Definition
A wing design in which the wings are angled rearward (or, less commonly, forward) from the fuselage rather than extending straight out at right angles. Sweeping the wings delays the onset of compressibility effects at high subsonic speeds, allowing efficient flight at higher Mach numbers, but it also reduces low-speed lift and can produce stability issues such as Dutch roll.
Plain English
Wings that angle backward from where they meet the fuselage instead of sticking straight out. This shape lets the airplane fly fast and smoothly close to the speed of sound, but it brings some handling quirks at low speeds and in turns.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of yaw dampers, especially on faster or larger airplanes where swept wings can make yaw-and-roll motion more noticeable.
Derivation
‘Swept’ comes from the idea of the wing being ‘swept back’ like hair brushed away from the face. The visual image is accurate: looking down on the airplane, the wings angle rearward from the root to the tip.
Why Pilots Care
Swept wings improve high-speed efficiency but create stability issues such as Dutch roll, making the yaw damper essential for coordinated flight.
Grounding Statement
From above, a swept wing looks like the wing tips are behind the points where the wings attach to the airplane.
Intuition Check
“Swept” does not mean the wing moves during flight or has been swept clean. Here it means the wing is built at a backward angle when viewed from above.
Example Sentence 1
Most modern jet airliners use a swept wing to allow efficient cruise at high subsonic speeds.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the instructor pointed out how the swept-wing design required the yaw damper to be on for all flight above 10,000 feet.