Originally Posted by
skippiebg
Seem to recall high wing produces more lift because the fuse doesn't get in the way...
Some of the best-performing aircraft of the late 20s - 30s were high wing with a flat-top aft fuselage (Monocoupe, Howard, ...) Benny Howard called it a "clean downwash zone" for high-velocity airflow coming off the upper surface of the wing. He advised against placing any antennas, etc. in this area. (OK, so this addresses drag reduction, not lift, but it seemed to work well for him!)
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Also look at the Convair 880/990's troubled wing/fuse fairings (et ceterea, coz there was LOADS of other issues!)...
Many low-wing types went through a lot of experimentation on fairings. The first Lockheed 10 (1934) had huge fillet fairings, soon abandoned. Postwar DC-3 enhancement kits included smaller fairings (you could often see the rivet pattern of the originals in the fuse & wing skin).