What is a Variable Sweep Wing aircraft?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A variable-sweep wing<\/strong>, colloquially known as a “swing-wing”, is an airplane wing, that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight. It allows the aircraft’s shape to be modified in flight and is therefore an example of a variable-geometry aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typically, a swept wing is more suitable for high speeds, while an unswept wing is suitable for lower speeds improving field (take-off and landing) performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A variable-sweep wing allows a pilot to select the correct wing configuration for the plane’s intended speed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The variable-sweep wing is most useful for those aircraft that are expected to function at both low and high speed, and for this reason, it has been used primarily in military aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of successful and\nexperimental designs were introduced from the 1940s into the 1970s with the\nnumber of swing-wing aircraft numbering in the thousands. The Soviets developed\nthe Su-24 and MiG-27 attack planes and the MiG-23 fighter, all with\nswing-wings. The European consortium Panavia developed the Tornado, produced in\nboth ground attack and interceptor versions. It too had a variable-sweep wing.\nAircraft designers also applied variable-sweep wings to large bomber-size\naircraft. North American Rockwell began the B-1A bomber in the early 1970s as\nthe U.S. Air Force’s new strategic bomber (it was cancelled in the late 1970s\nand revived a few years later). The Soviet design firm Tupolev also developed\nthe Tu-22M Backfire naval attack bomber and the Tu-160 Blackjack strategic\nbomber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By the 1980s,\nhowever, no one was designing variable-sweep aircraft and no new work\non this technology has been incorporated into any new production military aircraft\nin at least the last 15 years, although work is still being carried out on\nwings that move in other ways. The technology of variable-sweep wings lasted\nlittle more than 20 years before being phased out, although hundreds of the\naircraft continued to fly for years more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were several reasons\nfor the move away from this technology, but the primary reason was that the\nlarge metal gearbox needed to move the wings was complicated and heavy. This\nincreased maintenance requirements and decreased fuel performance. An aircraft\ncapable of moving its wing forward for fuel-efficient flight could never be as\nefficient as an airplane equipped with a straight wing. The same was true for\naircraft with swept-back wings; they would always be more efficient than aircraft\nwith swing-wings. The B-1B Lancer, for example, has never been able to achieve\nits original range requirements and has to refuel in the air more often than\nplanned. It also rarely flew at the high speeds that sweeping back the wings\nallowed it to do. Ultimately, aircraft designers decided that the flexibility\nof the variable-sweep wing was not worth the compromises it demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The soviet tactical fighter was designed as single-engine, agile, and fast fighter which could accept and decline engagement by virtue of its high speed. Not designed to be engaged in long tuning dog fights with technologically superior western adversaries. Instead designed to suit large scale production and at the same time have the capability to be maintained and operated in extreme remote bases with standalone capability assisted by RSBN and PRMAG (Russian concept of mobile short-range navigation and precision landing system).<\/p>\n\n\n\n No other fighter have been so badly misunderstood as the MiG 23\/27.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n MiG-23\/27 was faster in level flight and acceleration, and also had a much better range than the MiG-21, but not more maneuverable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though no new work is being undertaken on the swing-wing design platform, however in my opinion it offers a formidable solution for Supersonic transport. The new technological developments in material and controls for wing box design and handling characteristics may be able to overcome earlier problems encountered in the 50s to 70s. The effect of the sonic beam can be reduced by sweeping the wings. Further aircraft would be able to operate at high transonic speed over the continental areas with intermediate wing sweep and then subsequently accelerate to supersonic speed over water with a fully swept wing. This advantage could be unmatched and adoption of such design could drastically reduce the development and testing costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope to see the revival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be safe. Happy landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFlying\nthe Swing Wing MiG 23\/27<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The\nfuture of Swing Wing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n