From my friend and yours, good old Wikipedia;

The SC.1 was designed and produced in response to a Ministry of Supply (MoS) requirement for a suitable aircraft for conducting in-depth flight studies into VTOL flight, as well as specifically into the transition between vertical and horizontal flight. A total of two prototypes were used in test flights between 1957 and 1971. Research data from the SC.1 test programme contributed to the development of the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 and the subsequent Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational VTOL aircraft.

In October 2012, the Short SC.1 received Northern Ireland's first Engineering Heritage Award as a recognition of its significant achievement in the engineering field.

So, a Northern Irish oddity, as it were.
She is a tad more spritely than the real life version, but that just makes things more fun, am I right?

The controls are;

AG1 to activate the VTOL and stability assisting systems.
VTOL slider to control the throttle on the lifting engines; neutral to close the throttles, full up for balls to the wall vertical fun.
AG2 operates the lights.

Now please go and try to land on things, vertically!