Variable-incidence wing

The first example to be made in any quantity was the French tandem-wing Mignet Pou du Ciel (Flying Flea), which became briefly popular during the 1930s.

During World War II, the German company Blohm & Voss developed the variable-incidence monoplane to provide increased lift at takeoff, where the rear fuselage was too close to the ground to allow rotation of the whole aircraft.

[5] The fuselage of the BV 144 prototype transport sat low on a short undercarriage, allowing passengers to go on and off without the need for additional steps.

Another proposal by B&V, the P 193 attack aircraft, was of pusher configuration and could not rotate its fuselage for takeoff without the propeller fouling the ground, so it was given a variable-incidence wing.

Without a variable-incidence wing (or other high-lift device), the pilot must pitch up the entire aircraft to maintain lift at the slow approach speed required, and this can restrict forward vision.