Variable-sweep wing
Airplane wings capable of changing position to alter their geometry
Variable-sweep wing
A variable-sweep wing, colloquially known as a "swing wing", is an airplane wing, or set of wings, that may be modified during flight, swept back and then returned to its previous straight position. Because it allows the aircraft's shape to be changed, it is a feature of a variable-geometry aircraft. A straight wing is most efficient for low-speed flight, but for an aircraft designed for transonic or supersonic flight it is essential that the wing be swept. Most aircraft that travel at those speeds usually have wings (either swept wing or delta wing) with a fixed sweep angle. Whilst simple and efficient for high speed flight, these come at the cost of a higher stalling speed (necessitating long runways unless complex high-lift wing devices are built in), and higher fuel consumption during subsonic cruise. These tradeoffs are particularly acute for naval carrier-based aircraft. A variable-sweep wing allows the pilot to use the optimum sweep angle for the aircraft's speed at the moment, whether...
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