There was a bridge engineer glider pilot, whose name I can't remember, who figured out how to brace the wings of a biplane against eachother. Otto (o#o) Lilienthal apparently didn't get the news in time to save his life. Since then, biplanes have been much lighter than similar monoplanes. For models, though, the lower Reynolds number is a big disadvantage, and the drag of the wires and struts is always a big disadvantage at high speed.
Since Germany didn't finish any aircraft carriers and even biplanes are a lot faster than torpedo boats, the Ferry Swordfish had a fine record in WWII, being better at flight deck landings and takeoffs than a monoplane.