Which term describes the forward lifting surface of a canard configuration or tandem-wing configuration airplane?

Which term describes the forward lifting surface of a canard configuration or tandem-wing configuration airplane?

• A. Forward Wing
• B. Canard Surface
• C. Leading Edge Wing
• D. Primary Wing

Answer: (A)

In airplanes with two lifting surfaces placed one in front of the other, the lifting surface at the front is called the forward wing. This term describes its position relative to the main wing and applies whether the aircraft uses a true canard configuration or a tandem-wing layout. In a canard setup, people sometimes call that front surface the canard, but the broad, position-based term that fits both configurations is forward wing. The other terms don’t capture the common naming across both designs: they either imply a different feature or refer specifically to the canard, not the tandem-wing arrangement.

In airplanes with two lifting surfaces placed one in front of the other, the lifting surface at the front is called the forward wing. This term describes its position relative to the main wing and applies whether the aircraft uses a true canard configuration or a tandem-wing layout. In a canard setup, people sometimes call that front surface the canard, but the broad, position-based term that fits both configurations is forward wing. The other terms don’t capture the common naming across both designs: they either imply a different feature or refer specifically to the canard, not the tandem-wing arrangement.