V/STOL

V/STOL describes aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, short takeoff and landing, or both. It includes several configurations that reduce or eliminate dependence on long runways.

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Thrust vectoring: The redirection of engine thrust to control an aircraft or propel it in a different direction. Rotating or redirecting thrust can provide the upward force needed for vertical flight.
Hawker Siddeley Harrier: A British jet aircraft family that uses vectored thrust for vertical and short takeoff and landing. The Harrier became the defining operational example of a V/STOL combat aircraft.
VTOL: The capability to take off and land vertically without requiring a runway roll. VTOL is the vertical-operation subset within the broader V/STOL designation.
Runway independence: The ability to operate without relying on a conventional long runway. V/STOL reduces dependence on major airfields, though many designs still need prepared operating surfaces.
Convair XFY Pogo: An experimental American tail-sitting fighter developed for vertical takeoff and landing in the 1950s. It tested a propeller-driven approach to shipboard VTOL before practical jet V/STOL aircraft matured.
Lift fan: A powered fan that produces lift, often installed separately from an aircraft’s main propulsion engine. The F-35B uses a lift fan to supplement vectored engine thrust during vertical operations.
F-35B Lightning II: The short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter family. Its lift fan and swiveling rear nozzle enable operations from short decks and austere bases.
STOL: The capability to take off and land over unusually short distances. STOL identifies the short-runway capability that V/STOL combines with vertical operation.
Aircraft carrier aviation: The operation of fixed-wing aircraft from aircraft carriers at sea. V/STOL widened fixed-wing aviation options for ships without catapult launch systems.
Ryan X-13 Vertijet: An experimental American jet aircraft designed to take off and land vertically while balanced on its tail. Its tail-sitting configuration exposed the handling challenges of early jet VTOL concepts.