Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Biplane shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Biplane offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Biplane at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Biplane? Wrong! If the Biplane is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Biplane then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Biplane? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Biplane and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Biplane wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Biplane then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Biplane site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Biplane, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Biplane, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
biplane flown by Lt. George A. Vaughn Jr., 17th Aero SquadronA
biplane is a
fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings. The first powered heavier-than-air
aircraft, the
Wright brothers Wright Flyer, used a biplane design, as did most airplanes in the early years of
aviation. While a biplane wing structure has several advantages it inevitably produces much more drag than a similar monoplane wing. Improved structural techniques and materials, and the need for greater speed, effectively made the biplane configuration obsolete for most purposes by the late 1930s.
The term is also occasionally used in
biology, to describe the
wings of some
Flying and gliding animals.
Aviation
image:Rutan quickie q2.jpg tandem wing biplane
In a biplane aircraft, two wings are placed one above the other. Both provide lift. Very often there is a
fuselage to which the lower wing is attached, while the upper wing is raised above, although other combinations have occurred. Almost all biplanes also have a third horizontal surface, the tailplane, to control the pitch, or
angle of attack of the aircraft (although there have been a few exceptions). Either or both of the main wings can support flaps or
ailerons to assist lateral and speed control, although the upper wing has tended historically to be more important in this regard. Often there is bracing in the form of wires and slender struts positioned symmetrically on either side of the fuselage.
Variations on the biplane include the
sesquiplane, where one wing (usually the lower) is significantly smaller than the other, either in span, chord, or both. Sometimes the lower wing is only large enough to support the bracing struts for the upper wing. The name means "one-and-a-half wings". Another (aerodynamically quite distinct) variation is the
Tandem wing, which is an aircraft with one wing in front of the other (e.g. a wing in the nose and a wing in the tail).
Advantages and drawbacks to biplane designs
image:RAF2699.jpg biplane of 1915.
Aircraft built with two main wings (or three in a
triplane) can usually lift more than can a similarly sized
monoplane of similar wing-span. Another advantage of biplane wings is that a given wing area requires a shorter wing span, which tends to afford greater Aerobatics. The struts and wire bracing of a typical biplane form a box girder that permits a light but very strong wing structure.
On the other hand there are many disadvantages to the configuration. Each wing negatively interferes with the aerodynamics of the other. For a given wing area the biplane produces more drag (physics) and less Lift (force) than a monoplane, but this effect can be reduced by placing one wing forward of the other. Placing one wing forward of the other is known as stagger. Forward stagger (where the upper wing is further forward) is most common, but backward stagger has also been used, notably in
Beechcraft Staggerwing. Excessive amounts of stagger distort the box girder effect of the wing - and this tends to reduce the structural benefits of the biplane layout.
E75 (PT-13D) biplane of 1944 is one of heaviest biplanes.
History
Biplanes were most successful in the early days of aviation when the all wing structures (including those of monoplanes) needed to be strengthened by external bracing wires and struts. The inherent strength of the biplane configuration in this situation was decisive, as early monoplanes tended to suffer from overly flexible wings, resulting in poor lateral control, and a greater risk of wing failure. Once the need for external bracing was removed by the widespread adoption of improved structural materials and techniques monoplanes quickly superseded biplanes in aviation. Modern biplane designs now exist only in specialist niche roles and markets such as
aerobatics and agricultural aircraft.
The vast majority of biplane designs have been fitted with reciprocating engines of comparatively low power; exceptions include the Antonov An-3 and
WSK-Mielec M-15 Belphegor, fitted with
turboprop and
turbofan engines, respectively. Some older biplane designs, such as the Grumman Ag Cat and the aforementioned An-2 (in the form of the An-3) are available in upgraded versions with turboprop engines.
Famous biplanes include the
Sopwith Camel, Avro Tutor, Antonov An-2, Beechcraft Staggerwing,
Boeing Stearman,
Bristol Bulldog,
Curtiss JN-4, de Havilland Tiger Moth,
Fairey Swordfish, Hawker Hart,
Pitts Special and the
Wright Flyer. The Stearman is particularly associated with stunt flying with wing-walkers. Famous sesquiplanes include the Nieuport 17 and
Albatros D.III.
The biplane in avian evolution
In an interesting parallel to the role of the biplane in human aviation, some researchers have suggested that the feathered dinosaur
Microraptor glided, and perhaps even flew, on four wings which were held in a biplane-like arrangement. This was made possible by the presence of flight feathers on both the forelimbs and hindlimbs of
Microraptor, and it has been suggested that the earliest flying ancestors of birds may have possessed this morphology, with the monoplane arrangement of modern birds evolving later.
