eli5: Why do small jet aircraft, like regional jets and private jets, have engines on the rear, but larger jet planes have engines on the wings?

Question

eli5: Why do small jet aircraft, like regional jets and private jets, have engines on the rear, but larger jet planes have engines on the wings?

In: 312

Answer 1

Some jet planes used to have engines on the tail… MD-80, Ilyushin IL-62 (has 4 tail-mounted engines). The old Lockheed Tristar and MD11 had three engines, two on the wings, one in the tail. Maintenance and replacing an engine in the tail was much more difficult though