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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.
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