Abstract
This article for the first time expounds on the history of development and construction of multiplanes (having at least four wings) worldwide before the beginning of World War I. Five ideas are identified that led the designers to what at the first glance appeared to be an irrational design of a multiplane. These were not only increasing the total wing area and a desire to increase the wing aspect ratio to enhance the lift / drag ratio but also using the lattice wings to prevent air flow along the wingspan, tandem wing boxes to increase longitudinal stability, and a design of tandem monoplane on a moving frame to increase stability at high angles of attack and ensure efficient pitch control. The article lists 39 multiplane models built during that period, and specifies the ideas that guided their designers. It is shown that the interest in multiplanes in the USA and the UK was disproportionally high compared to other countries. It is proposed what it could have been associated with. It is stated for the first time that there has been not one but two different J. Zerbe’s quintaplanes. We provide an example of how statistical analysis of technical designs can help in the evaluation of the extent of originality of a country’s construction school.
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