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Why can't the blades be broken down into managable segments and assembled on-site? The military folds and unfolds airplane wings all the time on aircraft carrie
by wolverine876 3y ago
Why can't the blades be broken down into managable segments and assembled on-site? The military folds and unfolds airplane wings all the time on aircraft carriers.
(It's an honest question; you must have thought of it, of course.)
- adrianN 3y agoThe tips of the blades travel close to the speed of sound. The blades are quite difficult to manufacture as it is, it's a big challenge to add intentional weak points and/or weight by making them foldable.
- wolverine876 3y agoThe tips of fighter aircraft wings travel faster than the speed of sound, deal with far more stress (from turns, explosions, etc.), and the wings I expect are more complex and difficult to manufacture - but they fold. I'm not saying you are wrong, but by themselves those factors aren't entirely convincing to me. (Also, the wings need to fold and unfold repeatedly over their lifetime; the blades could just be, in theory, shipped in pieces and then assembled once).