An aircraft comprising: a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion; first and second ducted fans (24, 28) supported by the forward portion of the fuselage and tiltable relative to the fuselage between a vertical takeoff and landing mode position and a forward flight mode position; a tailboom extending from the aft portion of the fuselage and having an aft station; and a variable thrust cross-flow radial fan system disposed in the aft station of the tailboom operable to generate a pitch control moment, the variable thrust cross-flow radial fan system comprising: a cross-flow radial fan assembly having a longitudinal axis and including forward and aft driver plates (204, 206) having a plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably mounted therebetween, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of blades (210a-210g) have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow radial fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations; and a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades (210a-210g), the control assembly including a control cam forming one or more follower slots (240a-240g) operable to translate relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly to change the pitch angle configuration of the plurality of blades (210a-210g); wherein, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) each have a forward end (212a-212g) and an aft end (214a-214g), the forward ends (212a-212g) of the plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably coupled to an aft side of the forward driver plate, the aft ends (214a-214g) of the plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably coupled to a forward side of the aft driver plate; and wherein, the cross-flow radial fan assembly is operable to produce a thrust in one of a first or second direction in response to the control cam translating upward relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly and is further operable to produce a thrust in the other of the first or second direction in response to the control cam translating downward relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly, the first direction substantially opposite from the second direction. a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion; first and second ducted fans (24, 28) supported by the forward portion of the fuselage and tiltable relative to the fuselage between a vertical takeoff and landing mode position and a forward flight mode position; a tailboom extending from the aft portion of the fuselage and having an aft station; and a variable thrust cross-flow radial fan system disposed in the aft station of the tailboom operable to generate a pitch control moment, the variable thrust cross-flow radial fan system comprising: a cross-flow radial fan assembly having a longitudinal axis and including forward and aft driver plates (204, 206) having a plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably mounted therebetween, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of blades (210a-210g) have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow radial fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations; and a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades (210a-210g), the control assembly including a control cam forming one or more follower slots (240a-240g) operable to translate relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly to change the pitch angle configuration of the plurality of blades (210a-210g); a cross-flow radial fan assembly having a longitudinal axis and including forward and aft driver plates (204, 206) having a plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably mounted therebetween, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) disposed radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis such that the plurality of blades (210a-210g) have a generally circular path of travel when the cross-flow radial fan assembly rotates about the longitudinal axis, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) moveable between a plurality of pitch angle configurations; and a control assembly coupled to the plurality of blades (210a-210g), the control assembly including a control cam forming one or more follower slots (240a-240g) operable to translate relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly to change the pitch angle configuration of the plurality of blades (210a-210g); wherein, the plurality of blades (210a-210g) each have a forward end (212a-212g) and an aft end (214a-214g), the forward ends (212a-212g) of the plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably coupled to an aft side of the forward driver plate, the aft ends (214a-214g) of the plurality of blades (210a-210g) rotatably coupled to a forward side of the aft driver plate; and wherein, the cross-flow radial fan assembly is operable to produce a thrust in one of a first or second direction in response to the control cam translating upward relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly and is further operable to produce a thrust in the other of the first or second direction in response to the control cam translating downward relative to the cross-flow radial fan assembly, the first direction substantially opposite from the second direction.