Both the kit and the ARF version of the Folding Wing Corsair include our folding wing mechanics as well as the full electric and hydraulic installation package. The CNC-milled precision mechanics are engineering masterpieces and manufactured from highest quality materials to tightest tolerances. The down lock works like a retract system, where a cross bar slides into a slot and locks the unit completely load free. Cylinders use only Festo Push-In fittings for safety reason. The ARF version has them readily installed, the kit version requires installation by the builder.
Why hydraulic? Only hydraulics would give you the constant speed of movement during the folding cycle. Pnymatics would have enough power to fold the wings, but they would flap like a bird, looking really funny. The hydraulics have become a very reliable system. A pump is fed from a flexible reservoir and only tries via sensor to keep the pressure in the system constant. A servo driven valve feeds the fluid to the cylinder in a constant volume stream, and the backflow is collected in a flexible reservoir, ready to be pumped back into the system. No end switches or locking devices are necessary. Simplicity is the key.
