Airframe and Engines

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accessory drive - drive shaft and gears for transmitting part of engine’s power to generators, hydraulic pumps, and other accessories
actuator - motor that moves elevators
aft - (adj) toward the tail
afterburner - device attached at exit of jet engine exhaust pipe to burn unburned fuel and exhaust gases, thus producing added thrust
aileron - hinged or movable control surface, usu. on trailing edge of wing near tip, that regulates banking by causing movement about longitudinal axis
air brake - airfoil that can be extended to produce additional drag for slowing aircraft
airfoil - any surface, esp. wing, designed to produce a useful reaction when properly positioned in airstream
airframe - any part of aircraft other than engine: fuselage, booms, nacelle, cowlings, fairings, airfoils, landing gear
airscrew - propeller
antitorque rotor - tail rotor on helicopter
articulated blade - helicopter rotor blade hinged at hub
athodyd - aerothermodynamic duct; continuous fuel-burning ramjet
baffle - device for deflecting airflow
balance tab - device that moves in opposite direction from control surface to which it is affixed
ballonet - auxiliary air container on balloon or airship that can be inflated or deflated during flight to control altitude
bay - compartment in fuselage
belly - bottom of fuselage, esp. with landing gear retracted
block - metal casting that houses engine cylinders
boom - retractable metal tube for in-flight refueling
booster - rocket engine that assists takeoff by supplementing main power supply
bubble - transparent, hemispherical, seamless, unbraced cockpit canopy
bulkhead - upright partition separating compartments and providing structural strength
bypass duct - auxiliary channel through which compressed air is diverted around combustion chamber to join exhaust gases for added thrust
cabane - struts used to support wing above fuselage
cabin - enclosed portion of aircraft for passengers and crew
cabin air intake - mechanism for drawing air into cabin
camber - curvature of airfoil surface from leading to trailing edge
canard - airframe with stabilizing and control surface ahead of main supporting surfaces and wings
canopy - transparent, hinged cockpit cover
cantilever - beam or member supported at one end only
cermet - ceramic-metal alloy used to resist friction heat at supersonic speeds
cockpit - compartment with controls for pilot and crew
contraprop - pair of propellers mounted on coaxial shafts and geared to turn in opposite directions to reduce torque
controls - devices that enable pilot to operate air control surfaces and various accessories in aircraft
control stick - vertical lever used to operate elevator and ailerons in fighters and high performance aircraft; joy stick; stick
control surface - movable surface used to control attitude or motion and guide aircraft: airfoil, aileron, elevator, or flap
control tab - device that provides aerodynamic actuation of control surface
control yoke - steering wheel with two arms used to operate elevator and ailerons in transports, bombers, and airliners
cowling - metal cover, usu. faired, enclosing aircraft engine and portions of fuselage
deceleron - aileron used to slow aircraft in flight
delta wing - triangular wing with large sweepback and small thickness ratio
diffuser - duct that converts high-speed gas flow to lower speed at increased pressure
dihedral - up-and-down angle formed by aircraft wings relative to fuselage
dorsal fin - long, narrow fin running aft on top of fuselage to leading edge of primary fin
drag wire - wire in some wing structures running from forward inboard to aft outboard point to resist drag
drogue - funnel-shaped device towed behind aircraft for in-air refueling
effective span - measure of span of airfoil less corrections for tip
ejection seat - emergency escape device by which both pilot and seat are catapulted from plane
elevator - movable airfoil in tail assembly, usu. hinged to stabilizer, that controls vertical movements and rotation of aircraft about lateral axis
elevon - one of a pair of control surfaces that act together as an elevator or separately as ailerons
empennage - tail assembly, usu. comprised of vertical fin, rudder, elevators, and horizontal stabilizers; tail section
engine pod - unit containing engine isolated from rest of aircraft, detachable in emergency
envelope - folded outer covering of material for aircraft wing or for rigid airship
fairing - secondary structure added to streamline aircraft part and reduce drag, usu. by covering nonstreamlined part
fanjet engine - turbofan
fin - fixed, vertical stabilizing surface on tail assembly; tail fin
firewall - fire-resistant bulkhead separating engine from rest of aircraft
flame damper - fitting on piston engine that hides exhaust flames, used to prevent detection of aircraft at night
