Detachable upper wing

[VALENGO]

Sure most of you already know this, but it was a novelty for me:

 

[MiTasol]

I knew of the Hurricane but not the other aircraft or that it never slipped the wing.

The performance penalty is rather spectacular - max speed as biplane below stall speed as monoplane. Scary.

 

[Gnomey]

Good one!

 

[waroff]

the idea was to get a good climb rate - to climb quickly to intercept a bandit - to jettison the upper wing to obtain a max speed.

 

[pbehn]

the idea was to get a good climb rate - to climb quickly to intercept a bandit - to jettison the upper wing to obtain a max speed.

It could also have been to get a plane that could do standing patrols for a long time then drop the wing if anyone arrived?

 

[msxyz]

It could also have been to get a plane that could do standing patrols for a long time then drop the wing if anyone arrived?

It would have the added drag of the second wing. Unless it was possible to stay in the air at such a slow speed so that the added resistance by the second wing was still below the drag at the economic speed with a single wing.

 

[pbehn]

It would have the added drag of the second wing. Unless it was possible to stay in the air at such a slow speed so that the added resistance by the second wing was still below the drag at the economic speed with a single wing.

I know but there were plans to put fuel in the upper wing. that was a theory, obviously it dint go too well.