Delta wing

The delta wing is a wing shaped in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta (Δ).

History

Early deltas

Triangular stabilizing fins for rockets were described ca. 1529-1556 by Conrad Haas and in the 17th century by Kazimierz Siemienowicz.

The lifting delta wing was pioneered by Alexander Lippisch in Germany after WWI, initially using a very gentle angle so that the wing appeared almost straight. He flew the first tailless delta aircraft in 1931, followed by four improved designs. None of these designs were easy to handle at low speed and none saw widespread service.

During WWII Lippisch studied a more advanced tailless delta wing of greater angle intended for high-speed and even supersonic flight, for use in interceptor aircraft. One progressed as far as a glider prototype.

The British later developed jet aircraft based on the data from Lippisch, notably the Avro Vulcan strategic bomber and the Gloster Javelin fighter. The Javelin incorporated a tailplane in order to rectify some of the perceived weaknesses of the pure delta, to improve low-speed handling and high-speed manoeuvrability and to allow a greater center of gravity range.