Integrating Strip-Theory Aerodynamics Into Conceptual Design of Variable Geometry Swing-Wing Aircraft

The strip-theory approach provides a computationally efficient method for aircraft sizing, enabling rapid aerodynamic updates during iterative design cycles. However, its applicability is traditionally constrained to configurations featuring high aspect ratio wings, low sweep angles, and negligible spanwise flow effects. This study extends the strip-theory methodology to accommodate variable-sweep wings, enabling its application to swing-wing aircraft such as the F-14A. To enhance fidelity, vortex lattice-based methods and viscous 2d solvers are integrated within the PEACE sizing framework and validated against the vorticity-based flow solver FlightStream\textregistered. This hybrid approach provides improved accuracy in capturing the aerodynamic effects associated with wing sweep variation. The methodology is further combined with lookup-table-based method for non-lifting bodies and applied to perform a mission-level analysis of an F-14A-based configuration, including an evaluation of aircraft handling qualities at different cruise conditions.