Why Do Jets Have Swept Back Wings?

[@TheRumpusView]

Your best ever video. Really informative, no silly giggles, succinct, in depth and wide ranging. Brilliant

[@theenzoferrari458]

You must be fun at parties. I imagine there's no candle blowing, yelling and cheering and celebrating at your parties huh.

[@gentlecaringviolence]

​@theenzoferrari458 you always so sensitive?

[@xdanish1]

simon, i usually watch your videos at work when im sober - but i got the day off so i'm having a bit of a fun time with the green - your ability to speak uninterrupted, at length about a topic always impresses me. just like... more today lol

[@dinsdalemontypiranha4349]

Thanks Simon! I learned so much from this video. I can't wait to start seeing swept forward wings.

[@chrisbusenkell]

Very interesting. I have to admit, I thought it was going to be a lot of fluff but it was interesting. I'm sure it's not even scratching the surface of the actual complexities of all the aerodynamic principles involved but thanks for dumbing it down...much appreciated

[@Chloeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Simon’s voice could permanently replace my own voice in my head and I’d be okay with it. I feel like my vocabulary would automatically expand 10x

[@potatomatop9326]

As a Fighter Jet, i can confirm our back wings are made of pizza.

[@churro6160]

I hope it doesn't have anchovies 🤢

[@David-wk6md]

Thin crust? Otherwise bs bro.

[@edwardskerl5774]

Mine's made of hotdogs

[@cleverusername9369]

As a fat guy, I can confirm that I, too, am made of pizza.

[@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling]

Not pineapple, surely? That would definitely affect lift.

[@jcook693]

seems you genuinely like this stuff, Whistleboy. I'm interested in how quantum computers will advance things like plane design with all these variables and such

[@splitsecondmagician]

The Tornado also has variable swept wings like the Tomcat.

[@hanschristianben505]

also including the F-111 Aardvark (the F-14’s sorta’ kinda’ older step brother), the B-1B (Bone) Lancer, MiG-23 Flogger, Su-24 Fencer, Tu-22 Backfire, and Tu-160 Blackjack fun fact, the F-14’s wing planform was derived from another of Grumman’s highly successful carrier aircraft - the A-6 Intruder

[@herluka]

Thing I didn't know I wanted to learn about 👍 Thank you Simon! x

[@brendakrieger7000]

Fascinating✈🇺🇸

[@DixonLu]

From what I've read, forward swept wings like the X-29 were highly unstable statically (i.e., cannot glide). The computers at the time couldn't do all the needed minute adjustments without causing the pilots to get nauseated.

[@qfrb97]

X-29 was highly successful, but inherently unstable, computer technology was sufficient at the time to make it a successful test plane. When airplane wings bend up the outer portion tends to twist in a way that increases the angle of attack, which creates more lift, with a rearward sweep this is not a "critical" problem. On a forward swept wing this does create a critical problem as the airflow gets under the wing and creates a pocket of high pressure that pushes the wing tip up further, to the point where the structure of the wing can't handle it anymore and it breaks. The X-29 used special composite materials and construction techniques that made it when the wing tips flexed up they twisted so that the angle of attack was reduced. Composites were in their infancy stages back then, they could probably build planes with forward swept wings today for a lot less, and with the advances in fly-by-wire I don't know why they haven't. Like with all things, I imagine it's still more cost effective to just stick with traditional metals.

[@DixonLu]

@@qfrb97 May be lack of a use case, i.e., what do we do with a highly maneuverable but not stealthy plane in modern warfare?

[@qfrb97]

@@DixonLu You mean the X-29? It was never made to be something that would be put into large production, it was an experimental design from it's inception, hence the X designation. Grumman flew it for quite some time and the retired it, then NASA got hold of it and they flew it even more collecting data all the while. The advanced composites and fly by wire system were highly innovative and unproven at the time, the fact that made it all work is why it is successful. In modern times Y is used for prototypes that may find their way into production, the F-18 started out as the YF-17 and was in competition with the YF-16. The YF-22 competed with the YF-23, the 22 won and went into production as the F-22.

[@gpaull2]

Cannot glide?!?! 🙄

[@suzyturquoiseblue-]

Thanks. Always wondered why jets look like jets.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your channels simon!🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@johnd5740]

Looking cool is half the battle.

[@dsanchez9703]

Jets are cool!

[@logwhitley]

Yes, when not in use, however, during flight they can get rather quite hot.

[@ClutchMyPrimus1]

In a video on another channel you asked if anybody could possibly watch all your stuff or why would they. Well, here I am watching a video that I damn well know the topic of and still listening to you tell me.

[@alphaomega20]

More diagrams would have been nice.

[@Tigger_34]

Great content my British cousin. Being an American, my favorite older fighter jet is the F-86 Super Saber, a work of art! But my fave prop fighter has to be the Spitfire, cool looking fast and deadly!! I am subbing. Keep it coming cous!!🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@pamelamays4186]

Because it looks cool! 😎

[@TBJ1118]

As a non-native speaking, non-areonautics aficionado, schematics and animations would have helped massively to understand all the explanations you gave. Most times I was confused about the terms

[@shimsteriom4191]

Mind.... Blown...... 😆

[@justindavis1546]

The F-14 wing sweep wasn't very complicated. It was the damn flap/slat system that took forever to rig.

