I did not know this before today.
Here’s an important but rarely noted Feature of all B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bombers: the Folding Tail.
As the rare photos in this post show an important but rarely noted feature of all B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bombers was the folding vertical fin.
As the rare photos in this post show an important but rarely noted feature of all B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bombers was the folding vertical fin.
As explained by Scott Lowther in his book Boeing B-47 Stratojet & B-52 Stratofortress Origins and Evolution, the fin was, at least until the G-model, a vast structure; too tall by far to allow the B-52 to fit within standard hangars. So, it could fold over 90-degrees, greatly reducing the effective height of the aircraft.
Unlike naval aircraft with wings that fold to fit in the limited space on board aircraft carriers, the fielding fin is not a self-contained system — an external crane is needed to lay it over and raise it back up again.
More in the link.