References
See also
Trivia
- Moonlander, an experimental electric guitar inspired on a biplane
External links
- Historical Collection of Biplane Pictures
- Jacqui Hayes: Bird wings evolved from biplane dinosaurs COSMOS magazine
biplane flown by Lt. George A. Vaughn Jr., 17th Aero SquadronA
biplane is a
fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings. The first powered heavier-than-air
aircraft, the Wright brothers
Wright Flyer, used a biplane design, as did most airplanes in the early years of
aviation. While a biplane wing structure has several advantages it inevitably produces much more drag than a similar
monoplane wing. Improved structural techniques and materials, and the need for greater speed, effectively made the biplane configuration obsolete for most purposes by the late 1930s.
The term is also occasionally used in
biology, to describe the
wings of some
Flying and gliding animals.
Aviation
image:Rutan quickie q2.jpg tandem wing biplane
In a biplane aircraft, two wings are placed one above the other. Both provide lift. Very often there is a
fuselage to which the lower wing is attached, while the upper wing is raised above, although other combinations have occurred. Almost all biplanes also have a third horizontal surface, the
tailplane, to control the pitch, or
angle of attack of the aircraft (although there have been a few exceptions). Either or both of the main wings can support flaps or
ailerons to assist lateral and speed control, although the upper wing has tended historically to be more important in this regard. Often there is bracing in the form of wires and slender struts positioned symmetrically on either side of the fuselage.
Variations on the biplane include the
sesquiplane, where one wing (usually the lower) is significantly smaller than the other, either in span, chord, or both. Sometimes the lower wing is only large enough to support the bracing struts for the upper wing. The name means "one-and-a-half wings". Another (aerodynamically quite distinct) variation is the
Tandem wing, which is an aircraft with one wing in front of the other (e.g. a wing in the nose and a wing in the tail).
Advantages and drawbacks to biplane designs
image:RAF2699.jpg biplane of 1915.
Aircraft built with two main wings (or three in a triplane) can usually lift more than can a similarly sized
monoplane of similar wing-span. Another advantage of biplane wings is that a given wing area requires a shorter wing span, which tends to afford greater
Aerobatics. The struts and wire bracing of a typical biplane form a box girder that permits a light but very strong wing structure.
On the other hand there are many disadvantages to the configuration. Each wing negatively interferes with the aerodynamics of the other. For a given wing area the biplane produces more drag (physics) and less Lift (force) than a monoplane, but this effect can be reduced by placing one wing forward of the other. Placing one wing forward of the other is known as stagger. Forward stagger (where the upper wing is further forward) is most common, but backward stagger has also been used, notably in
Beechcraft Staggerwing. Excessive amounts of stagger distort the box girder effect of the wing - and this tends to reduce the structural benefits of the biplane layout.
E75 (PT-13D) biplane of 1944 is one of heaviest biplanes.
History
Biplanes were most successful in the early days of aviation when the all wing structures (including those of monoplanes) needed to be strengthened by external bracing wires and struts. The inherent strength of the biplane configuration in this situation was decisive, as early monoplanes tended to suffer from overly flexible wings, resulting in poor lateral control, and a greater risk of wing failure. Once the need for external bracing was removed by the widespread adoption of improved structural materials and techniques monoplanes quickly superseded biplanes in aviation. Modern biplane designs now exist only in specialist niche roles and markets such as
aerobatics and agricultural aircraft.
The vast majority of biplane designs have been fitted with
reciprocating engines of comparatively low power; exceptions include the Antonov An-3 and
WSK-Mielec M-15 Belphegor, fitted with
turboprop and
turbofan engines, respectively. Some older biplane designs, such as the Grumman Ag Cat and the aforementioned An-2 (in the form of the An-3) are available in upgraded versions with turboprop engines.
Famous biplanes include the
Sopwith Camel, Avro Tutor,
Antonov An-2, Beechcraft Staggerwing,
Boeing Stearman,
Bristol Bulldog,
Curtiss JN-4,
de Havilland Tiger Moth, Fairey Swordfish,
Hawker Hart,
Pitts Special and the Wright Flyer. The Stearman is particularly associated with stunt flying with wing-walkers. Famous sesquiplanes include the Nieuport 17 and
Albatros D.III.
The biplane in avian evolution
In an interesting parallel to the role of the biplane in human aviation, some researchers have suggested that the feathered dinosaur
Microraptor glided, and perhaps even flew, on four wings which were held in a biplane-like arrangement. This was made possible by the presence of flight feathers on both the forelimbs and hindlimbs of
Microraptor, and it has been suggested that the earliest flying ancestors of birds may have possessed this morphology, with the monoplane arrangement of modern birds evolving later.
References
See also
Trivia
- Moonlander, an experimental electric guitar inspired on a biplane
External links
- Historical Collection of Biplane Pictures
- Jacqui Hayes: Bird wings evolved from biplane dinosaurs COSMOS magazine
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