The Wing Fold
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The wings fold and unfold by a large
hydraulic cylinder in each wing root which during the fold process have 3000 psi
on them, compared to the normal 1500 psi that run the rest of the hydraulics on
the aircraft. The wing sections that fold are 20 feet in length, so when they
are perpendicular to the ground, the wings tips are nearly 30 feet in the
air. The port section (left) folds behind the starboard, and when fully
spread, the wings are held in place by locking pins to prevent them from folding
in flight. Valuable space can be saved on an aircraft carrier with
the wings folded, reducing the span from just under 70 feet to 27 feet.
136427 folding wings
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