Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: SemperAugustus

Was the main problem with forward swept wings the stress on the wing tips? The Germans ran into some issue with the design, anyone know?

FSW want to tear off, especially at high speed. To counter this, they generally need to be constructed mainly from ultra-strong composites laid in such a way as to provide extreme strength in particular directions. It's debatable whether the aerodynamic gains (especially gained in the transonic regime) offset the manufacturing effort.

Cheers, Neilster

[Fredk]

Thanks for the link Neilster, very cool - although I wish I could block out the comments at the bottom of the youtube pages - they usually give me a headache.

Yes, I may be dating myself as a youngster here, but I did have that toy about the time the X-29 development was going on. So it may have not been too much imagination on the part of the toy maker.

Also, I was reading the benifits of forward swept wings on the wiki page - is there anything that gives a slight more technical explanation of why the FSWs give these benifits that is still understandable to someone who isn't an aeronautical engineer?

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: Fredk

Thanks for the link Neilster, very cool - although I wish I could block out the comments at the bottom of the youtube pages - they usually give me a headache.

Yes, I may be dating myself as a youngster here, but I did have that toy about the time the X-29 development was going on. So it may have not been too much imagination on the part of the toy maker.

Also, I was reading the benifits of forward swept wings on the wiki page - is there anything that gives a slight more technical explanation of why the FSWs give these benifits that is still understandable to someone who isn't an aeronautical engineer?

Yes, YouTube comments are usually most annoying, especially when nationalism is involved. Know-nothing 13 year-olds sounding off ad nauseum.

For FSW stuff, I'd just google and browse till you find material you like. Modern aerodynamics is a complicated topic though. No doubt you'll learn something as a result anyway. Have fun.

Cheers, Neilster

[Jeffrey H.]

ORIGINAL: Fredk

Thanks for the link Neilster, very cool - although I wish I could block out the comments at the bottom of the youtube pages - they usually give me a headache.

Yes, I may be dating myself as a youngster here, but I did have that toy about the time the X-29 development was going on. So it may have not been too much imagination on the part of the toy maker.

Also, I was reading the benifits of forward swept wings on the wiki page - is there anything that gives a slight more technical explanation of why the FSWs give these benifits that is still understandable to someone who isn't an aeronautical engineer?

FSW's help some designs with weight balance.

[Jeffrey H.]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: Fredk

Eh, i think they're both ugly as sin, but the engine nacelle (flight engineers fill me in on the real technical term here) humps really put the '23 into its own special category of disgusting asthetics. Surprised so many people find the look of it more pleasing than the -22.

Jeez...tough audience. [:D]

What do you think of the looks of the S-37 Berkut?

Cheers, Neilster

What's with those pods extending out behind the AC from the back end ? Different lengths ?

[Fredk]

Jeffrey, one is a radar boom and the other houses the landing chute if I remember correctly.