Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft: Categories, applications, and technology

Abstract

A Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft is an aircraft with the ability to take off and land vertically. The ability of removing the need for a runway allows VTOL aircraft to be used for applications that standard aircraft cannot be used for. These applications include military, firefighting, and transportation applications. For the purposes of this paper, helicopters will be considered to be VTOL aircraft, as they fit the general criteria and are among the first to be widely used. VTOL aircraft can be split into several categories, including hybrid VTOL aircraft, VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and electric VTOL aircraft. These categories of VTOL aircraft are compared. Famous VTOL aircrafts like Osprey and Harrier are introduced. The technology behind VTOL aircraft is explained, and the ways in which VTOL aircraft can be made useful are reviewed. In addition, the prospect of VTOL aircraft has been made. This paper may offer a reference for the future works about VTOL.