During flight, the operational wing sweep angle can be varied from 28 to 68 degrees relative to the pitch axis of the aircraft. This is a relatively simple planar mechanism of three links (ground, actuator, and wing), but uses linear actuation rather than direct rotation to control the sweep of each wing. A diagram with showing the overall dimensions of the aircraft and the mechanism architecture are shown below.
F-14 Aircraft Dimensions
F-14 Wing Sweep Mechanism
The mechanism is designed to provide significant mechanical advantage over the full range of motion and driven by an actuator similar to that shown below, which uses a gear train and lead screw to convert rotational motor input into linear actuation.
Linear Actuator Section View
A simple animated Solidworks model of the mechanism is shown to the right (note: model is not to scale).
| View file | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Solidworks Animation (not to scale)