The biplane is one of the earliest airplane designs — in fact, from 1914 through 1925, almost every aircraft design was a biplane. Despite the logical thought that two wings creates twice the lift, this isn’t so. In reality, a biplane only produces about 20% more lift than wings of a similar planform. For those of you who are math and science enthusiasts, you know that each wing negatively interferes with the aerodynamics of both and it considerably increases drag without creating as much lift as a monoplane of the same wing area as the combined wings. What is an advantage with a biplane is the strength of the structure without complicated bracing — much like a box girder.
Because of this, biplane designs are still found in light aerobatic aircraft and agricultural aircraft — both of which need strength without weight.
The tattoo below — roughly designed after a Waco UPF-7 (tail) and a PT-17 Stearman (landing gear) was created by Tim Beck of Freedom Ink. Tattoo Company in Peoria, IL.
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Click the above image for the full-size photo.
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