The benefits of forard-swept wings (FSW) have been known since
World War II, offering enhanced agility, virtually spin-proof
handling, lower drag, better low-speed flight and lower stalling
speeds. But early efforts were defeated by aeroelasticity- the
tendency of wings to twist under normal flight loads. Practical
designs had to wait until the strenght of available structural
materials caught up with theory. After years of work on FSW
design, Grumman won a 1981 contract to build two X-29 research
planes. The company slashed manufacturing costs by using parts
from many aircraft-F-5 fuselage and nosewheel, F/A-18 Hornet
engine and F-16 main undercarriage. The result was more than the
sum of its parts. In several years of experiments, the X-29
demostrated an ability to maneuver at angles of attack as high
as 67 degrees, and showed that FSW configuration can result in
large fuel savings. Test pilots found the X-29 exciting to fly.
With its wing shape and agility, it gave meaning to the motto on
a sign at Edwards