A nose cap and control strut assembly for supersonic aircraft is
disclosed. In one embodiment, the nose cap extends forward from the nose
of the aircraft to deflect shock waves and decrease draft during
supersonic flight. In another embodiment, control struts extending from
the nose of the aircraft have control surfaces which provide yaw and
pitch control for the aircraft. The control struts may be rotatable
around axes substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the
aircraft. The control struts may also be retractable into the aircraft.
The nose cap may be mounted at the forward ends of the control struts in
such a manner that the nose cap remains in a stationary position with
respect to the aircraft when the control struts are rotated.