Which statement best describes monocoque fuselage design?

• A. It uses internal frames only.
• B. It uses the stressed outer skin to carry most loads, and may include bulkheads but not stringers.
• C. It relies on a full truss framework.
• D. It uses multiple stringers to carry loads.

Answer: (B)

Monocoque fuselage design relies on the outer skin to carry the majority of structural loads. The skin is stressed to resist bending, shear, and torsion, with bulkheads or formers providing shape and local stiffness but not bearing the main loads themselves. Stringers are not the primary load-carrying elements in a true monocoque; they are more characteristic of semi-monocoque designs where the skin works with internal members to share loads. So the description that the stressed outer skin carries most loads, and may include bulkheads but not stringers, best describes monocoque construction.