Types Of Aircraft Wings Based On Mounting

Position And Style

Low Wing Configuration
As you’ll see for the first few configurations here, some of them are pretty easy to figure
out just based on the names. The low wing configuration is incredibly common and is
likely the one that you’re most used to if you fly single-engine aircraft. While some
smaller planes don’t use the low wing configuration (i.e. the Cessna 172), most of them
do.

The low wing configuration simply means that the wings are mounted low on the body of
the plane, below the middle of it. This configuration is beneficial to pilots because it
typically offers the best overall visibility since the pilots will be able to see left, right,
forward, and up with unencumbered vision. This common configuration also typically
makes planes easier to maneuver and a bit more responsive to adjustments to the controls.

Mid Wing Configuration

As the name suggests, the mid wing configuration is when the wings are mounted directly
in the middle of the body of the plane, halfway up the fuselage. This wing configuration
requires support to go through the fuselage and support the mounting of the wings, which
greatly reduces the overall useful space inside the fuselage. This is why this configuration
is far rarer than the other two similarly-named ones.

The biggest benefit of the mid wing design is that the plane is about as balanced as it can
be during flight and offers better stability than low wing airplanes. The tradeoff is that
these planes are usually less responsive and less maneuverable than their low wing
counterparts. Mid wing configurations are a great compromise between high and low wing
setups.

High Wing Configuration

You've seen the name a couple of times by now, but the last of the three basic wing setups
is the high wing configuration. This is the design in which the wings are mounted to the
top of the fuselage. This is the type of configuration that you’ll see on large cargo and
military planes as well as some smaller aircraft, such as the aforementioned Cessna 172
Skyhawk.

The high wing configuration is ideal for large cargo and military planes that specialize in
transport because they allow the fuselage to be closer to the ground, making it easier to
load and unload cargo and personnel. This is because the engines are mounted on the
bottom of the wings, but since the wings are mounted high on the fuselage, the engines
have plenty of space underneath and the fuselage can still be close to the ground.

Dihedral Wing Configuration

Now we’ll start getting into some of the more complex wing configurations that are a bit
harder to figure out what they are than the three basic ones above. Keep in mind that the
three above are the parent configurations that will typically house the remaining setups
within them. The first of which that we’ll look at is the incredibly common dihedral wing
configuration.

On wings that use this setup, the main thing is that the tips of the wings are higher than the
base that mounts to the fuselage. The wings are angled up from the body of the plane,
usually mounted low on the fuselage, to increase stability during flying and turning. This
configuration is ideal for small aircraft as it enables the plane to quickly level out and
stabilize after an aggressive flight.

Anhedral Wing Configuration

As the name might imply, anhedral wing configurations are basically the direct opposite
of the dihedral wings that you just read about. This means that the tips of the wings are
lower than the base of the wing, as they’re pointed downward from the fuselage to the end
of the wings. To ensure there’s enough space for that, the wings are usually mounted in
the high wing configuration, attached to the plane on the upper surface of the body.

This is one of the least common wing configurations out there, with very few modern
aircraft utilizing this setup. Anhedral wings are typically used to reduce stability in cases
where other parts of the plane add too much lateral stability. That sentence is a bit of a
strange thing to even think about since too much stability sounds impossible. Again, that’s
why this design is rarely used.

Gull Wing Configuration

The next two wing configurations are a bit harder to describe and visualize in words, but
we’ll do our best. The gull wing configuration uses a dihedral wing design right at the
body, as the wings immediately angle upwards. But after a short distance, the dihedral
angle is either heavily reduced or negated entirely and the remainder of the wing could
even be flat.

The biggest reason that gull wings were created was to ensure that there is ample
clearance for engines and propellers. By immediately angling upwards sharply and then
flattening out, there is plenty of space for propellers and the pilot’s visibility in the
immediate area outside of the cockpit is improved. A strange yet incredibly useful design.

Inverted Gull Wing

As the name implies, the inverted gull wing design is the mirror image of the standard gull
wing. With this wing configuration, the wings are mounted towards the bottom of the
aircraft and then shoot sharply downward, like an inverted dihedral. Then they kick back
upwards like a standard dihedral wing — basically each wing creates its own long-tailed
“V” shape.

The inverted gull wing configuration is used to strengthen the plane while also lowering
the overall weight, two things that typically are difficult to do at the same time. This is
because this specialized wing style allows for the undercarriage that the wings mount to
be shortened and the fuselage can be raised, thus making the structure lighter and stronger
at the same time.