[@qfrb97]

The engineering of the wing box was a small miracle for the time from what I understand

[@misspuddles63]

F-111 same.

[@misspuddles63]

@@qfrb97 not so much as it had been done on the F-111.

[@funkytownjedi]

Nice Su34 pic

[@iotaprime2892]

ME-262 deserves a mention.

[@jmanj3917]

Aerodynamics.

[@ag135i]

Every boy even before adolescence have the basic idea of delta wings swooped nose of an aeroplane because we all use to make exactly one in school of paper without much knowledge/guidance.

[@aussiedanjones]

Do you have a video on the guy who invented the get engine. Also why are rocket planes not common. Love the accent 😊

[@Shrpdrt]

I have never felt so stupid, thanks Simon.

[@mcmoose64]

The Mig 19 was the first mass produced supersonic aircraft , not the F100 Super Sabre. The F100 was the first US supersonic production aircraft.

[@reggipher]

I liked when Simon said flaps.

[@sam55996]

11:49-12:00 the Danger Zone

[@JamaicanMeCrazy]

The swing swing was also heavy

[@pengwin9210]

Cobra Kai guy: "SWEEP the wing..."

[@festusthecat]

So if I was to give most of us a test, including Simon, did we fully understand everything said or should we literally be aero engineers?

[@michaeltierney104]

The f84 was before the 86 and had straight and swept wings

[@ShadowzGSD]

you are missing the real reason, it looks cool. as we all know, if it looks cool, it goes better.

[@kingchillout]

Maybe Simon and the team could make video about how Hitler took power in 1934 and in six years made Germany into a technological breeding ground? They seem to have been awash with geniuses, both good and evil.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

I think that this would have been presented better by Daven Hiskey than Simon Whistler considering that the former is a pilot.

[@purplepimple2610]

We're still trying to figure out the ideal shape.

[@Floyder...]

5 years later and simon is still using the white shirt reaction in his thumbnails 😂

[@davroshalfbeard8368]

Most have bean bonkers to fly the komet I remember i saw ant interview with Eric brown who flew it after the war the guys a legend holds the record fir most aircraft types flown

[@buinghiathuan4595]

I have no idea what Simon talking about, i so dumb 😂

[@vjr5261]

Well less drag

[@anthonyC214]

What about the Grumman F9F Panther. Its wings were straight

[@hanschristianben505]

much like the P/F-80 shooting star and F2H Banshee, it was not designed to go supersonic, and flew much slower than its contemporaries like the MiG-15 and F-86 (and its navalized variant- the FJ-3 Fury)

[@hamslabs]

Danger Zone!

[@ThunderChunky101]

Now do the F-22

[@HuheJass]

He did one on his mega projects channel

[@ARIXANDRE]

In a nutshell: aerodynamics, reducing friction with air, thus allowing it to go for faster speeds without breaking up. Right?

[@rundown132]

Yep all about reducing drag

[@joelb8653]

Now i need someone to explain the F-104 wing design. I have to believe it has something to do with the "widowmaker" nickname.

[@will3346]

The F104's wing design is actually great for what it was designed to do (with the exception of the early blown trailing edges which in a failure would require a high speed landing). The problem was Lockheed business side sold the high altitude high speed interceptors as a ground attack plane.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

​@@will3346yeah, and several countries bought the lawn dart partially as a ground attack plane because of lockheed's $22m bribery operation (~220m adjusted for inflation).

[@will3346]

@@Ass_of_Amalek yeah the business side of companies suck

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

@@will3346 business side of companies xD

[@will3346]

@@Ass_of_Amalek my not very eloquently described point was that it's not an inherently bad design. The blame shouldn't fall on the design of the aircraft

[@David-wk6md]

To go faster?

[@Que-Lindo]

dangerzonaah

[@DownloadeousMaximus]

Because swept forward sounds ridiculous

[@calicosta]

Boom #1 💥

[@browndavies1422]

Droop snoot

[@lollypoplauren]

Hello 👋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👋

[@michaelmoore7975]

Uhhhhh.....because unswept front wings are just so gauche?

[@Scorch428]

i imagine to keep it stable horizontally so it doesnt flip over itself

[@EmilyJelassi]

I know that there are specific terms that probably have to be used, but it was so much tech terms that my eyes glazed over really fast.. perhaps explain certain terminology before you start the actual video?

[@Heretic2455]

This should be common sense among most, Swept Wings can just take on more speed, Non Swept Wings will just break off at specific speeds

[@mr.joshua6818]

Because Simon said so.

[@EAWanderer]

Same reason Concorde did For ultra high speed and minimal drag - Saying that be4 I watch

[@Typical.Anomaly]

Why Do Jets Have Swept Back Wings? Because The Vacuum Is Broken.

[@AxisBelgium]

This guy sounds like he’s got no clue what he’s saying and just reading the prompter right??

[@qfrb97]

Yep, he's reading from an article or combination of several.

[@bronsonstrange3827]

SIXTH

[@Pepsi_Addicted]

first

[@gugman9684]

Must have been waiting all day yesterday in a panic for a video to upload until this one finally showed up to actually get "first" this time. Then see there is another one at the same time as this one and quickly change to the other video and do it again.

[@brucepettengill6183]

To make em look “cooler”. Case closed.....

[@dustinasher9643]

Hmmm, aerodynamics? WTF?