Folding wing

Common card · No. 397850

Folding wings are design features incorporated into aircraft to reduce the amount of space a plane takes up on a deck or other surface, so that more aircraft can be parked in a given area. They are most frequently found on aircraft intended to operate from aircraft carriers, where stowage space on flight decks and hangar decks is at a premium; however, during World War I, in particular, the feature was also used on very large bomber aircraft operating from land, to allow them to fit into hangars designed for smaller aircraft. More recently wing folding has been incorporated into light civil aircraft, to allow their storage in car garages. A folding wing has some disadvantages compared to a non-folding wing. It is heavier and has more complex connections for electrical, fuel, aerodynamic, and structural systems.

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