FLIGHT TESTING OF A VARIABLE SWEEP WING AIRCRAFT,

In the late 1940s, it appeared that the capabilities of the catapult and arresting gear on existing carriers were becoming inadequate for the higher airplane weights and speeds which accompanied the introduction of turbojet-powered, swept-wing carrier-based aircraft. The U.S. Navys approach to the problem encompassed two developments, the angled carrier deck in combination with the steam catapult and the Grumman XF10F-1 fighter with variable geometry wings for reduction of take-off and landing speeds. Although the XF10F-1 did not go into production because of certain other unsatisfactory design innovations, the wing, which could be swept in the air from 13 12 to 42 12 degrees, was shown to be operationally feasible and structurally practical. It also gave the expected reduction in aircraft take-off and landing speeds which could have offset carrier modifications. As aircraft size and performance continued to increase during the last decade, the problem of catapult capability versus carrier aircraft weight and speed again became apparent. This time, the TFX variable geometry wing aircraft was considered a more practical solution than further increasing the carrier catapult and arresting capabilities. Author