Monoplane: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A monoplane is an aircraft with one main wing or pair of main wings, in contrast to a biplane or triplane.

The main distinction in types of monoplane is how the wings attach to the fuselage:

• low-wing, wing lower surface level with bottom of fuselage;
• mid-wing, wing mounted mid-way up fuselage;
• shoulder-wing, wing mounted above fuselage middle (rare);
• high-wing, wing upper surface level with top of fuselage;
• parasol, wing mounted above fuselage (now rare).

Although they are now the norm, the popularity of monoplanes has varied through the history of flight.

Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel in 1909 in a mid-wing monoplane of his own design. The Fokker 'Eindecker' of 1915 was a successful fighter aircraft.

Monoplanes went out of fashion again, until after 1930. Most military aircraft of WW2 were monoplanes, as have been all turbo-jet powered aircraft since.