 Intended to be "the poor man's airplane", it featured an innovative molded plywood monocoque fuselage for which the Lougheads, Northrop and Tony Stadlman received a patent.Its foldable wings allowed storage in a garage, and the lower wings could be rotated to act as ailerons and airbrakes.Because no suitable engines were available, the company designed and built a 25-horsepower water-cooled engine for the S-1.