A new take on aircraft takeoff and landing

摘要

Aviation research has long dreamed of building aircraft that require little takeoff and landing space rather than long runways and enormous surface areas. One enterprising effort in this direction was the EU-funded project SOAR (Distributed open-rotor aircraft), based on a novel concept of an open-fan wing aircraft. This represents one of the latest aircraft technologies that blends fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter, offering stable short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities and possibly hovering capabilities.