How War Created Folding Wings and Bush Planes Perfected Them
Folding wings didn’t start with kit planes or weekend flyers—they began at sea, in the chaos of World War I. The British Short Type 184 was one of the first aircraft in history to use folding wings, not for convenience, but for survival aboard early aircraft carriers like HMS Furious. A decade later, the American-built Fairchild FC-1 brought the same idea to civilian aviation—but for a completely different reason: hangar space.
In this video, I explore how two completely different aircraft—one a torpedo-armed naval seaplane, the other a quiet photographic workhorse—ended up sharing the same ingenious solution. From wartime ship decks to rural airfields, this is the origin story of folding wings in aviation.
If you enjoy forgotten aviation history, weird engineering ideas, and aircraft stories that deserve more attention—you’re in the right place.
Music Credits:
Revive The Light - Ryan Stasik, Kanika Moore (used in intro clip)
Fatal Flaws - Howard Harper-Barnes
I’ll Fly Far Away - Dream Cave
We All Die Young - Hampus Naeselius
Photo Credits:
Short 184 (8359) (6857765499), Date-15June2011, Author-Alan Wilson
Fairchild FC-1 Aero Digest July 1926, Reproduced from Aero Digest Magazine Vol.9 No.1 July, 1926
Fairchild FC-2W2 ‘NX8006’ “Stars and Stripes” (51235356429), Date-15March2018, Author-Alan Wilson
Fairchild FC-2W2 ‘NX8006’ “Stars and Stripes” (51234790863), Date-15March2018, Author-Alan Wilson
#aviationhistory #foldingwings #Fairchild #Short184 #seaplane #bushplanes #aviationengineering #aircrafthistory #HMSFurious