What is the folding wing concept?
The traditional folding wings are used in carrier-based aircraft, folding the wings only in ground state to reduce the space occupied by the aircraft. The Lockheed-Martin folding wing concept put forward the idea folding the wing plane during flight. 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.Foldable wings are a common feature of carrier-based aircraft, as they allow more aircraft to be stored on the limited deck space of an aircraft carrier. However, some land-based fighter jets also have foldable wings, such as the F-14 Tomcat and the F-111.