Copy of `British Model Flying Association - Model planes terms`

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British Model Flying Association - Model planes terms Category: Hobbies and Crafts > Model Aircraft Date & country: 30/08/2013, UK Words: 210

lomcovak
An aerobatic manoeuvre which combines extreme roll pitch and yaw changes to produce a violent movement of the aircraft The name is derived from a Polish word which describes the effect of too much liqueur spirit

longerons
The main fore-and-aft strips in a fuselage

max
An abbreviation for the maximum time for which the flight of a free-flight aircraft is recorded, typically three minutes

microfilm
A cellulose lacquer solution poured onto the surface of a tank of water to form an extremely thin film used for the covering of F1D and other types of free-flight indoor aircraft

mid-air
Collision of 2 models in flight

mixer
A mechanical or electronic device which allows two different inputs to operate a control surface; flaperons for example

moment arm
The distance between the point at which a force is applied and the point of action of the force For example, the distance between the CoG and nose, or CoG and tail

monocoque
A form of fuselage construction with rounded exterior and very little internal structure in which the skin carries virtually all stresses

motor bearer
Hardwood strip mount for model aeroplane engines

motor stick
A strong strip used to support the rubber motor; the body of stick-type models

mush
A nose-high, slow-speed flight attitude resulting from a slightly tail-heavy trim

needle valve
Fuel mixture adjustment on a model engine

nicad
Nickel Cadmium rechargeable battery

nordic
The World Championship class for free-flight gliders (F1A), the specification for which originated in Scandinavia

nose plug
A shaped wooden block used to support the propeller bearing in many rubber powered models

oleo
A shock absorbing system used in undercarriages

oos
Out of sight of the timekeeper

ornithopter
An aeroplane that flies by flapping its wings like a bird

parasitic drag
Resistance to a forward aeroplane movement caused by any non-lifting components of the aeroplane

parasol
An aeroplane in which the wing is mounted above the fuselage on struts

peak detect charger
A battery charger which uses the measured voltage of the battery pack to shut off charging rather than a timer

pitch (1)
The distance forward theoretically travelled by a propeller in one revolution

pitch (2)
A rotation of an aircraft up and down around the wing axis This effect is caused by the elevator

pitch stability
Stability of an aeroplane in climb and dive

pitch-diameter ratio
The relation between the propeller pitch and diameter, expressed as a mathematical proportion, as 15 to 1, and so on

planform
The outline of wing or tailplane when viewed from above

planking
Sheet-wood covering accomplished by glueing thin flat wood strips side by side on a fuselage

plywood
Sheet wood made by glueing together two or more very thin layers of wood with the grain of adjacent layers at right angles

pod
A short streamlined fuselage fitted with a boom to support the tail surfaces

pod-and-boom
A model that derives its name from the appearance of its short fuselage and tail-support boom

polyhedral
A form of dihedral in which there are one or more changes of dihedral in each wing panel

propeller
An airscrew that pushes air backwards as it rotates, thus pulling the aeroplane forwards

pusher
A plane in which the engine is mounted ahead of the propeller, so that the propeller pushes instead of pulls

pva
A water based type of adhesive

quick link
A sprung clip, of metal or plastic, used to connect a pushrod to the actuator or control surface

r/c
Radio Control

radial mount
A moulded plastic or metal mount which is fastened to the mounting lugs of an engine and then bolted directly to the engine bulkhead or firewall

range
The maximum distance over which radio control can safely be maintained

rate switch
A switch on the transmitter which changes the amount of movement of a control surface when the stick is moved

reflex
A reversal of the camber on a flying surface Often used on flying wing or delta planform aircraft

resistance
Air drag, or the opposition of the air to being displaced by the forward movement of an aeroplane

rib section
The cross-section shape of a wing, from leading to trailing edge

rise-off-ground (rog)
Used of a free-flight aircraft, usually to an obsolete specification, that takes off as opposed to being hand launched

roll
A rotation of an aircraft around the longitudinal axis This effect is produced by the ailerons

root
The part of a wing where it meets the fuselage

rudder
The moving part of the vertical tail surface of an aeroplane which provides yaw control

sailplane
See glider

servo
A motor-driven device for moving controls of a radio controlled aeroplane

side thrust
Offsetting the propeller thrust line, so there is a slight sideways pull

sidewinder
Colloquial expression describing an engine mounted on its side

single-surface wing
A wing formed from a single sheet of balsa, or one that has a framework covered only on the top

