A Harrier VTOL jet (Figure 3.27) is holding stationary in hovering flight. The gross weigh...

A Harrier VTOL jet (Figure 3.27) is holding stationary in hovering flight. The gross weight of the jet is 20,000 lbf, and it has its exhaust nozzles directed through an angle of 95°. If the plane is not moving in the vertical direction, and it is moving slow enough in the horizontal direction that drag can be neglected, what is the initial horizontal acceleration of the aircraft?

FIGURE 3.27 Picture of a VTOL jump jet. Courtesy of NASA Langley Research Center (NASA-LaRC).