The XBTM-1 was a low-winged, all-metal monoplane with folding wings to allow more compact storage in carrier hangar decks and conventional landing gear.
Folding wings then enabled them to be taken by elevator to below-deck hangars.
The flowers are dark and narrow, the inner petals curled up into stumpy horns, the lip with slight swellings down each edge, which might or might not resemble folded wings.
Designed with folding wings that can transform it from a two-seat car to a plane in 15 seconds, the Terrafugia could be available as early as the end of next year.
On display at the New York auto show was the Terrafugia Transition, an airplane with folding wings and a drive system that enabled it to be used on the road.
Just slightly bigger than a van, with a Formula 1 racer-like cockpit and folding wings resembling those of a dragonfly, Aeromobil 3.0 may eventually be the way to rediscover the joy of challenging driving in a future interconnected world.
These latter aircraft lacked folding wings and could not fit on the lifts.
The prototype V10 was to be a fixed wing test aircraft, while the following V11 would be modified with folding wings.
Compared with the Su-27, the Su-33 has a strengthened undercarriage and structure, folding wings and stabilators, all for carrier operations.
Their cool folding wings, great conviction, and promises of future innovations like pop-up rotary blades to take off vertically from stalled traffic managed to convince about 100 people to drop $10,000 a pop for down payments on their own flying cars for delivery within a few years.
