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The Advantages of Wing Placement

An aircraft wing is responsible for the lift of the aircraft. Lift is the aerodynamic force that allows a heavier-than-air vehicle to fly. Where an aircraft designer puts a wing determines its flight handling characteristics according to its intended purpose.

Parasol
- A parasol wing placement is a wing that is attached to the top of the fuselage on struts. The advantage to a parasol wing placement is that it provides excellent visibility of the ground below and has stable in-flight handling characteristics.
High-Mount
- An aircraft with a high-wing placement has the advantage of greater stability in flight, with the added strength of the wing being attached directly to the fuselage of the aircraft. A high-wing design also has its advantages on aircraft that are amphibious, because the wing can be kept up and out of the water, ensuring lift.
Mid-Mount
- Mid-mounted wings have the advantage of being structurally efficient when aerospace engineers desire to incorporate a swept or tapered wing design on the aircraft. This increase in structural integrity is essential for aircraft that perform extreme maneuvers or aerobatics.
Low-Mount
- A low-wing aircraft has the type of wing placement where the fuselage sits on top of the wing. A low-wing is more unstable than its high-wing or mid-mount counterpart. However, this also means that the aircraft has the advantage of being more responsive and maneuverable in flight.

Aviation