Editing Biplane (section)

==History==
[[File:LilienthalDoppeldecker 1895-10-19.jpg|thumb|Otto Lilienthal flying his [[Lilienthal Large Biplane|Large Biplane]] in Lichterfelde (near Berlin) on October 19, 1895]]
[[File:Anvers Aviation Meeting in 1909. Rougier flying a Voisin biplane with a Gnôme Oméga engine.jpg|thumb|1909 Voisin biplane, with "curtains" connecting the upper and lower wings]]
[[File:Fiat CR42 ‘MM5701 - 95-13’ (16974203557).jpg|thumb|Late 1930s [[Fiat CR.42 Falco]] with [[Warren truss]] interplane struts which reduced the work needed in rigging a biplane]]
[[File:Hillson Bi-mono 3view.svg|thumb|[[Hillson Bi-mono]] with slip-wing. The aircraft could take off as a biplane, [[Jettison (aviation)|jettison]] the upper, disposable wing, and continue flying as a monoplane. A single example was built, which successfully demonstrated jettisoning of the slip wing in flight]]
The stacking of wing planes was suggested by [[Sir George Cayley]] in 1843.<ref>J. A. D. Ackroyd; "Sir George Cayley: The Invention of the Aeroplane near Scarborough at the Time of Trafalgar", Journal of Aeronautical History, Paper No. 2011/6, 2011.</ref> [[Hiram Maxim]] adopted the idea for his steam-powered test rig, which lifted off but was held down by safety rails, in 1894.<ref>Wragg 1974, p. 206.</ref> [[Otto Lilienthal]] designed and flew two different biplane [[hang glider]]s in 1895,<ref>Schwipps, Werner. ''Die Flugzeuge von Otto Lilienthal.  Technik - Dokumentation - Rekonstruktion. (The airplanes of Otto Lilienthal. Technique - Documentation - Reconstruction)''. Otto-Lilienthal-Museum Anklam, 2016. {{ISBN|978-3-941681-88-0}}
</ref> though he is better known for his monoplanes.<ref name=Wright>[http://www.lilienthal-museum.de/olma/ewright.htm "From Lilienthal to the Wrights."] ''Otto Lilienthal Museum.''  Retrieved: 8 January 2012.</ref> By 1896 a group of young men in the United States, led by [[Octave Chanute]], were flying [[hang glider]]s including biplanes and concluded that the externally braced biplane offered better prospects for powered flight than the monoplane. In 1903, the ''[[Wright Flyer]]'' biplane became the first successful powered aeroplane.<ref name=NewarkDailyAdvocate_19031228>{{cite news |title=Machine That Flies / What the Wright Brothers' Invention Has Accomplished |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/newark-advocate-dec-28-1903-p-7/ |work=The Newark Daily Advocate |date=28 December 1903 |location=Newark, Ohio, U.S. |page=7}}</ref>

Throughout the pioneer years, both biplanes and monoplanes were common, but by the outbreak of the [[First World War]] biplanes had gained favour after several monoplane structural failures resulted in the [[Royal Flying Corps|RFC's]] "Monoplane Ban" when all monoplanes in military service were grounded,<ref name = "bruce 3">Bruce 1967, p. 3.</ref> while the French also withdrew most monoplanes from combat roles and relegated them to training. Figures such as aviation author Bruce observed that there was an apparent prejudice held even against newly-designed monoplanes, such as the [[Bristol M.1]], that caused even those with relatively high performance attributes to be overlooked in favour of 'orthodox' biplanes, and there was an allegedly widespread belief held at that time that monoplane aircraft were inherently unsafe during combat.<ref name = "bruce 6">Bruce 1967, p. 6.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bristol M1 Monoplane |url=https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/bristol-m1-monoplane |publisher=BAE Systems |access-date=30 August 2018}}</ref>

Between the years of 1914 and 1925, a clear majority of new aircraft introduced were biplanes; however, during the latter years of the First World War, the Germans had been experimenting with a new generation of monoplanes, such as the [[Fokker D.VIII]], that might have ended the biplane's advantages earlier had the conflict not ended when it had.<ref>Connors, John F., "''Fokker's Flying Razors''", Wings, Granada Hills, California, August 1974, Volume 4, Number 4, pages 45, 48.</ref> The French were also introducing the [[Morane-Saulnier AI]], a strut-braced [[parasol monoplane]], although the type was quickly relegated to the advanced trainer role following the resolution of structural issues.<ref name="Lamberton">Lamberton 1960, p. 84.</ref> [[Sesquiplane]] types, which were biplanes with abbreviated lower wings such as the French [[Nieuport 17]] and German [[Albatros D.III]], offered lower drag than a conventional biplane while being stronger than a monoplane.

