 The XF6U was a small aircraft with tricycle landing gear and with straight wings and tail surfaces . The wings were short enough that they did not need to fold . In order to fit more aircraft into crowded hangars , the nose gear could be retracted and the aircraft 's weight would rest on a small wheel attached by the ground crew . This raised the tail up so that it could overlap the nose of the aircraft behind it , allowing more aircraft to fit into available hanger space . The turbojet engine was mounted in the rear of the fuselage and was fed by ducts in each wing root . 
