Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Aileron: A small hinged portion of an airplane’s wing, used to make an airplane roll, or turn around its long axis.
Airfoil: A surface, such as an airplane wing, shaped to produce more lift than resistance when driven through the air.
All-weather fighter: A radar-equipped jet fighter airplane which can operate at night or in the worst weather.
All-weather interceptor: A radar-equipped jet fighter airplane which can operate at night or in the worst weather.
Autogyro: An aircraft equipped with a rotating wing, or rotor, to sustain itself in the air, and a propeller to move forward.

B

Barnstormer: A pilot who, in the early years of aviation, gave airplane rides to people and performed aerobatics for a fee.
Bracing wire: A solid steel wire used to support the structure of an airplane’s wings or fuselage.
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan: An agreement which, during World War II, made Canada the heart of a huge Commonwealth aircrew training scheme.

C

Cabin pressurization: A mechanism used to maintain air pressure in an airplane’s sealed cabin at a level suitable for passengers.
Canard: An airplane designed to have its normal horizontal tail surface on the front rather than the rear of its fuselage.
Cantilevered: Is said of an airplane part, like an engine nacelle, which is rigidly supported at one end and free at the other.
Caster: To swivel or rotate slightly.
Centre-pod configuration: A type of airplane whose fairly short fuselage is not connected to the tail surfaces.
Cowling: A removable metal covering placed over and around an airplane’s engine(s).
Cross-over exhaust: A mechanism through which the exhaust from one side of an in-line engine is carried to the other.

D

Distinguished Flying Cross: A British decoration rewarding acts of bravery performed by officers and warrant officers while flying in combat.
Dope: A varnish like liquid applied to the fabric covering of an airplane to increase its strength and make it water proof.

E

Elevator: A small control surface hinged to the rear of the horizontal stabilizer and used to tilt an airplane up or down.
Engine cowl: A removable metal covering placed over and around an airplane’s engine.

F

Forward elevator: A control surface used to tilt an airplane up or down and mounted on the front rather than the rear of an airplane.
Free-blown: Is said of a piece of glass or plexiglass blown and shaped manually without the help of a mould.

G

Glider tug: An airplane, usually quite large, used to tow a military glider loaded with ground troops and equipment.
Great Depression: A severe economic crisis which began in the United States in 1929 and affected the world during the 1930s.

H

High-lift wing: A special type of wing capable of creating a lifting force greater than that of a conventional wing.

I

In-line engine: An engine in which the cylinders are mounted in a straight line or else in two, connected at an angle.

L

Laminar-flow wing: A specially designed wing whose shape creates less air resistance, or drag, than a conventional wing.
Lateral control: The ability to make an airplane roll, or turn around its long axis, according to its pilot’s wishes.
Leading and trailing edges: The foremost and rearmost edges of a wing.
Low-wing: Is said of an airplane in which the single set of wings is mounted at, or near, the bottom of its fuselage.

M

Magnetic survey: A search conducted by air to locate hidden metal deposits by making use of their effects on specially arranged magnets.

N

Nacelle: A shelter, enclosed or not and unconnected to the tail surfaces, where the crew sits.
NATO: A postwar alliance which integrated the armed forces of a number of Western nations in both Europe and North America.
Night lozenge: A night version of Germany’s printed camouflage scheme in which the coloured polygons were overprinted in black.
North American Air Defence Command (NORAD): A Canada United States agreement integrating the air defence networks of both countries.
Nose cowl: A removable metal covering placed over and around an airplane’s engine.

P

Presentation aircraft: A military airplane payed for by a person or group, which is then donated to an air force.
Pressurized: Is said of an airplane’s sealed cabin in which the air pressure is kept at a level suitable for passengers.
Propeller spinner: A coneshaped piece of an airplane, mounted on a propeller, which reduces air resistance, or drag.
Pusher: An airplane whose propeller(s) can be found behind its wings.
Pusher engine: An engine mounted behind an airplane’s wing(s) and whose propeller pushes rather pull it through the air.