flap - hinged or pivoted airfoil on trailing edge of wing that increases lift by reshaping or fattening wing on takeoff and landing
flaperon - airfoil surface hinged to wing and raised or lowered for lateral control
flapperette - hinged rear half of flaperon, normally locked in line, but independently operative if flaperon fails
flapping hinge - hinge that allows helicopter rotor blade to swing up and down within limits
flex wing - nonrigid wing used on most aircraft
flight deck - front compartment of aircraft housing crew; runway portion of aircraft carrier
fore - (adj) toward the nose
fuselage - elongated main body of airplane housing engines, crew, cargo, passengers, and equipment
gas turbine - propulsion engine using hot, compressed gas as working fluid, consisting of compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine through which expanded gases are discharged to drive compressor and propel aircraft
gondola - cabin suspended under airship or balloon for passengers and engine
gull wing - wing that slants upward from fuselage for short distance, then levels out
hatch - doorway in side or bottom of fuselage
heat barrier - highest temperature at which skin can retain its strength
hold - cargo storage area in belly of fuselage
honeycomb - sandwich panel used for airplane skins: thin outer layers of metal, wood, or plastic with honeycomb core of metal, plastic, or paper for lightness and strength
horizontal stabilizer - stabilizer mounted horizontally in tail assembly, to which elevators are attached for lateral stability
horn - short lever fastened to control surface, to which operating cable or rod is attached
hull - main body of airship
hydroplane - attachment to bottom of fuselage of seaplane that allows it to glide across water
inboard - (adj) close or closest to fuselage or body of aircraft
inboard flap - flap closest to fuselage
inboard spoiler - spoiler closest to fuselage
inlet - throat
interplane strut - strut between two wings or other surfaces
jet - jet engine
jet engine - any aircraft engine based on jet propulsion, always incorporating a gas turbine: turbojet, fanjet, ramjet, pulsejet, rocket
joy stick - Informal. control stick, esp. one located between pilot’s legs
JP fuels - jet propulsion fuels, usu. petroleum derivatives
jury strut - auxiliary strut bracing main strut
landing gear - understructure, such as wheels and shock absorbers, capable of supporting weight of aircraft on ground; undercarriage
lap joint - point at which sections of skin are connected
leading edge - foremost edge of airfoil or propeller blade
longeron - main longitudinal member of fuselage framing
mixture control - control over fuel/air mixture in piston engine of light or older aircraft
monocoque - fuselage relying on skin to carry most or all of load
nacelle - wing housing for engine; enclosure other than fuselage for people, cargo, and engine; basket under balloon
navigation lights - lights on ends of wings, red on left and green on right
negative dihedral - airfoil displaced downward from level fuselage
nose - foremost section of fuselage enclosing cockpit
nose assembly - structural and mechanical parts comprising nose and cockpit enclosure
nose cone - foremost portion of nose, usu. tapering to point and made of heat-resistant material
nose landing gear - single, retractable wheel assembly beneath nose
nose turret - observation or gun turret positioned at nose of military aircraft
nozzle - portion of jet engine in which fuel is sprayed into burner can or tailpipe
onboard - (adj) inside aircraft cabin, cockpit, or cargo hold
outboard - (adj) far or farthest from fuselage or body of aircraft
outboard flap - flap farthest from fuselage
outboard spoiler - spoiler farthest from fuselage
plating - heavy metal skin, esp. covering wings of large aircraft
propeller - assembly with airfoil blades on hub of engine-driven shaft, used to propel aircraft; airscrew
propjet - turboprop
pulsejet - jet engine that burns fuel intermittently with air from outside that is compressed by ram effect due to forward motion
pusher propeller - propeller mounted toward rear that pushes aircraft forward
pylon - structure used to attach engine and fuel tank to aircraft, usu. under wing
radar dome - radome
radial engine - engine of older propeller-driven aircraft with cylinders arranged like spokes around crankshaft
radome - housing for radar system on nose; radar dome
ramjet - jet engine having no compressor and depending for operation on ram compression of air due to high forward velocity of aircraft
RATO - rocket-assisted takeoff
retroengine - engine capable of retrofiring to produce thrust in opposite direction of flight
retrofire - (vb) reverse direction of thrust on engine or rocket
reversible propeller - propeller with blades that may be reversed, usu. electrically, to aid braking
