A folding wing is a wing configuration design feature of aircraft to save space and is typical of carrier-based aircraft that operate from the limited deck space of aircraft carriers. The folding allows the aircraft to occupy less space in a confined hangar because the folded wing normally rises over the fuselage decreasing the floor area of the aircraft. Vertical clearance is also limited in aircraft carrier hangar decks. In order to accommodate for this, some aircraft such as the Supermarine Seafire and Fairey Gannet, have additional hinges to fold the wingtips downward, while others such as the A-5 Vigilante and S-3 Viking have folding tails. The F-14 Tomcat's variable-sweep wings can be "overswept" to occupy less space.
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In this Dossier
Folding wing in the context of Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, either from warships that can embark aircraft (e.g. aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and aircraft cruisers) or from coastal naval air stations.It often involves navalised aircraft, specifically designed for naval use.Seaborne aviation encompasses similar activities not restricted to navies, including marines and coast guards, such as in U.S. naval aviators. As with most army aviation units, naval aviation units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force.
Naval aviation operations are typically projected by way of carrier-based aircraft, which must be sturdy enough to withstand the demands of shipborne operations at sea. They must be able to take off from a short runway (typically the flight deck of an aircraft carrier) and be sturdy and flexible enough to come to a sudden stop when landing; they typically have robust folding or swinging wings that reduce the occupied space and thus allow more of them to be stored in below-decks hangars and limited parking spaces on flight decks. These aircraft are designed for many tactical purposes, including aerial combat, airstrike/close air support, anti-submarine warfare, early warning, search and rescue, matériel transport, weather observation, patrol and reconnaissance, and wide-area command and control duties.
Folding wing in the context of Carrier-based aircraft
A carrier-based aircraft (also known as carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-borne aircraft, carrier aircraft or aeronaval aircraft) is a navalised aircraft designed for seaborne flight operations from aircraft carriers. The term is generally applied only to shipborne fixed-wing aircraft that require a runway of some sort for takeoff and landing, as VTOL aircraft such as helicopters are inherently capable of adapting to flight operations from a wide variety of ships (not just aircraft carriers) as long as the served vessel is equipped with helipads or a sufficiently spacious deck that can provide a reliable landing area, which include helicopter carriers, amphibious assault ships, aviation-capable surface combatants (cruisers, destroyers, frigates and some corvettes), container ships and even cruiseliners.
Carrier-based aircraft are designed for many purposes including aerial combat, surface attack, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), carrier onboard delivery (COD), weather observation, reconnaissance and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C). Such aircraft must be able to take off from the short distance available on the carrier's flight deck and be sturdy enough to withstand the abrupt forces exerted by on a pitching deck due to sea waves. Some modern carrier aircraft are designed for catapult-assisted takeoffs and thus also need to be constructed more robust airframes and landing gears that can handle sudden forward accelerations. Arrestor hook is mandatory feature for those designed for CATOBAR or STOBAR landing, while thrust vectoring or tiltrotor nacelles are commonly seen in those capable of V/STOL operations. In addition, their wings are generally larger (thus can generate more lift) than the land-launched counterparts, and are typically able to fold up or swing back for taxiing, pushback and parking in tight quarters.