History of the Biplane

History of the Biplane A short history of the Biplane Biplanes were the first airplanes to fly, the Wright Flyer was a biplane called a Canard. The double wings have the advantage of providing more lift than a single wing airplane. The wings were held apart by struts and cables were used to pull the two wings tight to the struts. But the two wings and all those cables also increased drag which tended to limit the speed and manuverability of this type of craft. The biplane was used extensively during World War 1. Larger three and four wing craft were built mostly to be used as bombers. But the developement of better wing structures caused single wing aircraft to become the dominant type of airplane in the 1930's. The first type of biplanes were called "pusher biplanes" because the motor was mounted behind the wing and the prop pushed the airplane along. The original Wright Flyer was such a craft. Just before World War I "tractor biplanes", or planes in which the motor was mounted at the front of the craft were developed. These biplanes engaged in the first aerial dogfights in aviation warfare and produced the first legendary pilots. Now the biplane is seen mostly at airshows, though it still sees service as crop dusters and recreational aircraft. The sight of one of these historic airplanes in the sky is always a welcome sight. History of Flight and Avaition