STOVL
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A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The formal NATO definition (since 1991) is:
A Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of clearing a 15 m (50 ft) obstacle within 450 m (1,500 ft) of commencing take-off run, and capable of landing vertically.[1]
On aircraft carriers, non-catapult-assisted fixed-wing short takeoffs are accomplished with the use of thrust vectoring, which may also be used in conjunction with a runway "ski-jump". There are 14 aircraft carriers that operate these STOVL aircraft: United States (9), United Kingdom (2), Italy (2), and Spain (1). Use of STOVL tends to allow aircraft to carry a larger payload compared to vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), while still only requiring a short runway. The most famous examples are the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and the BAe Sea Harrier. Although technically a V/STOL aircraft, they are operationally STOVL aircraft due to the extra weight carried at take-off for fuel and armaments. The same is true of the B variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which demonstrated VTOL capability in test flights but is operationally a STOVL.
History
In 1951, the
The British
In 1962, Lockheed built the
Of dozens of VTOL and V/STOL designs tried from the 1950s to 1980s, only the subsonic Hawker Siddeley Harrier and Yak-38 Forger reached operational status, with the Forger being withdrawn after the fall of the Soviet Union.
NASA uses the abbreviation SSTOVL for Supersonic Short Take-Off / Vertical Landing,[3] and as of 2012, the Lockheed Martin X-35B/F-35B are the only aircraft to conform with this combination within one flight.[4][5]
The experimental Mach 1.7 Yakovlev Yak-141 did not find an operational customer, but similar rotating rear nozzle technology is used on the F-35B which entered service on 31 July 2015.[6]
Larger STOVL designs were considered, the Armstrong Whitworth AW.681 cargo aircraft was under development when cancelled in 1965. The Dornier Do 31 got as far as three experimental aircraft before cancellation in 1970.
Although mostly a VTOL design, the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey has increased payload when taking off from a short runway.[7]
References
- ^ "NATO Glossary of Terms and Definitions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2003.
- ^ Jim Winchester, X-Planes and Prototypes, Barnes and Noble Books
- OL 17630526M.
- ^ "X-planes". PBS: Nova transcript. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ Cavas, Christopher P. "F-35B STOVL fighter goes supersonic." Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Marine Corps Times, 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Marine Corps Declares the F-35B Operational - F-35 Lightning II". F-35 Lightning II.
- ^ V-22 Osprey Pocket Guide Archived 29 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Bell Boeing, 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2010.