[sci.space] SPICING UP AVIATION TERMINOLGY.....

marshek@ut-ngp.UUCP (MAt) (11/12/87)

First, I would like to apologize for having a catchy title,
It is just to get more and more people involved.......

I would like to start a minor group discussion on the external
control surfaces of planes, both military and civilian.

I will start with some crude definitions which, I hope will be
modified and updated like our local GURUS like Henry Spenser,
Mike Trout to name a few. Take it as a compliment, guys !

Wing: generates lift, usually at mid fuselage, could be delta.
	planes with delta wings are usually high performance
	planes, like the Mirage 2000. tail-less delta is not
	too stable.

Flaps: at trailing edge of wings close to fuselage. does what ????
spoiler: located on top mid of wing; slow down aircraft while


aileron: ?????
stabilizer: ???? a brit term ?
elevator: ????
canard: at front on both sides; in case of Viggen energizes the
	sluggish boundary layer on main wing ???
camber: changes sectional geometry of wing ??? causes what ??



Strakes: merges a wing with fuselage and provides ????

So there Gentlemen, I welcome you to add, delete, modify,
change, improve, enhance, on these definitions.

eugene@pioneer.UUCP (11/12/87)

I note the numerous followups to this terminology and the request for
the definition to CELSS.  My suggestion to the original poster is
not to use the net for queries of this type (i.e., what is a canard?)
a better suggestion is take a moment and use a dictionary, or better,
get a book on general aviation.  In the case of a new acronym like
CELSS, the problem are the people following up, please send that person mail.
Send mail, send mail, sendmail......  This is a plea for self-moderation.
These groups are like preaching to the converted, so try not to get
too involved in your and our own retoric.

From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
  "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
  "Send mail, avoid follow-ups.  If enough, I'll summarize."
  {hplabs,hao,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix}!ames!aurora!eugene

sampson@killer.UUCP (Steve Sampson) (11/13/87)

> Stabilizer

On a 707 for instance, the horizontal stabilizer moves up and down with
the trim while the

> Elevator

moves up and down with the yoke.  The stabilizer is adjusted at the
front.  Or else I'm looking at the picture wrong...

abcscnuk@csun.UUCP (Naoto Kimura) (11/16/87)

In article <6812@ut-ngp.UUCP> marshek@ut-ngp.UUCP (MAt) writes:
>aileron: ?????
>stabilizer: ???? a brit term ?
>elevator: ????
	Since other people have responded to what the above are, I'll
	not bother with them, but add a few others.

	stabilator: STABiliser/elevATOR
	    On some aircraft, the stabiliser and elevators are combined,
	    in other words, the whole stabiliser moves.

	elevon: ELEvator/AileRON
	    Control surfaces that combine the function of the
	    elevator and aileron.

	fin/rudder:
	    The fin often called vertical stabiliser.
	    The rudder like one on a boat, is used to control direction
	    (left/right or port/starboard).
	    Usually a part of the fin that moves, but on some
	    airplanes have a fin that moves as a unit, like
	    on the SR-71.
	
	Some airplanes, like the Bonanza, have control surfaces that
	combine the function of the fin/rudder and stabiliser/elevator.
	I don't recall if there is a term for this.

>canard: at front on both sides; in case of Viggen energizes the
>	sluggish boundary layer on main wing ???

	canard:
            I think this comes from French word for duck -- descriptive
            of what a canard aircraft looks like.  This term is used for
            the smaller wings in front, and also the planform (that is,
            having the auxillary wing forward of the main).

	slat:
            surfaces that extend from the leading edge of the wing to
            allow greater angle of attack before stalling.  Not a
            control surface, but I thought I'd just throw this one in.

	thrust vectoring:
            Just what the words say, directing of thrust for control.

                //-n-\\					Naoto Kimura
        _____---=======---_____				(csun!abcscnuk)
    ====____\   /.. ..\   /____====
  //         ---\__O__/---        \\	Enterprise... Surrender or we'll
  \_\                            /_/	send back your *&^$% tribbles !!

john@ektools.UUCP (John H. Hall) (11/19/87)

In article <896@csun.UUCP> abcscnuk@csun.UUCP (Naoto Kimura) writes:
>	    The rudder like one on a boat, is used to control direction
>	    (left/right or port/starboard).

