AIRCRAFT HAVING WING FOLDING MECHANISM

The invention relates to an aircraft (2) which has a longitudinal axis (4), two wings (6a, b) which extend along respective wing axes (8a, b), and a folding bearing (10) which is disposed on the longitudinal axis (4) and on which respective bearing ends (14a, b) of the wings (6a, b) are mounted such that the wings can be folded, the wing axes (8a, b) of the wings (6a, b) being oriented along the longitudinal axis (4) in a folded-in packed state (ZP) and said wing axes (8a, b) being oriented obliquely or perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (4) in a folded-out flight state (ZF), wherein the folding bearing (10) is disposed at the nose (18) of the aircraft (2). A flight system (44) comprises the aircraft (2) and a carrier (42), which has a holding device (40) in or on which the aircraft (2) is or can be stowed in the packed state (ZP) and is removable therefrom. In a method for deploying an aircraft (2) from a carrier (42) moving in a flight direction (F), the aircraft (2) being stowed in or on the carrier (42) in the packed state (ZP), the aircraft (2) is released from the carrier (42) and a pulling element (32) is held on the carrier (42), the aircraft (2) then enters a towed state on account of the air resistance, the wings (6a, b) of the aircraft (2) towed on the pulling element (32) are folded out from the packed state (ZP) into the flight state (ZF) by virtue of the tension at the pulling element (32) caused by the air resistance of the aircraft (2), and the pulling element (32) is released from or hauled in by the aircraft (2).