Un ala de geometría variable es una configuración de ala que permite alterar su planforma para diversas condiciones de vuelo. Esto permite aprovechar las ventajas de la aerodinámica de un ala en flecha a altas velocidad mientras que se evitan sus desventajas a bajas velocidades. En este sentido se comporta satisfactoriamente, pero el peso y complejidad añadidos requeridos contrarrestan las ventajas; por lo que su uso no está demasiado generalizado. El término geometría variable se usa en ocasiones de forma indistinta con el de "ala swing", aunque estrictamente hablando una ala swing es un tipo específico de geometría variable.

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A variable-sweep wing, colloquially known as a "swing wing", is an airplane wing, or set of wings, that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight. It allows the aircraft's shape to be modified in flight, and is therefore an example of a variable-geometry aircraft. Typically, a swept wing is more suitable for high speeds, while an unswept wing is suitable for lower speeds, allowing the aircraft to carry more fuel and/or payload, as well as improving field (take-off and landing) performance. A variable-sweep wing allows a pilot to select the correct wing configuration for the plane's intended speed. The variable-sweep wing is most useful for those aircraft that are expected to function at both low and high speed, and for this reason it has been used primarily in military aircraft. A number of successful and experimental designs were introduced from the 1940s into the 1970s; however, the recent advances in flight control technology and structural materials have allowed designers to closely tailor the aerodynamics and structure of aircraft, removing the need for variable sweep angle to achieve the required performance; instead, wings are given computer-controlled flaps on both leading and trailing edges that increase or decrease the camber or chord of the wing automatically to adjust to the flight regime. This is another form of variable geometry, although it is not commonly called such.

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