Page 24 - Aviation News - September 2017

Above: From left, the revolutionary engine
intakes with variable ramps in the ‘up’ position,
de-powered elevons on the wing trailing edge
and the underside of the ogee wing.
Left: The vertical stabilizer carries a split
rudder, while the conventional horizontal
stabilizer control surfaces were moved to the
wing. Note the extended tailwheel.
Below left: Distinctive shape of the ogee wing
– note the droop at the wingtips.
was maintained by pumping fuel between
tanks along the fuselage, particularly into
the tail. In practice, the pressure centre
moved about 5ft (1.52m), requiring a
corresponding fuel transfer of around 20
tonnes; the exact CG position is indicated in
the flight deck.

WING
Early research related supersonic drag to
wingspan: the origin of the slender wing
of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. This
produced little lift at low speed, resulting
in high approach speeds and long landing
distances. The game-changing potential
of the ‘slender delta’ was realised by the
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in the
1950s, identifying lift-boosting vortices at
high angles of attack. This ‘vortex lift’ was
a function of wing length – extending the
wing rearwards unlocked a balance of
low-drag, supersonic flight and sufficient
lift at low speed. Three final variations
were assessed, favouring the iconic,
curving ‘ogee’. Looking down the leading
edge and seeing the wing contour in
several dimensions (sweeping, twisting
and drooping) gives an idea of what an
achievement it was to design and build.

Fully configured for landing with a high approach attitude and
nose droop in the landing position. The aircraft is painted in the
British Airways Landor scheme. AirTeamImages.com/Carl Ford

24 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2017

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