I'm just wondering because the wing isn't fixed, but they aren't rotary-wings either.
1 Answer
Yes - they are still considered fixed wing aircraft. Just because they have variable-sweep sections doesn't change what type of aircraft they are; their aerodynamics, behavior, and performance characteristics are still squarely in the 'fixed wing' category.
-
5$\begingroup$ Sweeping the wings is really just another way to change it's shape, which is done all the time. Most airplanes have flaps, many have leading edge devices. These change the shape of the wing to optimize it for different flight modes. On the gone but not forgotten F-111 everything about the wing changed, sweep, flaps, leading edge slats. But the Aardvark was a 'fixed wing' airplane. $\endgroup$ Jan 29, 2014 at 19:33