Comments by "Titanium Rain" (@ChucksSEADnDEAD) on "The Flying Pig - F-111 Aardvark" video.

  1. Surface area is similar (some of the wing becomes recessed) but only from above. The area you are interested in to reduce drag is measured from the front. Either way, the issue with supersonic flight is that you need a swept back wing to delay the onset of shock waves, which increase drag independently of frontal area. A wing optimized for this flight regime will have a very high stall speed and thus be extremely difficult to land. Variable geometry allows the aircraft to slow down and remain airborne.
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