Aircraft with folding wings

I've always wondered about aircraft with folding wings, and whether there has been an incident where the wings folded in flight, I would assume that with high G maneuvers, the mechanisms on these type of aircraft must be incredibly tough and sturdy.

[Jack Cook]

When Bill Compton had his near fatal F6F-3 crash years ago the wings were torn of when the airplane cartwheeled outboard of the fold

[gregv]

IIRC there is wreckage of a Corsair, I believe in PNG, that had a wing fold on takeoff. I took a quick look on Pacific Wrecks but couldn't find it. I think it was a Brewster-built example.

cheers

greg v.

When Bill Compton had his near fatal F6F-3 crash years ago the wings were torn of when the airplane cartwheeled outboard of the fold

Jack, I'm not aware of this crash ... what F6F was this?

[Jack Cook]

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregistry/f6f-08825.html
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=46897&key=0

[skybolt2003]

My A&P always tells a story about a Skyraider taking off with the wings folded . . .

[Second Air Force]

I did a little digging and found this:
http://www.cloudnet.com/~djohnson/records.htm
Page down about a third of the way and you'll find a small paragraph with some information on folded wing flying, both Spads and Crusaders. A photo link shows this situation!

Pucker factor?

Scott

[RMAllnutt]

IIRC there is wreckage of a Corsair, I believe in PNG, that had a wing fold on takeoff. I took a quick look on Pacific Wrecks but couldn't find it. I think it was a Brewster-built example.

cheers

greg v.

I doubt that it was a Brewster-built example. None of them made it to the combat zone from what I can tell. The US examples were kept here for training, but most of them went to the Royal Navy anyway. A few Royal Navy examples were shipped to Ceylon for training purposes, but none of these deployed on carriers.

Cheers,
Richard

[gregv]

Richard

I am sure you are correct, I am going off a very old memory here. Out of curiosity, did the RNZAF operate any Brewster-built examples?


cheers

greg v.

[coldaffyduck]

Maybe we can get Eric D. to try and see if a Spad can do it? Take off with the wings folded that is.

Last edited by coldaffyduck on Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[RMAllnutt]

Richard

I am sure you are correct, I am going off a very old memory here. Out of curiosity, did the RNZAF operate any Brewster-built examples?


cheers

greg v.

RNZAF operated F4U-1D's only during wartime, and added FG-1D's post-war. They never had any Brewsters. I am curious how the failure of the wing fold happened though, as the pins are immensely strong, and there's also a red flag which is forced up from the wing when the pin has not been properly inserted. Very curious incident. Any photos?

Cheers,
Richard

[gregv]

Richard

I was sure that I'd seen this on Pacific Wrecks somewhere, but I have not been able to locate it again. I'll take another look, but there is a possibility that this is all a figment of my imagination

greg v.

edit: I did find this, however:

13300 (VF, OUT#3) wing folded in flight and came off 4/29/1944. Pilot killed.


from this site:

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/thirdseries2.html

"US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (10317 to 21191)"

Perhaps this is it?

[DB2]

My A&P always tells a story about a Skyraider taking off with the wings folded . . .

There was an "I learned about flying from that" in the 70s in Flying mag written by a guy who took off in a Spad in Vietnam with the wings folded. He didn't make it very far. The story is reprinted in one of the compilation books.

[RMAllnutt]

Richard

I was sure that I'd seen this on Pacific Wrecks somewhere, but I have not been able to locate it again. I'll take another look, but there is a possibility that this is all a figment of my imagination

greg v.

edit: I did find this, however:

13300 (VF, OUT#3) wing folded in flight and came off 4/29/1944. Pilot killed.


from this site:

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/thirdseries2.html

"US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (10317 to 21191)"

Perhaps this is it?

Very interesting... I wonder how that happened? I wonder if this meant structural failure of the wing itself, or whether the wing actually folded at the hinge. I can't imagine how the wing hinge could fail... it is such a heavily built structure. The outer wing panels aft of the spar were extremely lightly built though... so parhaps the failur occurred there. I wonder what the crash report said!

Cheers,
Richard

[RickH]

There are also pictures of an F-4 that did it.