Editing Thrust vectoring (section)

{{Short description|Facet of ballistics and aeronautics}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
[[File:Thrust vectoring nozzle test.gif|thumb|upright=1.4|A multi-axis thrust vectoring engine nozzle in motion]]

'''Thrust vectoring''', also known as '''thrust vector control''' ('''TVC'''), is the ability of an [[aircraft]], [[rocket]] or other vehicle to manipulate the direction of the [[thrust]] from its [[engine]](s) or motor(s) to [[Aircraft flight control system|control]] the [[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude]] or [[angular velocity]] of the vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vectored thrust |url=https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/BGP/vecthrst.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805091445/https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/BGP/vecthrst.html |archive-date=2024-08-05 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Glenn Research Center, NASA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft with Vectored Thrust for Control and Continuously Variable Pitch Attitude in Hover |url=https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-TOPS-283 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=technology.nasa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gimbaled Thrust Interactive |url=https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/gimbal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722225254/https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/gimbal/ |archive-date=2024-07-22 |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Glenn Research Center, NASA}}</ref>

In [[rocket]]ry and [[ballistic missile]]s that fly outside the atmosphere, aerodynamic [[Flight control surfaces|control surface]]s are ineffective, so thrust vectoring is the primary means of [[Flight dynamics (fixed-wing aircraft)|attitude control]]. Exhaust vanes and [[Gimbaled thrust|gimbaled]] engines were used in the 1930s by [[Robert H. Goddard|Robert Goddard]].

For aircraft, the method was originally envisaged to provide upward vertical thrust as a means to give aircraft vertical ([[VTOL]]) or short ([[STOL]]) takeoff and landing ability. Subsequently, it was realized that using vectored thrust in combat situations enabled aircraft to perform various maneuvers not available to conventional-engined planes. To perform turns, aircraft that use no thrust vectoring must rely on aerodynamic control surfaces only, such as [[aileron]]s or [[Elevator (aircraft)|elevator]]; aircraft with vectoring must still use control surfaces, but to a lesser extent.

In missile literature originating from Russian sources, thrust vectoring is referred to as '''gas-dynamic steering''' or '''gas-dynamic control'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=AA-11 ARCHER R-73 |url=http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/aa-11.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902160451/http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/aa-11.htm |archive-date=2016-09-02 |access-date=2014-03-27}}</ref>