Originally Posted by
Silvaire1
I also know a guy who works for Cessna as a stress analyst, and he can tell you with very clear reasoning why strut braced structures are best for light aircraft operating below a certain speed.
This makes intuitive sense too. Up to a certain speed, the benefits of a better structural strength/weight ratio should outweigh the disadvantages of increased drag & airflow disruption. Also, the braced structure would intuitively be far better from a fatigue perspective.
That said, I do have a preference for the PA28 over the C172.