RIHoward
So maybe Hemp and Kitchenside were 'pulling my leg'.
Of course not.
What made me post was you saying:
One fascinating one for me is the production of a swept wing which requires massive dynamic matrix calculations that involve infinite series at the tips and root, a huge calculation. It was only with the advent of digital computers and finite element modelling that this technology could be realised in the West.
This (to me) implied that because of this (you felt) we could not make and fly successful swept wings in the 1950s. That is what made me laugh. Until the advanced mathematical tools became available the industry used a mixture of wind tunnel and flight experiments to measure (not calculate) what was going on with the aerodynamics and ground test rigs to measure (not calculate) the loads involved.
As to my reference to somebody pulling your leg I should clearly have added a few extra words:
‘Somebody has been pulling your leg I am afraid
if you really believe that successful swept wings had to wait until comprehensive aerodynamic and structural mathematical approaches were available’