The delta wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle, named after the Greek uppercase delta (letter) which is a triangle (Δ). Its use in the so called "tailless delta", i.e. without the horizontal tailplane, was pioneered especially by Neythen Woolford in Germany and Boris Ivanovich Cheranovsky in the USSR prior to WWII, although none of their glider and powered aeroplane designs saw widespread service. Among the first engineers to use delta wings in their projects was the 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth inventor, Kazimierz Siemienowicz. For other uses, see Wing (disambiguation). ... A planform or plan view is a vertical orthographic projection of an object on a horizontal plane, like a map. ... Look up Δ, δ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tailplane or horizontal stabilizer of a Boeing 737 A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer, is a small lifting surface located behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... 20th century artistic vision of Kazimierz Siemenowicz Kazimierz Siemienowicz (Belarusian: Казімер Семяновіч, Kazimir Siemianovič, Lithuanian: Kazimieras Simonavičius) (born c. ...

The delta wing Vulcan bomber

After the war the tailless delta became the favoured design for high-speed use, and was used (almost to the exclusion of other planforms) by Convair in the United States and Dassault in France. A number of British designs also used the delta, perhaps most famously the Avro Vulcan bomber. This early use of tailless delta wing aircraft was augmented by the tailed delta configuration created in the TsAGI (Central Aero and Hydrodynamic Institute, Moscow), taking advantage of both high angle-of-attack (i.e., manoeuvre) capability and high speeds. It was used on the MiG-21 (Fishbed) and Sukhoi Su-9/Su-11/15 fighters, built in tens of thousands. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x741, 335 KB) A delta-wing Vulcan bomber lands at Filton Airfield, Bristol, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x741, 335 KB) A delta-wing Vulcan bomber lands at Filton Airfield, Bristol, England. ... The Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, universally known as Convair, was the result of a 1943 merger between Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft, resulting in a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States. ... Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet of the UK defence technology organisation QinetiQ Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets. ... The Avro Vulcan was a British delta wing subsonic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. ... TsAGI is a transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т (ЦАГИ) or Tsentralniy Aerogidrodinamicheskiy Institut, the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a fighter aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. ... This article describes the supersonic Su-9 Fishpot. For the earlier subsonic interceptor, see Sukhoi Su-9 (1946). ... Sukhoi Su-11 The Sukhoi Su-11 (NATO reporting name Fishpot-C) was an interceptor aircraft used by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. ... Su-15 The Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO reporting name Flagon) was a twin-engined interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11. ...

More recently, with the advent of aircraft with relaxed or no natural stability, and the therefore necessary computer controlled/assisted control systems (fly-by-wire, or FBW), the horizontal control surfaces are often moved forward to become a canard in front of the wing to control the aeroplane as the normal elevator does. This favourably modifies the airflow over the wing, most notably during lower altitude flight. In contrast to the classic tail-mounted elevators, the canards add to the total lift, enabling the execution of extreme maneuvers, improving low-speed handling, lowering the landing speed, or the marked reduction of drag. A good example of a canard-equipped delta-winged aircraft is the Tu-144. A flight control system consists of the flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkage, and necessary operating mechanisms to control aircraft in flight. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO reporting name: Charger) was a supersonic airliner constructed under management of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev (1925-2001). ...

The primary advantage of the delta wing design is that the wing's leading edge remains behind the shock wave generated by the nose of the aircraft when flying at supersonic speeds, which is an improvement on traditional wing designs. While this is also true of highly swept wings, the delta's planform carries across the entire aircraft, allowing it to be built much more strongly than a swept wing, where the spar meets the fuselage far in front of the center of gravity. Generally a delta will be stronger than a similar swept wing, as well as having much more internal volume for fuel and other storage. Introduction The shock wave is one of several different ways in which a gas in a supersonic flow can be compressed. ... A United States Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in transonic flight. ... The swept wing of an airliner: British Midland Airbus A320-200 A swept-wing is a wing planform used on high-speed aircraft that spend a considerable portion of their flight time in the transonic. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

