VTOL

"Radio for VTOL, heavy lift gear."

— Avery Junior Johnson

Vertical Take-off and Landing, abbreviated to VTOL, is a classification of aircraft meaning that take-off and landing, rather than needing a runway down which a craft travels to build up speed and lift, is conducted vertically by thrusters or propellers. The key advantage of VTOL capability is that it enables an aircraft to hover over an area, allowing for longer loiter time, and allow the craft to operate from a diverse array of airfields, using less space to get airborne. VTOL capability uses more fuel than Conventional-Takeoff-and-Landing (CTOL) capability, though.

UNSC

A UNSC Hornet, a UNSC VTOL aircraft. The Pelican in the background is also VTOL capable. They both use a jet propulsion system near the "wings".

For the most part, UNSC aircraft use jet thrusters mounted on pivots to provide vertical thrust. The dominant advantage of this is that it is capable of being used for conventional thrust as well, including horizontal and lateral thrust, by tilting the jet engines. Aircraft such as the D77-TC Pelican, the AC-220 Vulture gunship, and the AV-14 Hornet use this type of VTOL configuration. In addition the UH-144 Falcon from Halo: Reach is also a VTOL craft.

A UH-144 Falcon from Halo: Reach.

Another method is by using spinning propellers to provide lift, such as ducted fans or traditional helicopter rotors. Although not as lightweight or economic as jet thrusters, ducted fans provide a higher thrust-to-weight ratio, and can be more efficient, as well as having the advantage of producing less noise, always an advantage in a combat vehicle. Aircraft such as the AV-22 Sparrowhawk use ducted fans to generate lift, with a fan shrouded in each wing. Although there appear to be no UNSC combat helicopters in service, dropships having supplanted these in their traditional role as air cavalry and gunship support, helicopters are still used by civilian operators.

Covenant

The Phantom, a Covenant VTOL craft, which uses anti-gravity propulsion.

Covenant craft use artificial gravity generators to provide lift. These craft are carried on a cushion of anti-gravity, produced by artificial gravity generators. The Type-25 Spirit and Type-52 Phantom dropships are VTOL-capable craft, with the former using an artificial gravity field produced between its two side booms, and the latter using a somewhat more logical layout of ventral hull-mounted generators.

VTOL Aircraft

UNSC

• AC-220 Vulture
• AV-14 Hornet
• AV-22 Sparrowhawk
• D77-TC Pelican
• D77C-NMPD Pelican
• D77H-TCI Pelican
• D79-TC Pelican
• D82-EST Darter
• D96-TCE Albatross
• G79H-TC Pelican
• GA-TL1 Longsword
• F-41 Broadsword
• Pod
• SkyHawk
• UH-144 Falcon

Covenant

• Type-25 Spirit
• Type-26 Banshee
• Type-27 Banshee
• Type-29 Vampire
• Type-31 Seraph
• Type-44 Phantom
• Type-52 Phantom
• Type-56 Lich

List of appearances

Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance) Halo: Combat Evolved Halo: The Flood Halo: First Strike i love bees Halo 2 Halo Graphic Novel Breaking Quarantine The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor Halo: Ghosts of Onyx Halo: Landfall Halo: Arms Race Halo: Combat Halo: Last One Standing Halo: Uprising Halo 3

Halo: Contact Harvest Halo: The Cole Protocol Halo Wars: Genesis Halo Wars Halo: Helljumper The Life Halo 3: ODST Halo Legends Prototype The Package Homecoming Origins The Babysitter Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe Pariah Dirt Blunt Instruments The Mona Lisa

Halo: Blood Line Remember Reach Birth of a Spartan Deliver Hope Halo: Reach Halo: Fall of Reach Boot Camp Covenant Invasion Halo: Glasslands Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Terminals The Commissioning Halo: The Thursday War Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Scanned Halo 4 Spartan Ops Halo: Spartan Assault Halo: Initiation Halo: Escalation Halo: Mortal Dictata Halo 5: Guardians