During the [[Interwar period]], numerous biplane airliners were introduced. The British [[de Havilland Dragon]] was a particularly successful aircraft, using straightforward design to could carry six passengers on busy routes, such as London-Paris services.<ref>Jackson 1973, p. 122.</ref> During early August 1934, one such aircraft, named ''Trail of the Caribou'', performed the first non-stop flight between the Canadian mainland and Britain in 30 hours 55 minutes, although the intended target for this long distance flight had originally been [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]].{{sfn|Riding|1980|p=289}}<ref name="racing p265">Lewis 1971, p. 265.</ref> Despite its relative success, British production of the Dragon was quickly ended when in favour of the more powerful and elegant [[de Havilland Dragon Rapide]], which had been specifically designed to be a faster and more comfortable successor to the Dragon.<ref name = "moss 3">Moss 1966, p. 3.</ref>
 
As the available engine power and speed increased, the drag penalty of external bracing increasingly limited aircraft performance. To fly faster, it would be necessary to reduce external bracing to create an aerodynamically clean design; however, early cantilever designs were either too weak or too heavy. The 1917 [[Junkers J.I]] sesquiplane utilized [[wikt:corrugated|corrugated]] aluminum for all flying surfaces, with a minimum of struts; however, it was relatively easy to damage the thin metal skin and required careful handling by ground crews.<ref name="flight-18-03-1920-317">''Flight'' 18 March 1920, p. 317.</ref> The 1918 [[Zeppelin-Lindau D.I]] fighter was an all-metal stressed-skin [[monocoque]] fully cantilevered biplane, but its arrival had come too late to see combat use in the conflict.<ref name=G0/>

By the 1930s, biplanes had reached their performance limits, and monoplanes become increasingly predominant, particularly in continental Europe where monoplanes had been increasingly common from the end of [[World War I]]. At the start of [[World War II]], several air forces still had biplane combat aircraft in front line service but they were no longer competitive, and most were used in niche roles, such as training or shipboard operation, until shortly after the end of the war. The British [[Gloster Gladiator]] biplane, the Italian [[Fiat CR.42 Falco]] and Soviet [[I-153]] sesquiplane fighters were all still operational after 1939.<ref name=Coggins>Coggins 2000, p. 20.</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_polikarpov_I-153.html| title = Polikarpov I-153 Chaika (Seagull)}}</ref> According to aviation author Gianni Cattaneo, the CR.42 was able to achieve success in the defensive [[night fighter]] role against RAF bombers that were striking industrial targets throughout northern Italy.<ref>Gustavsson, Håkan. [http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_francois.htm "''Tenente Colonnello'' Armando François: Biplane fighter aces Italy."] ''surfcity.kund.dalnet.se'', ''Håkans aviation page''. Retrieved: 22 July 2009.</ref><ref name = "catt 10">Cattaneo 1967, p. 10.</ref>

[[File:stearman.e75.g-bswc.longshot.arp.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boeing-Stearman Model 75]] PT-13D biplane trainer from the 30s and 40s]]
The British [[Fleet Air Arm]] operated the [[Fairey Swordfish]] [[torpedo bomber]] from its aircraft carriers, and used the type in the [[anti-submarine warfare]] role until the end of the conflict, largely due to their ability to operate from the relatively compact decks of [[escort carrier]]s. Its low stall speed and inherently tough design made it ideal for operations even in the often severe mid-Atlantic weather conditions.<ref name="wragg">Wragg 2003, p. 142.</ref> By the end of the conflict, the Swordfish held the distinction of having caused the destruction of a greater tonnage of [[Axis powers|Axis]] shipping than any other Allied aircraft.<ref name = "stott 21">Stott 1971, p. 21.</ref>

