VTOL

 Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) is a concept in military thinking going back to the concern of airfields being bombed, with the idea of lifting off with minimal need of airstrips. The aircraft are designed to lift off from where they stand and take off. The British Harrier is a good example of this idea. Here we have the Canadair CL-84, a Canadian design dating to the 1950s.

Helicopters of course are another take on that very same concept, and this one is a Boeing Vertol, otherwise known as the Labrador. The Canadian military bought these for search and rescue purposes, and they are a tough workhorse of a helicopter, and big.

Helicopters have proven to be a versatile aircraft, both military and civilian.

Here beside the Labrador is a Bell helicopter.