Short take-off and vertical landing has been one of the two driving requirements behind the Joint Strike Fighter design, the other being stealth.
STOVL dictated the single engine, and the STOVL solution chosen for the F-35 demands a big vertical bay behind the cockpit, and a main engine located unusually far forward, to keep the driveshaft length within reason and to put the lift-cruise nozzle in the right longitudinal location for balance.
learn more
