Q&A · 9:36:18-9:38:01

Why folding wings still have to fit an Implacable's hangar

The Corsair comparison shows why aircraft capacity depends on folded height and wing geometry as well as the number of hangar spaces.

Question

Could an Implacable operate Corsairs, and could a large order justify giving the Corsair a Grumman-style wing fold?

Short answer

The low hangar height is treated as the obstacle. A rearward fold is difficult because of the Corsair's gull wing, and the proposed alternatives are not developed into a design.

Notes

A folding wing can still be too tall for a carrier's hangar. The Corsair's upward fold prompts a comparison with the lower folded profile of Grumman aircraft. After an initial disagreement, the participants return to the Implacables' roughly 14-foot hangar height as the limiting dimension. A follow-up asks whether a large order could justify changing the Corsair to a rearward fold. Its gull-wing geometry makes that modification difficult, and an alternative folding arrangement remains a suggestion rather than a worked design.