Editing Swept wing (section)

==Reasons for sweep==
[[File:FJ-1 FJ-2 NAN5-52.jpg|thumb| A straight-winged North American [[FJ-1]] flying next to a swept-wing [[FJ-2]] in 1952.]]
There are three main reasons for sweeping a wing:<ref>The Design Of The Aeroplane, Darrol Stinton 1983,{{ISBN|0 632 01877 1}}, p.142</ref>

1. to arrange the center of gravity of the aircraft and the aerodynamic center of the wing to coincide more closely for longitudinal balance, e.g. [[Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet]] and [[Messerschmitt Me 262]]. Although not a swept wing the wing panels on the [[Douglas DC-1]] outboard of the [[nacelle]]s also had slight sweepback for similar reasons.<ref name=whitford>Design For Air Combat, Ray Whitford 1987,{{ISBN|0 7106 0426 2}}, p.42</ref>

2. to provide longitudinal stability for tailless aircraft, e.g. [[Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet]].<ref name=whitford />

3. most commonly to increase Mach-number capability by delaying to a higher speed the effects of [[compressibility]] (abrupt changes in the density of the airflow), e.g. combat aircraft, airliners and business jets.

Other reasons include:

1. enabling a wing carry-through box position to achieve a desired cabin size, e.g. [[HFB 320 Hansa Jet]].

2. providing static aeroelastic relief which reduces bending moments under high g-loadings and may allow a lighter wing structure.<ref>Understanding Aerodynamics Arguing from the Real Physics, Doug McLean 2013,{{ISBN|978 1 119 96751 4}}, p.444</ref>