slipstream
The column of air pushed rearward by a rotating propeller; it always moves faster than the aeroplane itself

smae
Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers The precursor of the BMFA

snake
A type of flexible pushrod consisting of a plastic or braided metal wire inner, inside a plastic sleeve

solid model
A non-flying model formed from solid pieces of wood or plastic

spars
Spanwise load-carrying members of a wing or tail

spiral dive
An ever-tightening downward corkscrew flying path

spiral stability
The characteristic of an aeroplane that permits high-speed banked turns without diving to the ground

spoilers
Controls which can be deployed into the airflow to

stability
The tendency of an aeroplane to return to level flight, after having been disturbed by an upsetting force

stall
The complete loss of lift resulting from too steep an angle of attack

stalling angle
The particular angle at which a wing abruptly loses lift; usually expressed in degrees

stick
The operating arm on a transmitter which is moved to make the control surface move

stol
Short Take Off and Landing Describes an aircraft with special high-lift devices to keep the take off or landing run as short as possible

streamlined
The shape of the exposed contours of an aeroplane for the least possible air drag; usually rounded in front, pointed at the rear

stringer
Light, lengthwise fuselage strips intended more to give the desired shape than to add strength

strip ailerons
Ailerons consisting of simple strips along the full length of the wing trailing edge

sweepback
The angling back of the wings from the centre, to increase directional stability or reduce drag at high speed

t-tail
Arrangement where the tailplane is mounted on top of the fin

tab
A small adjustable surface on wing or tail surfaces, used to make small trim changes

tail
The surfaces (tailplane and fin) at the rear of a conventional aeroplane fuselage

taildragger
An aircraft which has an undercarriage arrangement where the mainwheels are under the wing with smaller wheel at the tail end of the fuselage The aircraft sits on the ground with a nose-high attitude

tailplane
The fixed horizontal tail surface

tailskid
A fixed angular fixture use to support the tail end of an aircraft on the ground instead of a wheel

template
A stiff pattern for marking the outlines of pieces to be cut from sheet wood or metal

thermal
A rising column of relatively warm air

thrust
The propulsive force developed by a driven propeller or jet engine

thrust line
An imaginary line drawn along the propeller shaft and extending rearward through the aeroplane

timer
A lightweight clockwork or electronic device fitted to free-flight aircraft to operate in-flight systems and to control the dethermaliser

tip loss
Reduction in lift near the tips of wings due to the leakage of the high-pressure air from beneath to the low-pressure area above

top rudder
Rudder used when an aircraft is flying on its side to keep the flight path horizontal

torque
The reactive force generated by a revolving propeller that tends to rotate the aeroplane in a direction opposite to the direction of the propeller rotation

torque meter
A device used when winding the rubber motor of a free-flight aircraft that measures the torque stored in the motor and thus enables the maximum energy to be stored in it

torque roll
An aerobatic manoeuvre that uses the torque reaction to accelerate the rate of roll of an aircraft

towhook
A hook fixed to the underside of a glider fuselage for attachment of the towline

towline
The launching cord used for pulling aloft a glider or sail plane

tracker
A lightweight radio transmitter carried by some free-flight aircraft to aid their location by means of a highly directional receiver

trailing edge
The rear edge of a wing or tail surface

transmitter
An electronic device for producing radio waves

tricycle (trike) undercarriage
An undercarriage arrangement where the main wheels are set under the wing just behind the cog point, with the third wheel positioned under the nose just behind the engine The aircraft sits on the ground with the fuselage level

tx
Abbreviation for transmitter

uhf
Ultra High Frequency

undercamber
The concave curve on the underside of some aerofoils

undercarriage
The wheel and strut assembly that supports an aeroplane at rest on the ground and during take-off and landing

v-tail
Tail consisting of 2 surfaces at an extreme dihedral angle The elevator and rudder functions are mixed and the fin and rudder can be dispensed with

variable incidence tailplane (vit)
An automatic device that alters the tailplane incidence of a free-flight aircraft in flight to re-trim it after its climb

venturi
A tube reduced in diameter at its centre Air flowing through it is speeded up by the change in shape

vhf
Very High Frequency

vortices
Twisting air disturbances resulting from the movement of a wing through the air

wakefield
The World Championship free-flight rubber-driven duration class (F1B) named after Lord Wakefield of Hythe who donated the trophy in 1928