- Folding wing
A folding wing is a design feature of
aircraft to save space, and is typical of naval aircraft that operate from the limited deck space ofaircraft carrier s. The folding allows the aircraft to occupy less space in a confinedhangar because the folded wing normally rises over thefuselage decreasing the floor area of the aircraft. Vertical clearance is also limited in aircraft carrierhangar deck s. In order to accommodate for this, some aircraft such as theSupermarine Seafire andFairey Gannet have additional hinges to fold the wingtips downward, while others such as theS-3 Viking have folding tails.A folding wing has disadvantages over a fixed wing. It will be heavier and have complex connections for
electric al,fuel ,aerodynamic and structural systems.Many naval
helicopter s have rotor blades that can be aligned over the fuselage to save space onboard the ship.Folding surfaces are rare among land-based designs, and are used on aircraft that are tall or too wide to fit inside service hangars. Examples include the
B-50 Superfortress (folding tail) andSukhoi Su-47 (folding wings). TheSaab 37 Viggen and theBoeing 377 Stratocruiser have foldable rear fins that make them lower for entering hangars.Gallery
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