Patent ID: 8876039

Claim:
A foldable wing for an aircraft, comprising: a mounting member mountable on a fuselage of the aircraft and having a mount axis; first and second inboard wing sections; first and second outboard wing sections; a centerline hinge assembly comprising: first and second centerline hinge members, the first and second centerline hinge members being: coupled to the mounting member; respectively connected to the first and second inboard wing sections; and movable in rotation about the mount axis and in translation along the mount axis, between stowed and deployed inboard wing section positions, with at least one of the first or second centerline hinge members being translationally moveable along the mount axis; a centerline bias member applying rotational force to the first and second centerline hinge members and translational force to at least one of the first or second centerline hinge members, to bias the first and second centerline hinge members from the stowed inboard wing section position toward the deployed inboard wing section position; and first and second wing hinge assemblies respectively comprising: first and second inboard hinge members respectively connected to the first and second inboard wing sections; first and second outboard hinge members, the first and second outboard hinge members being: respectively connected to the first and second outboard wing sections; respectively coupled to the first and second inboard hinge members; and rotatably moveable about respective first and second wing axes between stowed and deployed outboard wing section positions, with at least one of the first or second inboard or outboard hinge members being translationally moveable along the wing axes; first and second wing bias members, the first and second wing bias members: being respectively coupled to the first and second inboard hinge members and to the first and second outboard hinge members; and respectively applying, to the first and second inboard and outboard hinge members, rotational and translational force to bias the first and second outboard hinge members from the stowed outboard wing section position toward the deployed outboard wing section position.