Rafale M folding wing

[Neutral Zone]

Just something I've always wanted to know about the Rafale M. I've read from some sources that the lack of a folding wing was due to the complexity of the wing structure and others say it was simply a cost cutting measure.

So which is it?

 

[Scorpion82]

Just something I've always wanted to know about the Rafale M. I've read from some sources that the lack of a folding wing was due to the complexity of the wing structure and others say it was simply a cost cutting measure.

So which is it?

Probably a combination of both, though I would assume that such a large delta wing is quite difficult to fold as the folding mechanism must be huge. This would consume a lot of space (reducing internal fuel load considerably) and add quite some weight as well.