Are wings worth it?

[kepicness]

When it comes to SSTO spaceplanes, is adding more wings (as in covering it up to make it prettier) detrimental to performance? By that I mean, do they make up for the extra weight and drag they add to a craft with the lift they provide? For example: 

The reason I'm asking is because I vastly prefer to cover up the components that make up my planes, for aesthetic purpose. However, I'm unsure if it's negatively impacting the efficiency of the craft. Any answer will be appreciated!

Edited August 26, 2016 by kepicness

[foamyesque]

In general, spaceplanes do better with more TWR and less lift.  Wings don't have a huge penalty, but they do cause additional drag and are additional mass to push to orbit. It's best to keep 'em relatively minimal if you can.

 

For example, the ship you posted above is probably carrying about three times as much wing as it strictly speaking needs.

Edited August 26, 2016 by foamyesque

[Aegolius13]

Depends in part on where it's going.  If you're thinking of landing on Duna, you'd want a lot more wing than a plane that goes from Kerbin to LKO.  Laythe has thinner surface atmosphere than Kerbin so in theory you'd want more wing, but gravity is lower too, and it's a pain to lug heavy wings all that way through space.  

Also, a slight amount of wing incidence may help to decrease drag during your climb.  Though that may be trickier if you have a lot of pieces to keep aligned.