ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lee-Richards annular monoplane

Imagine you have a toy airplane with a round wing that doesn't have a top or a bottom, just like a donut. This is what we call an annular wing. Now imagine that this toy airplane only has one wing instead of two, and it's placed in the middle of the plane. This is known as a monoplane.

The Lee-Richards annular monoplane is a special type of airplane that has an annular wing and a single central engine. This design was first proposed in the early 20th century as a way to create an airplane that was very efficient and had a lot of lift (the force that keeps the plane in the air).

The way this works is that the annular wing creates an area of low pressure in the middle, which helps lift the plane up. The air also flows over the top and bottom of the wing, creating even more lift. This design is very aerodynamic and can fly at high speeds with less power than other types of airplanes.

The Lee-Richards annular monoplane never became as popular as other airplane designs, but it was an important step in the development of aviation technology. Today, airplanes have many different wing designs, but the annular wing is still used in some specialized aircraft for things like testing new wing materials and designs.