What is a blown wing like the Jetwing's?

Short answer

On the Ball-Bartoe Jetwing, the blown wing was a slot on the upper surface of the swept wing, running along 70% of the span, through which air from the engine's fan stage escaped. Above the slot sat a small secondary airfoil, the "augmentor," which directed that flow over the wing. It remained controllable at just 34.76 kn.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What is a blown wing like the Jetwing's?

Jetwing frontEmt147 (CC BY SA), vía commons

A slot running along the wing

The Ball-Bartoe Jetwing was a research aircraft flown in the 1970s to study blown-wing technology. The upper surface of its swept wings incorporated a slot running along 70% of the span, through which air from the engine's fan stage was discharged. Above that slot sat a small secondary airfoil called an "augmentor," designed to direct the discharged flow over the wing.

Very slow flight and short landings

The aircraft remained controllable at speeds as low as 34.76 kn. The US Navy managed to land the Jetwing in just 300 feet. The Navy itself went so far as to consider developing it for use on short aircraft carriers.

From the program to the museum

The Navy halted its blown-wing research in favor of vectored-thrust technology. The aircraft was donated to the University of Tennessee Space Institute. In 2007 the Jetwing was donated to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado.