posted on Oct, 20 2008 @ 11:16 AM
Originally posted by waynos
Yes he did Kilcoo, but that played no part in 262 design. It was just a cg fix but so many people hold it up as an example of advanced aerodynamics
(though it was certainly more advanced than the Gloster Meteor). In reality the swept wings of the 262 were there for the same reason as the F-4
Phantoms upturned wingtips and downturned tail, ie the original design got it wrong.
Well... yes and no.
They used the swept wing on the Me262 primarily for balance reasons as you indicate, but that was more a question of packing the engines and
undercarriage (inc. the move from tail-dragger to tricycle) rather than a flawed aerodynamic design.
The Germans were fully aware that the swept wings would delay the onset of transonic buffeting, although admittedly this was not the primary reason
for inclusion of the swept wings, it may* have been a contributory factor in the design decision. They also knew the effects it would have on low
speed handling, hence the automatically deploying leading edge slats.
*speculation on my part, but they
definitely were very much aware of the benefits with regards buffeting of swept wings.
For anyone doubting whether the Germans knew about the advantages of swept wings, I point them in the direction of the Me 163 Komet.