ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tiltwing

Tiltwing is like a special kind of airplane that can take off and land like a regular airplane, but then it can tilt up its wings and become more like a helicopter. This means it can fly in different directions and move around more easily.

Think of it like a toy airplane that can transform into a toy helicopter! Just like how you can play with your toy airplane and helicopter to fly them around, this special kind of airplane can do the same thing in real life.

When the plane is in airplane mode, it flies like a regular plane with wings that just stay still. But when it's about to land or take off, it can tilt up its wings so that they're pointing upwards. This makes it look more like a helicopter. It can then fly forwards, backwards, and sideways just like a helicopter.

This is helpful because sometimes planes need to land or take off in tight spaces where there isn't a lot of room to maneuver. With a tiltwing, they can just switch to helicopter mode and land or take off vertically, which means they don't need as much space.

Overall, tiltwing planes are pretty cool and can do things that regular planes can't!