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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0101.PDF
FEBRUARY 20, 1909. AN ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN " FLIGHT." THERE are certain terms made use of in connection with flight and flying machines which are a little outside the ordinary conversational vocabulary and have no exact equivalent in automobilism. In France, as in England, many of these terms have been adopted in a purely arbitrary manner but have become established by common consent. For the benefit of our readers, we give the following brief list of the more important expressions ; and have included the corresponding French words where necessary. The English terms are those which obtain throughout the text of FLIGHT :— Aeroplane : Any motor - driven flying machine which relies upon surfaces for its support in the air. (Fr. Aero- plan. ) Monoplane: An aeroplane with one main pair of outstretched wings. (Fr. Monoplan.) Biplane : An aeroplane with two main planes superposed, i.e., double-decked. (Fr. Bi- plan.) Triplane: An aeroplane with three main planes super- posed. (Fr. Triplan.) (In any of the above, the use of supplementary small planes in the form of tails or keels, &c, does not affect the classification.) Double Monoplane : An aero - _ plane with two pairs of out- stretched wings, one pair behind the other. Triple Monoplane: An aeroplane with three pairs of out- stretched wings, arranged one behind the other. Stepped Monoplane: An aeroplane in which two or more pairs of wings are mounted fairly close behind one another, but at noticeably dif- ferent levels, like a row of steps. (Fr. En escalier.) Glider : A flying machine without a motor. Helicopter: A flying machine in which propellers are utilised to give a lifting effect by their own direct action on the air. The term is derived from two :••*• Greek words—helix = whirling, and pteron = a wing. '•;: Hence, literally, a whirling wing, or in mechanics a , screw-propeller. In aviation, the use of the term implies that the screw exerts a direct lift. (Fr. Hili- coptere.) Orthopter: A flapping wing machine which obtains a direct lifting effect by beating the air with flat or straight wings. The prefix (orthos) implies a regular or straight surface ; the suffix means " wing." (Fr. Orthop- ter e. ) Ornithopter: A flapping wing machine which has arched wings like those of a bird (ornithos). (Fr. Ornithop- ter e.) Wings: The pair of main out- stretched surfaces on a mono- plane. This term is usually confined to monoplanes as being more descriptive of the type. (Fr. Ailes.) Plane : Any surface. (Fr. J?lan.) The French employ the term les ailes to denote the main planes of multi-plane as well as monoplane flying machines. Tail: The plane or group of small planes at the rear end of the machine, utilised more for the purpose of con- ferring automatic stability than for giving support. (Fr. Empennage.) Cross-Tail: A tail formed by inter- secting vertical and horizontal planes. Rudder: The plane or planes which steer the machine sideways. (Fr. Gouvernail de direction.) Elevator: The plane or planes which, by being tilted or dipped, make the machine rise or fall. (Fr. Gouvernail de profondeur.) (The adjectives " double," " triple," " biplane," &c, ap- plied to rudders and elevators signifies that two or three similar planes are placed parallel to one another to form a complete unit.) Righting Tips: Little pivoted wings., vt/vf*^^ usually forming extensions of the main wings or planes, for the purpose of assisting in the maintenance of equilibrium, and also for steering, with or without the assistance of the rudder. When one tip dips the other tilts. (Fr. Ailerons.) Warping : The flexing or springing of a plane out of its normal shape. (Fr. Gauchis- sement des ailes.) It is understood to imply that the rear edges near the planes or extremities of wings are tilted and dipped, respectively, to create a temporary difference in their inclinations. This enables the wind to heel the machine back again into balance. Frame: In French, the term " chassis" is sometimes used, but more often the word "fuselage" on ac- count of the bodies of most monoplanes being spindle-shaped (fusiform). Half-Elliptic Frames: A frame of the fusiform type which has been curtailed at the middle. Keel: A vertical plane or planes arranged longitudinally either above or below the body 'for the purpose of giving stability. At present these are only to be observed in monoplanes. See Tail. (Fr. Quille.) Curtains: Vertical planes between horizontal planes, thus forming the structure into a kind of box-kite. These are often employed near the extremities of a bi- plane. Box-kite : Expression denoting a structure consisting of two hori- zontal planes joined by two side curtains. Multi-cellular: A structure virtually consisting of a row, or rows, of box- kites. WAn/ca WiN Fu»£u».c«e 103
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