User:BilCat/Sandbox/Grumman Sto-Wing



The Grumman Sto-Wing (sometimes stylized as STO-Wing) is a patented wing aftwards-folding system. Pioneered on the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, it has been used since World War II on a number of Grumman-designed carrier aircraft. A version of this system is still in use in the 21st century on the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye shipboard airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and its C-2 Greyhound cargo aircraft derivative.

History


The Grumman-patented Sto-Wing aftwards-folding wing folding system, pioneered on the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, has been used since World War II on a number of Grumman-designed carrier aircraft, a version of which is still in use in the 21st century on the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye shipboard airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and its C-2 Greyhound derivative.

Leroy Grumman's ability as an engineer and designer was characterized by a Grumman Company engineer as that of "'a master of the educated hunch' who could foresee technical problems and their solutions." He single-handedly invented the famous "Sto-Wing" wing-panel folding system that revolutionized carrier aircraft storage and handling, pioneered on the F4F-4 Wildcat subtype. He worked out the solution by sticking paper clips into a soap eraser to find the pivot point that made the Sto-Wing possible.

238 2006 Grumman Wildcat “Sto-Wing” Wing-folding Mechanism First functional wing-folding mechanism, enabling aircraft to take up less space on ships.

Located at Air Zoo aviation museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Aircraft

 * Grumman AF Guardian
 * Grumman C-2 Greyhound
 * Grumman E-1 Tracer (WF)
 * Grumman F4F Wildcat (General Motors FM)
 * Grumman F6F Hellcat
 * Grumman TBF Avenger (General Motors TBM)
 * Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye (W2F)

Other sources

 * How the Rugged F4F Wildcat Held the Line During World War II