The Boeing Variable‐Sweep Supersonic Transport: A Description of the Operational Features of the Boeing 733 SST which Features Variable‐Sweep Wings

This paper describes the principal features of the Boeing variable‐sweep supersonic transport and compares the aircraft's performance with that of the low aspect ratio supersonic transport. It is important to note that where comparisons are made between the Boeing 733 SST and the BAC‐Sud Concorde, the performance of the American airliner relates to the earliest version of the aircraft (a process of design refinement is continuing and the final form of the aircraft is therefore not jet decided) while the characteristics of the Anglo‐French airliner are based on those of the small early version of the aircraft—the latest version being of much larger wing area, having higher thrust engines and generally improved design features (see ‘Concorde— Interim Report’, Aircraft Engineering, July 1965, pp. 218–24)—Editor.