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STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including those used in scheduled passenger airline operations, can be operated from STOLport airfields that feature short runways.
STOL aircraft come in configurations such as bush planes, autogyros, and taildraggers, and those such as the de Havilland Canada Dash-7 that are designed for use on conventional airstrips. The PAC P-750 XSTOL, the Daher Kodiak, the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and the Wren 460 have STOL capability, needing a short ground roll to get airborne, but are capable of a near-zero ground roll when landing.[citation needed]
For any plane, the required runway length is a function of the square of the stall speed (minimum flying speed), and much design effort is spent on minimizing this number. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag help the plane to accelerate for flight. For landing, the length is minimized by strong brakes, low landing speed, and thrust reversers or spoilers. Overall STOL performance is set by the longer of the runway needed to land or take off.
Of equal importance to runway length is the ability to clear obstacles, such as hills, beyond the runway. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag increase the rate of climb – required to clear obstacles. For landing, high drag allows the plane to descend steeply without building speed, which would require a longer ground run. Drag is increased by use of flaps on the wings and by forward slip (causing the plane to fly somewhat sideways to increase drag).
Typically, a STOL aircraft has a large wing for its weight. These wings may use aerodynamic devices like flaps, slots, slats, and vortex generators. Typically, achieving excellent STOL performance reduces maximum speed, but not payload ability. The payload is critical, because many small, isolated communities rely on STOL aircraft as their only link to the outside world for passengers or cargo; examples include many communities in the Canadian north and Alaska.
Most STOL aircraft can land either on- or off-airport. Typical off-airport landing areas include snow or ice (using skis), fields or gravel riverbanks (often using special fat, low-pressure tundra tires), and water (using floats): these areas are often short and obstructed by trees or hills. Wheel skis and amphibious floats combine wheels with skis or floats, allowing landing on snow/water.[citation needed]
In 2025 the Electra prototype aircraft demonstrated take-off in less than 35 mph combining eight electric motors along the front edge of its wings with large flaps at the rear edge to exploit the blown lift effect.
A number of aircraft modification companies offer STOL kits for improving short-field performance.
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STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including those used in scheduled passenger airline operations, can be operated from STOLport airfields that feature short runways.
STOL aircraft come in configurations such as bush planes, autogyros, and taildraggers, and those such as the de Havilland Canada Dash-7 that are designed for use on conventional airstrips. The PAC P-750 XSTOL, the Daher Kodiak, the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and the Wren 460 have STOL capability, needing a short ground roll to get airborne, but are capable of a near-zero ground roll when landing.[citation needed]
For any plane, the required runway length is a function of the square of the stall speed (minimum flying speed), and much design effort is spent on minimizing this number. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag help the plane to accelerate for flight. For landing, the length is minimized by strong brakes, low landing speed, and thrust reversers or spoilers. Overall STOL performance is set by the longer of the runway needed to land or take off.
Of equal importance to runway length is the ability to clear obstacles, such as hills, beyond the runway. For takeoff, large power/weight ratios and low drag increase the rate of climb – required to clear obstacles. For landing, high drag allows the plane to descend steeply without building speed, which would require a longer ground run. Drag is increased by use of flaps on the wings and by forward slip (causing the plane to fly somewhat sideways to increase drag).
Typically, a STOL aircraft has a large wing for its weight. These wings may use aerodynamic devices like flaps, slots, slats, and vortex generators. Typically, achieving excellent STOL performance reduces maximum speed, but not payload ability. The payload is critical, because many small, isolated communities rely on STOL aircraft as their only link to the outside world for passengers or cargo; examples include many communities in the Canadian north and Alaska.
Most STOL aircraft can land either on- or off-airport. Typical off-airport landing areas include snow or ice (using skis), fields or gravel riverbanks (often using special fat, low-pressure tundra tires), and water (using floats): these areas are often short and obstructed by trees or hills. Wheel skis and amphibious floats combine wheels with skis or floats, allowing landing on snow/water.[citation needed]
In 2025 the Electra prototype aircraft demonstrated take-off in less than 35 mph combining eight electric motors along the front edge of its wings with large flaps at the rear edge to exploit the blown lift effect.
A number of aircraft modification companies offer STOL kits for improving short-field performance.
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