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What unusual wing did NASA's X-29 research jet test?

Forward-swept wings that point toward the nose.

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  1. Wings that could fold for storage
  2. Wings swept forward toward the nose ✔
  3. Wings made of fabric and wood

Why: On most jets the wings sweep back. On the X-29 they swept forward, so air flowed inward toward the wing root. That kept the wingtips flying even at steep angles.

Huh, didn't know that: The X-29 was so unstable that a computer fly-by-wire system had to keep it under control.

The dad joke
Why was the X-29 so optimistic? It was always looking forward.
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References

Answer: Wings swept forward toward the nose. On most jets the wings sweep back. On the X-29 they swept forward, so air flowed inward toward the wing root. That kept the wingtips flying even at steep angles.

  1. X-29 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft, NASA www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-aircraft/x-29-demonstrator
    Air moving over the forward-swept wings tended to flow inward toward the root of the wing
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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