High or low wing?

Ray wrote:

Why do all fighters since the biplane era have low wings?

Because attackers will probably be approaching from either the same level or above -
it's difficult to make an effective attack from below. It's also important to be able
to see in the direction of a turn when you turn in to attack an opponent. And not all
fighters are/were low-winged; many were mid-winged aircraft.

Why do most military transports (C-130, C-17, C-5) have high wings, but all
airliners have low wings?

The wing spars have to pass through the fuselage. With a low-wing, that means a hump
in the floor. With a high-wing, that means a lwo ceiling at that point. Planes that
carry cargo would rather have a flat floor to ease loading. People, on the other
hand, will step over a hump in the floor and bang their heads on a drop in the
ceiling.

Why are a lot of cold weather/high altitude planes high wing?

Dunno about "cold weather" planes, but the high-altitude aircraft which come to my
mind are mid-wing aircraft; the U-2 and SR-71.

George Patterson
If you don't tell lies, you never have to remember what you said.

G.R. Patterson III wrote:

The wing spars have to pass through the fuselage. With a low-wing, that means a hump
in the floor. With a high-wing, that means a lwo ceiling at that point. Planes that
carry cargo would rather have a flat floor to ease loading. People, on the other
hand, will step over a hump in the floor and bang their heads on a drop in the
ceiling.

The spar is typically below the floor -- I don't have a hump on the floor of
my Cherokee, and I don't remember ever seeing one in an airliner. The cargo
handlers will might to worry about it in the airliner, of course.

Dunno about "cold weather" planes, but the high-altitude aircraft which come to my
mind are mid-wing aircraft; the U-2 and SR-71.

If a high-altitude plane is designed for ground surveillance, high wing
makes sense. "Cold weather" planes may refer to bush planes, which are also
high wing for obvious reasons.


All the best,


David

David Megginson wrote:

The spar is typically below the floor -- I don't have a hump on the floor of
my Cherokee, and I don't remember ever seeing one in an airliner.

I've seen them on some of the twins used for shuttles.

George Patterson
If you don't tell lies, you never have to remember what you said.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


David Megginson wrote:

The spar is typically below the floor -- I don't have a hump on the
floor of
my Cherokee, and I don't remember ever seeing one in an airliner.

I've seen them on some of the twins used for shuttles.

In Brooklands Museum where I work part time as a volunteer,
we have a cartoon in the Viscount from a bygone era where it
shows the best place for men to sit was where the air hostess
with her knee length skirt had to step up over the spar box,
showing the tops of her stockings...

Paul

In article ers.com,
David Megginson wrote:

The spar is typically below the floor -- I don't have a hump on the floor
of
my Cherokee,

What is that thing under the rear seat in my 140?

and I don't remember ever seeing one in an airliner. The
cargo
handlers will might to worry about it in the airliner, of course.

airliners have fuselages high enough that the passengers can be
above the spar.

--
Bob Noel