NASA AD-1 oblique wing aircraft - photo

[mklotz]

By the way, I don't think this was one of Rutan's designs:

"The oblique wing was the brainchild of NASA aeronautical engineer Robert T. Jones, whose analytical and wind tunnel studies at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA, indicated that an oblique wing, supersonic transport might achieve twice the fuel economy of an aircraft sporting more conventional wings."

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/...AD1/index.html

This quote...

Although the oblique wing is still considered a viable concept for large transports, the unpleasant flying characteristics of the AD-1 at extreme wing-sweep angles may have discouraged aircraft designers from adopting this configuration.

from that article says it all. I'm guessing that as soon as you try to fly any way other than straight and level you begin discovering all the effects the designer didn't consider or plan for.