The word "direction" has several meanings, only one of which deals
with the rudder.

1. Yaw, controlled by the rudder, is the angle between the
direction of flight and the direction in which the nose of the aircraft is
pointing.  Reference plane: the horizontal plane of the aircraft (like
the cockpit floor). In the unlikely occurence that an airplane were moving
"sideways" through the air, it would have a yaw of 90 degrees.
Usually we try to minimize yaw and so keep the pointy end of the
aircraft into the relative wind.

2. The direction of flight, or "heading", controlled primarily by the 
ailerons.  This is the compass direction the airplane makes relative
to the air in which it is flying.

3. The direction of the aircraft's ground track, or "course" relative
to the ground.  It will differ from the heading if there is any crosswind.

Sorry if this seems trivial to the old timers out there, but I
remember that I had a hard time getting it straight.  Er, I do
have it straight, don't I?-- 
John Hall, Supervisor: Software Tools Group, Software Engineering Laboratory
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, 901 Elmgrove Rd., Rochester, NY 14650,  716 726-9345
UUCP:   {allegra, rutgers}!rochester!kodak!ektools!john
ARPA:   kodak!ektools!john@rochester.ARPA

coulter@wheaton.UUCP (11/21/87)

The aviation terminology is interesting, but do we need it in sci.space
AND in sci.space.shuttle?  I think perhaps we could limit this a little,
since I suspect that most people who read one space group read both
(I do anyway . . . )

-- 
###############################################################################
Scott D. Coulter                    CPO 462, Wheaton College
ihnp4!wheaton!coulter               Wheaton, IL   60187

leif@swatsun (Leif Kirschenbaum) (11/23/87)

In article <663@wheaton.UUCP> coulter@wheaton.UUCP (Scott D. coulter ) writes:
>The aviation terminology is interesting, but do we need it in sci.space
>AND in sci.space.shuttle?
>Scott D. Coulter                    CPO 462, Wheaton College
>ihnp4!wheaton!coulter               Wheaton, IL   60187

Maybe it would be best in a newsgroup meant for airplanes; i.e. REC.AVIATION.
There are many people there who are probably more familiar with aviation
terminology.

-- 
Leif Kirschenbaum '91                  | "Do you have any tea?"
Swarthmore College                     | I'm new at this game- no flames please.
UUCP:     rutgers!bpa!swatsun!leif     | (only candles)
Internet: bpa!swatsun!leif@rutgers.edu | Swat Motto: "Harsh but fair."

ICEMAN@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Joakim Karlsson) (11/23/87)

In article <1406@carthage.swatsun.UUCP>, leif@swatsun (Leif Kirschenbaum) writes:
 
>In article <663@wheaton.UUCP> coulter@wheaton.UUCP (Scott D. coulter ) writes:
>>The aviation terminology is interesting, but do we need it in sci.space
>>AND in sci.space.shuttle?
>>Scott D. Coulter                    CPO 462, Wheaton College
>>ihnp4!wheaton!coulter               Wheaton, IL   60187
>
>Maybe it would be best in a newsgroup meant for airplanes; i.e. REC.AVIATION.
Sorry to keep rechewing this issue which is exactly what Scott was trying
to avoid, but this again brings up the question of why there isn't a
category "sci.aviation".  A lot of the aviation/aeronautics stuff that
goes on in "sci.space" or "sci.space-shuttle" does not belong in there,
nor does it belong in "rec.aviation".  Pilots aren't necessarily familiar
with aeronautical engineering, nor are aeronautical engineers necessarily
too familiar with actual flying.  If this question has been answered
a million times before my time, nuke me.
 
Joakim Karlsson                               iceman @ pucc.Princeton.edu
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering '88      BITNET only: iceman @ pucc
Princeton University
                       "You can be my wingman anytime..."