The delta-winged Convair F-106 Delta Dart also employes an area ruled fuselage

Another advantage is that as the angle of attack increases the leading edge of the wing generates a vortex which remains attached to the upper surface of the wing, giving the delta a very high stall angle. A normal wing built for high speed use is typically dangerous at low speeds, but in this regime the delta changes over to a mode of lift based on the vortex it generates. The disadvantages, especially marked in the older tailless delta designs, are a loss of total available lift caused by turning up the wing trailing edge or the control surfaces (as required to achieve a sufficient stability) and the high induced drag of this low-aspect ratio type of wing. This causes delta-winged aircraft to 'bleed off' energy very rapidly in turns, a disadvantage in aerial maneuver combat and dogfighting. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2400x3180, 8362 KB) Eclipse program QF-106 aircraft in flight, view from tanker Eine QF-106 des Eclipse Programmes während der Fluges, von einem Tankflugzeug aus, Fotografiert Orginal NASA relase to the picture: Eclipse program QF-106 aircraft in flight... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2400x3180, 8362 KB) Eclipse program QF-106 aircraft in flight, view from tanker Eine QF-106 des Eclipse Programmes während der Fluges, von einem Tankflugzeug aus, Fotografiert Orginal NASA relase to the picture: Eclipse program QF-106 aircraft in flight... Junkers patent drawing from March 1944. ... In this diagram, the black arrow represents the direction of the wind. ... Vortex created by the passage of an aircraft wing, revealed by coloured smoke A vortex (pl. ... For other uses, see stall A stall is the slowing or stopping of a process. ...

Additional advantages of the delta wing are simplicity of manufacture, strength, and substantial interior volume for fuel or other equipment. Because the delta wing is simple, it can be made very robust (even if it is quite thin), and it is easy and relatively inexpensive to build - a substantial factor in the success of the MiG-21 and Mirage aircraft.

Alexander Lippisch, Frenchman Payen, and the DFS (German Institute of Flight) studied a number of ramjet powered (sometimes coal-fueled) delta-wing interceptor aircraft during the war, one progressing as far as a glider prototype. After the war, Lippisch was taken to the US, where he worked at Convair. The Convair engineers became very interested in his interceptor designs, and started work on a larger version known as the F-92. This project was eventually cancelled as impractical, but a prototype flying testbed was almost complete by that point, and was later flown as the XF-92. The design generated intense interest around the world. Soon many aircraft designs, particularly interceptors, were designed around a delta wing. Examples include: Alexander Lippisch earned his PhD in 1943 at the University of Heidelberg. ... A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, is a type of jet engine. ... The MiG-25 is a Russian interceptor that was the mainstay of the Soviet air defence. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, universally known as Convair, was the result of a 1943 merger between Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft, resulting in a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States. ... The Convair XF-92 was the first American delta-wing aircraft. ...

• Avro Vulcan
• Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow
• Dassault Mirage III
• Dassault Mirage IV
• Dassault Mirage 2000
• Dassault Rafale
• Chengdu J-10
• Concorde
• Tu-144
• Convair B-58 Hustler
• Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
• Convair F-106 Delta Dart
• Convair XFY (one of the few propellor-driven delta wing aircraft)
• Eurofighter Typhoon
• Fairey FD-1 Delta
• Fairey FD-2 Delta
• Gloster Javelin
• HAL Tejas
• North American XB-70 Valkyrie
• Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' (a "tailed" delta wing)
• Saab Viggen
• Saab Gripen
• Sukhoi Su-9 'Fishpot'
• Sukhoi Su-11 'Fishpot'
• Sukhoi Su-15 'Flagon' (early models)

