Parasol wing
Encyclopedia
A parasol wing monoplane
is an aircraft design in which the wing is not mounted directly to the fuselage, but rather, the fuselage
is supported beneath it by a set of struts, called cabane strut
s. Parasol wing designs resemble biplane
s lacking their lower set of wings.
This configuration has the advantage of providing excellent visibility from the cockpit, but the disadvantage of extra drag caused by the struts. A typical feature of light aircraft designed in the 1920s, such as the Pietenpol Air Camper
and Heath Parasol
, it is no longer a common configuration, but is still used in modern nostalgic designs for homebuilt aircraft
such as the Loehle Sport Parasol
. Other parasol aircraft from the 1920s include the Davis Monoplane
and the Lockheed Air Express.
In some aircraft, particularly flying boats, the parasol wing is held above the fuselage by means of a closed structure known as a pylon. This gives these aircraft a cleaner appearance, especially when combined with a cantilever wing, as there are no visible strut
s. The pylon reacts to any wing roll
ing moment
with its own set of spars
extending from the fuselage frames. A typical example of a pylon parasol aircraft with struts is the Consolidated Catalina.
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
is an aircraft design in which the wing is not mounted directly to the fuselage, but rather, the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
is supported beneath it by a set of struts, called cabane strut
Cabane strut
The cabane struts of a biplane aircraft support the upper wing over the fuselage and work in conjunction with other wing components such as spars and flying wires to transmit flight loads....
s. Parasol wing designs resemble biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
s lacking their lower set of wings.
This configuration has the advantage of providing excellent visibility from the cockpit, but the disadvantage of extra drag caused by the struts. A typical feature of light aircraft designed in the 1920s, such as the Pietenpol Air Camper
Pietenpol Air Camper
-See also:- External links :* * * * *...
and Heath Parasol
Heath Parasol
-See also:-References:* 1929 Flying and Glider Manual* Sport Flying Quarterly, Vol.9 No.7, 1975, pp 54-63.- External links :* * http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/heath.htm The Heath Story* http://www.maam.org/aircraft/lna40.html LNA-4...
, it is no longer a common configuration, but is still used in modern nostalgic designs for homebuilt aircraft
Homebuilt aircraft
Also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
such as the Loehle Sport Parasol
Loehle Sport Parasol
|-See also:-External links:*...
. Other parasol aircraft from the 1920s include the Davis Monoplane
Davis D-1
-References:*Green, William, The Aircraft of the World, 1965, MacDonald & Co Ltd, no isbn*Simpson, R.W., Airlife's World Aircraft, Airlife Publishing Ltd, 2001, ISBN 1-84037-115-3-External links:*...
and the Lockheed Air Express.
In some aircraft, particularly flying boats, the parasol wing is held above the fuselage by means of a closed structure known as a pylon. This gives these aircraft a cleaner appearance, especially when combined with a cantilever wing, as there are no visible strut
Strut
A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression. Struts provide outwards-facing support in their lengthwise direction, which can be used to keep two other components separate, performing the opposite function of a tie...
s. The pylon reacts to any wing roll
Flight dynamics
Flight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of mass, known as pitch, roll and yaw .Aerospace engineers develop control systems for...
ing moment
Moment (physics)
In physics, the term moment can refer to many different concepts:*Moment of force is the tendency of a force to twist or rotate an object; see the article torque for details. This is an important, basic concept in engineering and physics. A moment is valued mathematically as the product of the...
with its own set of spars
Spar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground...
extending from the fuselage frames. A typical example of a pylon parasol aircraft with struts is the Consolidated Catalina.