The Short SC.l is a small delta wing V.T.O. aircraft of about 7,800 lb. all-up weight. Its unusual feature is that it is provided with vertical thrusting engines to enable it to take-off and land vertically and to hover. It can also operate normally as a conventional aircraft.

The nature of the aircraft introduces a number of problems in the design of the landing gear. The first of these is that all wheels must be fully castoring since a vertical landing may take place with a certain amount of drift in any direction. Another complication arises because of the possibility of landing with slight backward drift, it being necessary to move the main wheels aft when the pilot intends to make a vertical landing; if the wheels were left in the required rearward position for conventional take-off the elevator power would be inadequate to lift the nose of the aircraft. The landing gear is therefore provided with simple means for moving the wheels fore and aft by a small amount, to move the position of the main wheels in relation to the centre of gravity.