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A Short Glossary Of Aviation Terms
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This is a short glossary of the more common aviation terms. Aviation, like
all sciences, has its own lexicon. Knowing some of these terms and
what they mean will help you enjoy flying model planes more.
Aerodynamics
The study of forces acting upon an object moving through an atmosphere
Aileron
A movable, hinged object on the trailing edge of an airplane’s wing used
to control rolling movement.
Airfoil
The cross-section shape of a wing taken at right angles to the wing span
Airship
Aviation term referring to a self propelled, lighter than air craft which
can be steered. Ex. - Dirigible
Airspeed
The speed of an aircraft relative to the air rather than the ground.
Altimeter
A device for measuring the relative altitude of an aircraft by measuring the atmospheric pressure
Angle of Attack
Term referring to the angle at which a wing strikes the air stream
Angle of Incidence
The angle of the wing in relation to an arbitrary line fore and aft in
the fuselage
Aspect Ratio
The relationship of the wing span to the wing cord, expressed numerically
by which the number of times the span can be divided by the chord
Autogiro
An aircraft which flies by virtue rotating wings set windmill fashion
above the fuselage - Ex - a helicopter.
Bank
A turn made in flight with one wing tip lower than the other
Camber
The curvature of the wing from the leading edge to the trailing edge
Canard
An airplane designed to fly tail first
Center of Gravity
Aviation term referring to the point through which the resultant forces
of gravity act no matter how
the body is oriented
Center of Lift
The point at which the average of all lifting forces act
Center Of Pressure
The intersection of the resultant force with the plane ofthe chord of the
lower surface. This center varies with the angle of incidence in a
characteristic manner for every wing shape. This center is located for a
given angle of incidence by giving it’s distance from the leading edge in
percent of the chord length.
Chord
Aviation term referring to the width of a wing from leading edge to trailing edge
Decalage
The difference between the angles of incidence of the wing and the
stabilizer
Dihedral
The uptilt of wing panels toward the tips to
Elevator
The hinged control section of the stabilizer used to induce a change of
pitch
Fin
The fixed forward portion of the vertical tail
Fuselage
The body of an airplane
Glide
Sustained forward flight in which speed is maintained only by the loss
of altitude
Ground Speed
Aviation term referring to the speed of an aircraft relative to the ground
Induced Drag
Aviation term referring to the resistance of a wing to forward movement due to disturbance of the
surrounding air and related to the lift produced by the wing
Jig
A fixture or form for holding parts together for assembly
Mass
The quantity of matter in a body
Moment Arm
The distance from the center of gravity at which a force is applied
Motor Stick
A strong wooden strip, often serving as the fuselage, used to support the
rubber motor of a model airplane
Ornithopter
A airplane that flies by flapping its wings
Parasitic Drag
Resistance to forward movement caused by non-lifting components of and
airplane
Parasol
An airplane with its wing mounted above the fuselage by struts or a
pylon
Pitch-Diameter-Ratio
Aviation term referring to the relationship between propeller pitch and diameter, expressed as a
mathematical proportion
Propeller-Pitch
The distance theoretically traveled by a propeller in one revolution
Propeller Torque
The reactive force generated by a revolving propeller that tends to rotate
an airplane in the direction counter to the propeller's rotation.
Rudder
The moving part of an airplanes vertical tail used to control movement on
the yaw axis.
Spin
A prolonged stall in which the airplane rotates about its center of
gravity while it descends
Stability
The tendency of an airplane to return to level flight after having been
disturbed by some force.
Stall
The complete loss of lift resulting from too steep an angle of attack
Thermal
Aviation term referring to a rising column of warm air
Tip loss
The reduction of lift near the tips of wings due to the leakage of the
high pressure air from beneath to the low pressure area above
Undercamber
The concave curve on the underside of some airfoils
This glossary is by no means meant to be all inclusive, but contains the
most common aviation terms in general use.
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