I was wondering why commercial aircraft don't have variable sweep wings just like the Bell X-5 did? By sweeping the wing further at high altitude it helps the aircraft move faster and also it helps the aircraft to maintain enough lift during takeoff by simply changing the sweep.
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$\begingroup$ This answer (for military aircraft, but answer also applies to civilian) should answer your question, although it was closed as a duplicate of Why do some military aircraft use variable-sweep wings? $\endgroup$– BianfableNov 18, 2019 at 8:36
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$\begingroup$ Mostly there is no variable swept aircraft of any kind that isn't meant to be supersonic. And there is no current supersonic commercial aircraft. $\endgroup$– jkztdNov 18, 2019 at 23:32
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$\begingroup$ I think cost saving is the main reason for the commercial planes dont have variable sweep wing. having more system means the airlines need to spend more on maintenance. In addition, the variable sweep wing is mostly equipped for supersonic planes that havent been popular in current commercial aviation. $\endgroup$– dingdingdongNov 19, 2019 at 4:51
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