Future short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) concepts present unique design challenges. The flight control system designer must consider several issues including the control response type, the appropriate cockpit displays, and the control strategy for the night and propulsion controls. Advanced STOVL concepts will have many force and moment generators. To be operationally effective such configurations need to have precise handling and control properties such that the pilot is not faced with an unacceptably high workload. The vectored thrust aircraft advanced night control (VAAC) is a research programme which is addressing these issues. Its primary objective is to develop night control and handling concepts which, when applied to future STOVL configurations, will provide good handling qualities with a low pilot workload. Four potential methods of controlling future STOVL aircraft are described and assessed with manned simulation and with the VAAC Harrier aircraft.