Air Adventures Terms

Below you will find user submited Terms and How-to information for Air Adventures. Tips are displayed based on reader popularity, so make sure to vote for your favorite Terms!

AILERONS
Hinged portions of the trailing edges of a wing which can change the wings lifting properties

AIRSPEED INDICATOR
An onboard instrument which registers velocity through the air, in miles per hour or in knots

ALTIMETER
An onboard instrument which senses air pressure in order to gauge altitude

ARTIFICIAL HORIZON
A vacuum powered instrument which displays pitch and roll movement about the lateral and longitudinal axes

CONTROL SURFACES
The moving, pilot-controllable parts of the air-frame, including flaps, ailerons, rudders and elevators

ELEVATOR
Hinged portion of the horizontal stabilizer, which adds or subtracts lift from the tail, changing the pitch attitude of the aircraft

FLAPS
Hinged portions of the wing that act together to increase the lift characteristics of the wing. Most often used to allow slower landings, and shorter takeoffs.

FUSELAGE
The central part of an aircraft, which besides being a common attachment point for other major components also contains the cockpit/cabin, avionics, and any cargo space

GEAR
Landing gear, the undercarriage and wheels of an aircraft

HORIZONTAL STABILIZER
The horizontal section of the tail, which provides downward lift to balance the weight of the nose

RUDDER
A hinged, movable section of the vertical stabilizer used to control the aircraft's yaw. Also used as a verb, meaning to angle the rudder in a particular direction

STICK
A control in the cockpit which controls the elevators (forward/back axis) and the ailerons (left/right axis)

TACHOMETER
An onboard instrument which gauges engine speed, in RPMs

THROTTLE
The control in the cockpit which controls engine output

TRANSPONDER
A receiver/transmitter which will generate a reply signal upon proper interrogation; the interrogation and reply being on different frequencies

VERTICAL STABILIZER
The vertical section of the tail, which helps keep the airplane aligned with its direction of motion

VSI (VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR)
An onboard instrument which gauges rate of climb or descent, in feet per minute