STOL

STOL is an acronym for Short Take-Off and Landing, used in the aircraft industry to describe airplanes with very low runway requirements. Famous STOL aircraft include the Fieseler Fi 156, de Havilland Beaver, Pilatus PC-6, Piper Cub, PZL Wilga, and Westland Lysander.

Aircraft runway requirement is a function of the square of the minimum flying speed (stall speed), and most design effort is spent on reducing this number. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag help the plane to accelerate for flight. The landing run is minimized by strong brakes and spoilers. Overall STOL performance is set by the runway needed to land or take off, whichever is higher.

Normally, a STOL plane will have a large wing for it's weight. These wings often use aerodynamic devices like flaps, slats, and vortex generators. Typically, designing an airplane for excellent STOL performance reduces maximum speed, but does not reduce payload lifting ability.

Most STOL planes either land in the countryside or on normal airport runways. A STOLPORT is an airport designed with STOL operations in mind, normally having a short single runway. These are not common but can be found.

Types of take-off and landing

CTOL - Conventional Take-Off and Landing STOL - Short Take-Off and Landing STOVL - Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing VTOL - Vertical Take-Off and Landing (or VTOVL) VTOHL - Vertical Take-Off, Horizontal Landing V/STOL - Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing STOBAR - Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery JATO - Jet-Assisted Take-Off RATO - Rocket-Assisted Take-Off