Both the German [[Heinkel He 50]] and the Soviet [[Polikarpov Po-2]] were used with relative success in the night [[ground attack]] role throughout the Second World War. In the case of the Po-2, production of the aircraft continued even after the end of the conflict, not ending until around 1952.<ref name=wveh>[http://www.wwiivehicles.com/ussr/aircraft/bomber/polikarpov-u-2-po-2.asp#p7TPMc1_4 "Soviet Polikarpov U-2 bomber, trainer; Polikarpov Po-2 bomber, trainer."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703083246/http://www.wwiivehicles.com/ussr/aircraft/bomber/polikarpov-u-2-po-2.asp#p7TPMc1_4 |date=2014-07-03 }} ''wwiivehicles.com.'' Retrieved: 30 November 2012.</ref> A significant number of Po-2s were fielded by the [[Korean People's Air Force]] during the [[Korean War]], inflicting serious damage during night raids on [[United Nations Command (Korea)|United Nations]] bases.<ref>Dorr 2003, p. 50.</ref> The Po-2 is also the only biplane to be credited with a documented jet-kill, as one [[Lockheed F-94 Starfire]] was lost while slowing down to {{convert|161|kph|mph|0|abbr=on}} – below its stall speed – during an intercept in order to engage the low flying Po-2.<ref>Grier, Peter. "15 April 1953". ''Air Force Magazine'', Air Force Association, June 2011, p. 57.</ref>

Later biplane [[Trainer (aircraft)|trainer]]s included the [[de Havilland Tiger Moth]] in the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) and others and the [[Stampe SV.4]], which saw service postwar in the French and Belgian Air Forces. The [[Stearman PT-13]] was widely used by the [[United States Army Air Force]] (USAAF) while the US Navy operated the [[Naval Aircraft Factory N3N]]. In later civilian use in the US, the Stearman became particularly associated with stunt flying such as [[wing-walking]], and with crop dusting, where its compactness worked well at low levels, where it had to dodge obstacles.

[[File:Flight Po-2 RA-1945g (4723729033).jpg|thumb|[[Polikarpov Po-2]], of which over 20,000 were built by the Soviet Union]]
Modern biplane designs still exist in specialist roles such as [[aerobatics]] and [[agricultural aircraft]] with the competition aerobatics role and format for such a biplane well-defined by the mid-1930s by the [[Udet U 12 Flamingo]] and [[Waco Taperwing]]. The [[Pitts Special]] dominated aerobatics for many years after World War II and is still in production.

The vast majority of biplane designs have been fitted with [[reciprocating engine]]s. 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]] are available in upgraded versions with turboprop engines.

The two most produced biplane designs were the 1913 British [[Avro 504]] of which 11,303 were built, and the 1928 Soviet [[Polikarpov Po-2]] of which over 20,000 were built, with the Po-2 being the direct replacement for the Soviet copy of the Avro 504. Both were widely used as trainers. The [[Antonov An-2]] was very successful too, with more than 18,000 built.

===Ultralight aircraft===
[[File:Mauro Solar Riser.jpg|thumb|[[Mauro Solar Riser]] electric-powered ultralight biplane]]
Although most [[Ultralight aviation|ultralights]] are monoplanes, the low speeds and simple construction involved have inspired a small number of biplane ultralights, such as Larry Mauro's ''[[Easy Riser]]'' (1975–). Mauro also made a version powered with solar cells driving an electric motor called the [[Solar Riser]]. Mauro's ''Easy Riser'' was used by "Father Goose", [[Bill Lishman]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ultralightnews.com/antulbg/easyriser_ultralight.htm| title = Larry Mauro and Bill Lishman}}</ref>

Other biplane ultralights include the Belgian-designed [[Aviasud Mistral]], the German [[B&F Fk12|FK12 Comet]] (1997–), the [[Lite Flyer]] Biplane,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://liteflite.tripod.com| title = Lite Flyer Biplane}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.pilotmix.com/index.php?pgid=11&lang=en&maxInfo=587| title = Pilotmix.com}}</ref> the [[Tiger Cub Developments Sherwood Ranger|Sherwood Ranger]], and the [[Murphy Renegade]].