rib - structural crosspiece attached to spar to strengthen wing
rocket - jet engine carrying its own oxidizer along with fuel; missile propelled by rocket engine
rocket-assisted takeoff - RATO; takeoff aided by auxiliary rocket device that provides extra thrust
rod - thin strip of filler metal used to seal welded joint
root - inboard end of wing where it joins fuselage
rotor - one of rotating set of bladelike wings that provides lift for helicopter
rudder - vertically hinged airfoil for yawing aircraft about vertical axis in flight
ruddevator - control surface at wide dihedral angle that operates as both rudder and elevator; V-shaped tail
sandwich - structural material with two skins stiffened by thick core; honeycomb
shock absorber - device built into landing gear to absorb impact of landing
skin - panels of metal riveted in place to cover fuselage
slat - narrow auxiliary airfoil mounted ahead of wing or flap for better direction of airstream
sound suppressor - equipment for reducing engine noise
span - maximum distance from tip to tip of any airfoil
spar - main lengthwise support member of wing or airfoil
spinner - conical or parabolic fairing over propeller hub that spins with propeller
spoiler - surface designed to be extended from wing under certain conditions to spoil airflow over it, decrease lift, or increase drag
stabilator - horizontal structure serving as both stabilizer and elevator
stabilizer - fixed or adjustable airfoil designed to give stability; vertical or horizontal stabilizer
standby - auxiliary piece of equipment or system
stick - control stick
stick control - movement of elevator and ailerons by control stick
stinger - sharp, pointed fairing at end of tail cone
stressed skin - covering that contributes to strength of structure
strut - supporting brace bearing compression and/or tension loads
supercharger - engine-driven compressor that increases flow of air and fuel into cylinders to improve power in nonjet engines and maintains pressure in cabin and engine
sweep - fore-and-aft angle of airfoil relative to fuselage
sweepback - wing with leading edge at sharp angle to fuselage; swept-back wing
swept-back wing - sweepback
tab - small hinged surface on trailing edge of control surface, used to assist movement or to trim control surface
tail - rear part of aircraft, providing stability
tail assembly - empennage
tail fin - fin; vertical stabilizer
tail rotor - small rotor mounted on shaft at tail of helicopter to counteract torque of main rotor and provide directional control; antitorque rotor
tail section - empennage
tail wheel - small wheel that supports tail of aircraft with conventional landing gear on ground
throat - most constricted part of jet exhaust nozzle; inlet
throttle - hand-operated lever connected to valve that controls amount of fuel delivered to engine cylinders; fuel control for gas turbines in jet engines
thrust chamber - chamber of jet engine, in which combustion of fuel and air, or oxidizer, takes place
thrust spoiler - jet device used to reduce forward thrust without decreasing mass flow from engine
tip - outboard end of wing farthest from fuselage
tractor propeller - propeller mounted toward front that pulls aircraft
trailing edge - rearmost edge of airfoil or propeller blade
trim - tab attached to trailing edge of airfoil
truss - assembly of structural members forming rigid framework for fuselage
turbine - rotary engine with drive shaft powered by action of liquid or gas against curved vanes of wheel or escaping through nozzles located around wheel
turbofan - turbojet engine that creates additional thrust by diverting secondary airflow around combustion chamber; fanjet engine
turbojet - jet engine supplied with air from compressor driven by turbine that is activated by energy of jet exhaust gases
turboprop - variation of turbojet in which gas turbine also drives conventional propeller to produce major portion of thrust; propjet
turret - transparent dome for gunner on bomber or fighter
undercarriage - landing gear
vane - one of flat curved pieces rotating around axle in supercharger, used to compress air
variable-sweep wing - sweepback whose angle can be changed during flight
vertical axis - axis from top to bottom of aircraft, perpendicular to direction of level flight; yaw axis
vertical stabilizer - section of airfoil on tail forward of rudder, providing longitudinal stability; fin
wing - part of airplane that provides lift, esp. main lateral airfoil, usu. in pairs
wing flap - flap
wing rib - chordwise member that gives wing its shape and transmits load from skin to spars
wingspan - lateral distance between tips of wings
wing spar - principal spanwise structural member of wing
wing tip - extreme outboard point of wing
yaw control - equipment designed to reduce and control yaw: ailerons, elevators, rudder
yoke - pilot’s steering wheel with two upward-pointing arms