Aerodynamicists: What is the advantage of negative dihedral on the Harrier?

[David_Simmons]

On further thinking about my vector diagram in a previous post it is just barely possible that I could be mistaken about the cause of the overbanking tendency.

[Bippy_the_Beardless]

@David Simmons

This might come as a shock but we had computers in the 1960’s. A special purpose computer, otherwise known as an autopilot, to provide stability could have been in the Harrier from its beginning.

I did know about computers existing in the 60’s (and the 1940’s) but I didn’t think they were up to the task of real time aircraft stabilization for an inherantly unstable aircraft.
Oh, and here is a great site for Harrier details http://www.harrier.org.uk/history/index.htm

[David_Simmons]

@Bippy the Beardless

I did know about computers existing in the 60’s (and the 1940’s) but I didn’t think they were up to the task of real time aircraft stabilization for an inherantly unstable aircraft.
Oh, and here is a great site for Harrier details http://www.harrier.org.uk/history/index.htm

I’m not sure that a 1960’s digital computer would have been fast enough. But analog computers, which are now pretty much a thing of the past, worked in real time. For example you could have a three axis rate gyro, use those outputs as the control inputs and take it from there.