Cantilever wings require a much heavier spar than would otherwise be needed in cable-stayed

designs. However, as the size of an aircraft increases, the additional weight penalty decreases.
Eventually, a line was crossed in the 1920s, and designs increasingly turned to the cantilever
design. By the 1940s almost all larger aircraft used the cantilever exclusively, even on smaller
surfaces such as the horizontal stabilizer, with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E of 1939–41 being one
of the last World War II fighters in frontline service to have bracing struts for its stabilizer.

In microelectromechanical systems[edit]

SEM image of a used AFM cantilever

Cantilevered beams are the most ubiquitous structures in the field of microelectromechanical
systems (MEMS). An early example of a MEMS cantilever is the Resonistor,[5][6] an
electromechanical monolithic resonator. MEMS cantilevers are commonly fabricated from
silicon (Si), silicon nitride (Si3N4), or polymers. The fabrication process typically involves
undercutting the cantilever structure to release it, often with an anisotropic wet or dry etching
technique. Without cantilever transducers, atomic force microscopy would not be possible. A
large number of research groups are attempting to develop cantilever arrays as biosensors for
medical diagnostic applications. MEMS cantilevers are also finding application as radio
frequency filters and resonators. The MEMS cantilevers are commonly made as unimorphs or
bimorphs.

Two equations are key to understanding the behavior of MEMS cantilevers. The first is Stoney's
formula, which relates cantilever end deflection δ to applied stress σ:

where is Poisson's ratio, is Young's modulus, is the beam length and is the
cantilever thickness. Very sensitive optical and capacitive methods have been developed to
measure changes in the static deflection of cantilever beams used in dc-coupled sensors.

The second is the formula relating the cantilever spring constant to the cantilever
dimensions and material constants:
where is force and is the cantilever width. The spring constant is related to the

cantilever resonance frequency by the usual harmonic oscillator formula . A change in

the force applied to a cantilever can shift the resonance frequency. The frequency shift can be
measured with exquisite accuracy using heterodyne techniques and is the basis of ac-coupled
cantilever sensors.

The principal advantage of MEMS cantilevers is their cheapness and ease of fabrication in large
arrays. The challenge for their practical application lies in the square and cubic dependences of
cantilever performance specifications on dimensions. These superlinear dependences mean that
cantilevers are quite sensitive to variation in process parameters, particularly the thickness as this
is generally difficult to accurately measure.[7] However, it has been shown that microcantilever
thicknesses can be precisely measured and that this variation can be quantified.[8] Controlling
residual stress can also be difficult.

MEMS cantilever in resonance[9]

Chemical sensor applications[edit]

A chemical sensor can be obtained by coating a recognition receptor layer over the upper side of
a microcantilever beam.[10] A typical application is the immunosensor based on an antibody layer
that interacts selectively with a particular immunogen and reports about its content in a
specimen. In the static mode of operation, the sensor response is represented by the beam
bending with respect to a reference microcantilever. Alternatively, microcantilever sensors can
be operated in the dynamic mode. In this case, the beam vibrates at its resonance frequency and a
variation in this parameter indicates the concentration of the analyte.

In storage applications[edit]
Warehouse storage[edit]

A cantilever rack is a type of warehouse storage system consisting of the vertical column, the
base, the arms, and the horizontal and/or cross-bracing. These components are fabricated from
both roll formed and structural steel. The horizontal and/or cross bracing are used to connect two
or more columns together. They are commonly found in lumber yards, woodworking shops, and
plumbing supply warehouses.

Portable storage[edit]

A folding cantilever tray is a type of stacked shelf that can be unfolded to allow convenient
access to items on multiple tiers simultaneously. The shelves can be collapsed when not in use
for more compact storage. Because of these properties folding cantilever trays are often used in
baggage and toolboxes.