# Cranked arrow / double delta wing

> What is a cranked-arrow or double-delta wing?

- Category: Aircraft design › Wing planforms
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/cranked-double-delta-wing/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=cranked-double-delta-wing · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/cranked-double-delta-wing/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files Xem Studio Design License (free to use and sell from, not to redistribute as files: https://xemstudio.com/license/)
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- A cranked (double-delta) wing uses a highly swept inboard leading edge and a less swept outboard panel. The F-16XL's LE sweep is 70 deg inboard and 50 deg outboard of the crank (NASA CAWAPI).
- It was designed to give the F-16 better supersonic performance while keeping transonic performance comparable, and its configuration resembled NASA's HSCT concept (NASA).
- An S-blend at the wing-fuselage leading edge was added to cure a high-AoA pitch instability seen in wind tunnels (NASA).
- Used on: F-16XL.
- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.

## Sizes

| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| F-16XL LE sweep inboard / outboard | 70 deg / 50 deg | NASA (Obara & Lamar) |
| F-16XL wing area / span | 646.37 ft^2 / 32.4 ft | NASA |
| Reference AR | 1.75 | NASA |
| Reference build | span 600, root 700, sweep 70 deg inboard (cranked) | computed |

## Where the files are

- NASA Langley (Obara & Lamar): [Overview of the Cranked-Arrow Wing Aerodynamics Project International](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20090017796/downloads/20090017796.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

## Free STEP/STL (1 parts, Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/cranked-double-delta-wing/index.json · license: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/cranked-double-delta-wing/LICENSE.md

- cranked-double-delta-wing-wing: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/cranked-double-delta-wing/cranked-double-delta-wing-wing.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/cranked-double-delta-wing/cranked-double-delta-wing-wing.stl) — cranked planform: span 600, root 700, tip 60 mm, LE sweep 70°, dihedral 0°, NACA 0012

## Questions

**Why two sweep angles?**

The steep inner sweep suits supersonic flight; the shallower outer panel helps at lower speed (NASA CAWAPI).

## Fits with

- [Rectangular (constant-chord) wing](https://xemstudio.com/objects/rectangular-wing/)
- [Tapered wing (taper ratio for minimum induced drag)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/tapered-wing/)
- [Elliptical wing](https://xemstudio.com/objects/elliptical-wing/)
- [Swept-back wing](https://xemstudio.com/objects/swept-wing/)
- [Forward-swept wing](https://xemstudio.com/objects/forward-swept-wing/)
- [Delta wing](https://xemstudio.com/objects/delta-wing/)