R

Radial engine: A type of engine, usually air-cooled, whose cylinders are arranged like the spokes of a wheel.
Radome: A detachable nose cone made of plastic-type material, used to cover and protect an airplane’s radar antenna.
Ramjet: A type of jet engine with very few moving parts which consists of a specially shaped tube open at both ends.
Rate of roll: A measure of the speed with which an airplane can turn around its long axis, or roll.
Rocket-powered: Is said of an airplane powered by a rocket engine.
Rotary: An aircooled engine whose cylinders, arranged like the spokes of a wheel, rotate around a fixed crankshaft.
Rotary-engined: Is said of an airplane which has a rotary engine whose cylinders, arranged like a wheel’s spokes, turn around a fixed crankshaft.
Rotary-winged: Is said of an aircraft equipped with a rotating wing, or rotor, which resembles a huge horizontal propeller.
Rotor-head: A most important part of a rotary-winged aircraft, which includes the blades and rotor mechanism.

S

Service ceiling: The altitude above sea level beyond which an airplane can no longer climb more than 30 m (100 ft) per minute.
Slatted: Is said of a wing equipped with a leading-edge which can pop in or out at low speed, thus improving controllability.
Solid-propellant: A type of rocket fuel, in solid form, moulded into a solid block.
Sonobuoy: An airdropped buoy fitted with sensitive microphones and a radio, used to detect submarines running underwater.
Spar: A principal section of the wing structure of an airplane, going from tip to tip.
Stressed skin: A type of airplane outer covering, designed to carry the tension and compression forces encountered in flight.
Supercharged: Is said of an engine equipped with a pump designed to supply it with its necessary supply of air, at high altitude.
Supersonic: Is said of an airplane capable of exceeding the speed of sound, 1 160 km/h (720 mph) or so at high altitude.
Swept-wing: A wing in which both the leading and trailing edges are slanted backward, to reduce air resistance at high speed.

T

Tail-hook: A special hook mounted at the rear of a aircraft carrier-based airplane and used to bring it to a quick halt when landing.
Tandem-winged: Is said of an airplane with wings of similar size mounted one in front of the other, on pretty much the same level.
Target tug: An airplane used to tow objects, or targets, fired at by other airplanes or anti-aircraft guns for practice.
Tilt-wing: A wing designed to swivel up or down, thus making it possible for an airplane to take off and land vertically.
Tricycle configuration: A type of landing gear in which one set of wheels is placed well forward, under the nose of an airplane.
Tricycle landing gear: A type of landing gear in which one set of wheels is placed well forward, under the nose of an airplane.
Tricycle undercarriage: A type of landing gear in which one set of wheels is placed well forward, under the nose of an airplane.
Trim-tab: A small auxiliary surface hinged on an airplane’s control surfaces, used to bring it into balance or trim.
Turboprop: Is said of an airplane powered by a type of jet engine, the turboprop, equipped with a turbine-driven propeller.
Twin-boom configuration: A type of airplane whose tail surfaces were connected to its wings by two long fuselage-like structures.

U

Undercarriage strut: A part of an airplane’s structure, designed to resist distortion, which supports the landing gear.
Upper turret: A powered and revolving mechanism armed with machine guns to be mounted on top of an airplane’s fuselage.

V

Variable-pitch propeller: A engine-driven device, designed to drive an airplane forward, whose efficiency can be improved by turning its blades in midflight.
Victoria Cross: A British medal awarded to military personnel for acts of extreme bravery in the presence of an enemy.

W

Wheel pants: A piece of an airplane’s structure which envelops its wheels and reduces air resistance, or drag.
Wing spar: A principal section of the wing structure of an airplane, going from tip to tip.
Wing strut: A part of an airplane’s structure, bracing the upper and lower wing and designed to resist distortion.
Wing tip: The outer end of an airplane’s wing.
Wing tip extension: Small section added to the end, or tip of a wing.
Wingtip: The outer end of an airplane’s wing.
Wing warping: A twisting of the tips of an airplane’s wings, up on one side and down on the other, used to make an airplane roll.

Z

Zeppelin: Named for its German inventor, this airship craft is controllable, powered, lighter than air, with a rigid structure.