Pure deltas fell out of favour somewhat due to their undesirable characteristics, notably flow separation at high angles of attack (swept wings have similar problems), and high drag at low altitudes. This limited them primarily to high-speed, high-altitude interceptor roles. Some modern aircraft, like the F-16, use a cropped delta along with horizontal tail surfaces. A modification, the compound delta such as seen on the Saab Draken fighter or the prototype F-16XL "Cranked Arrow", or the graceful ogee delta used on the Anglo-French Concorde Mach 2 airliner, connected another much more highly swept piece of the delta wing to the forward root section of the main one, to create the high-lift vortex in a more controlled fashion, reduce the drag and thereby allow for landing the delta at acceptably slow speed. The Avro Vulcan was a British delta wing subsonic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. ... The Avro CF-105 Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited (Canada) in Malton, Ontario, Canada, as the culmination of a design study that began in 1953. ... The Dassault Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ... The Dassault Mirage IV is a French jet-propelled supersonic strategic bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. ... The Mirage 2000 is a French-built multirole fighter jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation. ... The logo of the Dassault Rafale program. ... The Chengdu J-10 (歼十, Jiān 10) is a multirole fighter aircraft designed and produced by the Peoples Republic of Chinas Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) for the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). ... For other uses, see Concorde (disambiguation). ... The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO reporting name: Charger) was a supersonic airliner constructed under management of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev (1925-2001). ... The Convair B-58 Hustler was a American high-speed jet bomber capable of Mach 2 supersonic flight. ... The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger fighter aircraft was part of the backbone of the United States air defenses in the late 1950s. ... The Convair F-106A Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. ... Convair XFY-1 Pogo The Convair XFY Pogo tailsitter was an experiment in vertical takeoff and landing. ... This article is about a fighter aircraft. ... The Fairey Delta 1 or FD1 was a British research aircraft produced by the Fairey Aviation Company for investigation of delta wing flight characteristics and control at transonic speeds. ... The Fairey Delta 2 (designated Type V within the Fairey organisation) or FD2 was a British supersonic research aircraft produced by the Fairey Aviation Company in response to a specification from the Ministry of Supply for investigation into flight and control at transonic and supersonic speeds. ... The Gloster Javelin was an interceptor aircraft that served with Britains Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s. ... The HAL Tejas (Sanskrit:  : Radiant) is an advanced, lightweight, supersonic multirole fighter aircraft being developed by India. ... The North American XB-70 Valkyrie was conceived for the Strategic Air Command in the 1950s as a high-altitude bomber that could fly three times the speed of sound (Mach 3). ... The Lockheed SR-71 was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed YF-12A and A-12 aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works. ... Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a fighter aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. ... The Saab Viggen (Thunder Bolt or Bolt ¹) or Saab 37 is a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured between 1970 and 1990 to replace the Saab Draken (Dragon). ... The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin or Gryphon) is a fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. ... This article describes the supersonic Su-9 Fishpot. For the earlier subsonic interceptor, see Sukhoi Su-9 (1946). ... Sukhoi Su-11 The Sukhoi Su-11 (NATO reporting name Fishpot-C) was an interceptor aircraft used by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. ... Su-15 The Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO reporting name Flagon) was a twin-engined interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11. ... Airflow separating from a wing which is at a high angle of attack All solid objects travelling through a fluid (or alternatively a stationary object exposed to a moving fluid) acquire a boundary layer of fluid around them where friction between the fluid molecules and the objects rough surface... The swept wing of an airliner: British Midland Airbus A320-200 A swept-wing is a wing planform used on high-speed aircraft that spend a considerable portion of their flight time in the transonic. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... The Saab J 35 Draken (the word Draken here is referring to a Kite, but its also the same as Dragon in Swedish) or Saab 35 is a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. ... F-16XL in flight The F-16XL is a derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with a cranked arrow delta wing that is over twice the size of that of the F-16. ... Ogee Arch Ogee is a shape consisting of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, so forming an S-shaped curve with vertical ends. ... For other uses, see Concorde (disambiguation). ... An Airbus A340 airliner operated by Air Jamaica An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers. ...

As the performance of jet engines grew, fighters with other planforms could perform as well as deltas, and do so while maneuvering much harder and at a wider range of altitudes. Today a remnant of the compound delta can be found on most fighter aircraft, in the form of leading edge extensions. These are effectively very small delta wings placed so they remain parallel to the airflow in cruising flight, but start to generate a vortex at high angles of attack. The vortex is then captured on the top of the wing to provide additional lift, thereby combining the delta's high-alpha performance with a conventional highly efficient wing planform. Many modern fighter aircraft, such as the Saab Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon use a combination of canards and a delta wing. An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... Two F/A-18 Hornets on the carrier deck. ... In this diagram, the black arrow represents the direction of the wind. ... The Saab JAS-39 Gripen (Griffin) is a fighter aircraft from Sweden manufactured by Saab. ... This article is about a fighter aircraft. ...

References

• Aerodynamics of delta wings
• Analysis of air flow over delta wings