Microsoft Flight Simulator Handbook

by Jonathan M. Stern

Wings

The wings create the lift that gives airplanes flight. Airplanes are sometimes referred to as fixed-wing aircraft, which distinguishes them from rotary-wing aircraft such as helicopters.

Wings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and configurations. There are bi-wing airplanes, tri-wing airplanes, and mono-wing airplanes. Wings may also be fully cantilevered, where the structure has no external support. The Lear 35 on Flight Simulator has a fully cantilevered wing. The Cessna 182RG, on the other hand, has a semi-cantilevered wing. The wing receives additional support from wing struts, which run from the bottom of the mid-wing to the belly of the airplane. Mono-wing airplanes may be of the high-wing configuration (like the single-engine Cessnas) or the low-wing configuration (such as most Pipers and Beech airplanes).

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