ...

During the Cold War, U.S. planners worried that modern fighters might one day be forced to operate from damaged or shortened runways. That fear drove an extraordinary experiment: turning a standard ...

The world’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially for transportation, has left a deep mark on both the planet and public health. Burning these fuels releases a flood of greenhouse gases, which ...

With their capability to fly higher, farther, and more efficiently, jet engines have transformed air travel since their introduction. From its origins in the 1930s, the jet engine was a substantial ...

Fighter jet engines are complex machines that enable aircraft to reach incredible speeds. The modern fighter jet is defined by its engine, which accelerates a tremendous volume of air rearward that it ...

You could call it a temple of thrust -- a building designed to handle the massive thrust these engines can kick up. Walls 3 feet thick and giant doors weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds enclose ...

In 1925, the Wasp was a leap forward in aircraft power, reliability, and performance – one that rocketed the trajectory of aviation technology into the post-war era. Its nine-cylinder, air-cooled ...