Shorts SB.5 Swept Wing Configurations

[hesham]

Hi,


here is the Shorts SB.5 research aircraft with a different swept wing configurations,with 50,60 and 69 degrees.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_SB.5

 

[Kiltonge]

I've searched but been unable to find a description of how the wing sweep was adjusted. The outer wing sections seem to have been common, but were they pivoted about an aft point and various leading-section 'wedges' inserted to set the sweep?

This was brought to mind by an Ulster Aviation Society post about difficulty removing the wings of the SB.5 they're moving from Cosford at present.

 

[Kiltonge]

Inconclusive searching:

JAWA 1953-54:

The varying degrees of sweepback angle are achieved by fitting alternative components...

Barry Hygate, British Experimental Jet Aircraft:

The change to the angles... was a lengthy procedure requiring major modification especially to the leading edges

But how?!

Flight, 3 September 1954:

Alteration of the mainplane sweepback angle involves little more than a few minutes' work with a spanner.

But how?! And sounds like a dose of Buy British! propaganda too.

Nothing else significant in the Flight archives, other than scrap views of the tailplane and spar.

I've also attached MinTech Reports and Memoranda No. 3558 regarding the flight tests at 60 deg, which forms the basis of much of Mr Hygate's summary of flight testing. There is a considerable amount of technical dimensional data from page 49 and diagrams of wing leading edges from page 55.

 

[Kiltonge]

Well the UAS have managed to detach the port wing.

Looks like the wing attaches at two points with bolts; a right-angled plate protruding from the fuselage near the leading edge, and a box-shaped structure farther aft.

There is no void for the trailing edge to enter the fuselage at higher sweep angles.

 

[red admiral]

Looks like the wing attaches at two points with bolts; a right-angled plate protruding from the fuselage near the leading edge, and a box-shaped structure farther aft.

Looks relatively conventional to me.

Are there then some different inner wing skins and spacers between the spars and the fuselage join?

 

[Kiltonge]

Are there then some different inner wing skins and spacers between the spars and the fuselage join

I can only guess so. Seems like something that someone would have documented over the years, but next time I'm at the Public Records Office I'll have dig.

 

[TsrJoe]

some PRO./TNA. references
DSIR 23/21178 ARC. tunnel tests report
DSIR 23/35366 60° sweep low tail
AVIA 6/23045 60° sweep low tail
DSIR 23/34076 69° sweep, undrooped LE.

 

[Mike Pryce]

Did they just use different wings (or they maybe 'sawed' the same set)? That's what they did with the tail, indeed it was a whole different rear fuselage that was attached.

The wings look like the same ones that are swept at different angles, but maybe they wanted to just see what happened if sweep was different but everything else the same. Certainly the photos on FB seem to just show the wings are bolted on simply.

I have some file photos from Kew so will have a skim.