super sonic aircraft

[samsingh]

can supersonic aircraft have vertical takeoff:cool:

[insane_alien]

yes it is entirely possible.

 

the JSF(joint strike fighter) or X-35 is the closest we have to one at the moment. it can land vertically and can take off in a really short space(not quite vertical takeoff i know) and its super sonic.

 

eventually we will have supersonic VTOL aircraft.

[Rocket Man]

can we call a saturn V an aircraft? we have lots of things which go up very fast.

there's also a number of existing fighters which have enough grunt to support their weight stationary, it's just the matter of getting them to go up that's impractical

[insane_alien]

i think we can assume by 'aircraft' that 'spacecraft' are outside the requirements.

 

as for the fighters with the excessive thrust, there was nothing specified about the amount of difficulty in launching or landing requirements so i guess we could include them

[Pangloss]

yes it is entirely possible.

 

the JSF(joint strike fighter) or X-35 is the closest we have to one at the moment. it can land vertically and can take off in a really short space(not quite vertical takeoff i know) and its super sonic.

 

eventually we will have supersonic VTOL aircraft.

 

Actually the Lightning II "B" variant is VTOL capable, it just won't typically take off that way due to payload. The "A" and "C" variants being produced for the Air Force and Navy won't have the central lifting fan -- no VTOL or STOL. The "B" variant being produced for the Marines will have the fan.

 

There is an interesting controversy brewing in armed forces circles about whether the Navy will carry the "B" variant for Marine wings stationed on the 10 nuclear super-carriers. The Navy wants nothing but F-35Cs on its flight decks. That would limit the VTOL model to the Marine-only (smaller) carriers.