Aviation: Oblique Wing History and Prospects January 14, 2006

Tom Gregory has been through over 40 years of development on the oblique wing
concept. He started as a researcher at NASA Ames just after RT Jones the inventor of
both the swept wing and the oblique wing, proved that the oblique wing was the most
efficient shape for low supersonic flight speeds. Tom worked closely with RT on
numerous models and tests. Later as Chief of the Advanced Vehicles Concept Branch at
NASA Ames, Tom managed and supervised the the oblique wing concept studies (both
within NASA and under contract to major aerospace contractors), wind tunnel tests, and
flight tests. He was the Dep. Manager and advocate of the program to develop a
Navy version of the oblique wing aircraft, and later advocated and directly engaged in
studies by Boeing and McDonnell Douglas of a commercial oblique all wing transport. He
was directly involved with the flight tests of a powered and un-powered models of these
designs. Now, as the military has put out a Broad Area Announcement for a supersonic
demonstrator of the oblique all wing, Tom is following this program and has several
thoughts he will share on the bomber and intelligence aircraft that the military has broadly
specified.
Submitted by Eventful on behalf of chaiken