Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: wings-folded flight
Message-ID: <8025@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 7 Jul 89 04:38:08 GMT
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From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
>> BTW did you know that you can successfully launch an F-8 _with_ the
>> wings folded?...
>
>Define "successfully."   Launches occurred. Complete, non-destructive flights
>didn't (that I've ever heard). 

There was at least one occasion when a Crusader took off from a runway (no
catapult) with wings folded, and landed safely.  I seem to recall that there
have been several such incidents, actually.  Remember that only the tips
fold on the Crusader -- the aircraft still has most of its wing available.
The pilot who took off with the wings folded didn't even realize anything
was wrong until he noticed that the aircraft seemed rather sluggish.

I don't know whether any of the incidents involved catapult launches, though.

                                     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
                                 uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu