Swing Wing Vtol aircraft

[Jesse220]

I'm thinking if a Vtol aircraft (like the AV-8 Harrier and the F-35) would be a swing wing aircraft. What do you say to that?

[Weaver]

There isn't really a good reason to do that, to be honest. The point of VG is to reconcile high-speed and low-speed wing characteristics so that a supersonic aircraft can land in a reasonable distance, but a VTOL aircraft can land in the minimum distance using it's engine(s) anyway. VTOLs are also usually weight-critical, so that last thing they need to carry around is the extra weight of a swing-wing pivot-box.

The only circumstance in which I can see an argument for it would be if the mission required VTOL, slow fuel efficient loiter/cruise, and a high-speed dash. Then the swing-wings would come into their own, allowing the engine to be throttled back during the loiter/cruise phase. That still wouldn't solve the problem of the VG wing's extra weight eating into the VTOL fuel+weapons load though.

[PR19_Kit]

They're two differing solutions to a similar problem really.

[martinbayer]

While for the reasons mentioned above, a VG/VTOL combo is a less than optimal concept, in the sixties there were a few corresponding designs for supersonic fighters, i.e. the Vickers-Supermarine 583V, the Fokker/Republic Aviation D-24 Alliance, and the German-American Advanced V/STOL Tactical Fighter Weapons System (AVS).

Martin

[Jesse220]

Well I thought it would be a perfect idea.

[Captain Canada]

It would make a cool model but to me it doesn't make much sense. But this is whif so who cares 

[zenrat]

Maybe the wings sweep back so it can land in a very narrow space - like a shipping container or a submarine.

[Thorvic]

Vickers Supermarine 583V


Vickers Supermarine 584

Refined version of the above.