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RC Terminology
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| A |  |
ABL - Advanced Bimetallic Liner. Specialized form of ABN. Instead of a single-step, single-material plating, the ABL Plating process is based on a layered approach made possible by two OS-developed hard-nickel alloys. The first alloy is used as the bottom (bonding) layer, to fuse the top layer to the brass liner. The second alloy, developed for superior hardness, forms the top layer. Together, they create a barrier that protects the liner against excessive heat and wear.
ABN - Aluminum-Brass-Nickel. The components used in the production of non-ringed engines. These engines use an aluminum piston, and a nickel plated brass sleeve. The engine is harder to turn over and start due to the tight fit between the piston and cylinder. This tight fit is what makes the engine more efficient, and powerful. ABN engines must be run in for best performance.
ABS Plastic - Acetyl Butyl Styrene. A type of plastic that can be thermo-formed.
Accelerated Stalls - Occurs above the usual power-off stall speed when too much elevator control is input too quickly. This type of stall is usually far more violent than a wings-level, power-off stall. However, an airplane can be stalled at any speed if too much elevator is applied to fast.
Adjustable Travel Volume (ATV) - ATV allows you to preset the maximum travel of a servo to either side from its neutral position. Such settings help tailor control action to suit your flying or driving style.
Adverse Yaw - The tendency of an airplane to yaw in the opposite direction of the roll. For instance, when right aileron is applied, the airplane yaws to the left, thus opposing the turn. Adverse yaw is common in trainer type airplanes having flat bottom wings. It is most noticeable at slow speeds and high angles of attack, such as during takeoffs and when stretching a landing approach. Caused by the unequal drag of the upward and downward deflection of the ailerons, this undesirable trait can be minimized by setting up the ailerons with Differential Throw or by coordinating the turns, using the aileron and rudder controls simultaneously. (See Differential Throw.)
Aero-elastic flutter (propeller) - is speculated to be a dominant mechanism causing rapid fatigue failure near a tip when insufficient or destabilizing tip stiffness exists. The interaction between variable loading and deflection induces a high frequency vibration with unpredictable magnitude.
Aft - Towards the rear. Used such as: "...with an aft center of gravity....".
After Run Oil - A lubricant designed to displace unburned fuel in the engine after running. The fuel can accelerate corrosion on some engine parts. By using an after run oil, the fuel is displaced, and a protective coating lines sensitive engine parts. This is an inexpensive engine insurance, and promotes long engine life. Marvel Mystery Air tool Oil is one of the best.
Ailerons - Hinged control surfaces located on the trailing edge of the wing, one on each side, which provide control of the airplane about the roll axis. The control direction is often confusing to first time modelers. For a right roll or turn, the right hand aileron is moved upward and the left hand aileron downward, and vice versa for a left roll or turn.
Aileron Differential - Adverse yaw, especially on flat-bottom wings, is caused by the difference in airflow density between the bottom and top of the wing. The airflow along the wing’s bottom is denser than it is over the top of the wing. Therefore, the aileron moving down into this denser air creates more drag than the “up” aileron moving into the less dense airflow on top of the wing. The greater drag on just one side of the wing, the side with the down aileron, forces the wing, and the attached fuselage, to yaw in that direction. At slow airspeeds this yawing effect is more powerful, and happens faster, than the rolling effect caused by the ailerons. The airplane’s nose first swings away from the turn’s intended direction and only then begins to turn correctly once the roll begins.
Ailevators - Twin elevator servos plugged into separate channels used to control elevator with the option to also have the 2 elevator servos act as ailerons in conjunction with the primary ailerons.
Airfoil - The shape of the wing when looking at its profile. Usually a raindrop type shape.
AMA - The Academy Of Model Aeronautics . The official national body for model aviation in the United States. AMA sanctions more than a thousand model competitions throughout the country each year, and certifies official model flying records on a national and international level.
Angle of Attack - The angle that the wing penetrates the air. As the angle of attack increases so does lift and drag, up to a point.
Anhedral - is the opposite of dihedral, having the wing tip centerline lower than the wing root centerline. Anhedral is generally used to aid in the instability of an aircraft to make it more aerobatic.
ARF - A prefabricated model - Almost Ready to Fly.
Aspect Ratio - The wingspan divided by the chord. Aspect ratio is important where a wing's efficiency is concerned. A short aspect ratio (short wings) is better for maneuvering, since it allows a high roll rate. Short wings are also stronger than long wings. Gliders use high-aspect ratio wings (long, skinny wings) because they are more efficient for soaring flight. Example: 10 ft. wingspan with a 1 ft. chord has an aspect ratio of 10.
ATV - Adjustable Travel Volume. Used on many radio transmitters to limit, or extend, maximum throw of a servo. ATV can indicate having a single adjustment which affects both ends of the servo (known as AST) or one adjustment for each end of the servo throw (known as EPA).
Axial Roll - This type of roll is one where the aircraft’s fuselage remains exactly on the line of flight while the wings roll about it. Except for a very few jet fighters at high speed (the F-5 for one), no full size aircraft can perform a true axial roll. Most aircraft, especially trainers, roll about the line of flight, called a Barrel Roll.
| B | |
Ball Link - Connection using a ball, and a link which rotates on the ball. Used to connect the servo to a control surface or lever.
Bank - This is a measure of how far from level flight a plane’s wings are set during a turn of maneuver. It is measured in degrees of angle from level flight.
Battery Eliminator Circuitry (BEC) - A circuit that eliminates the need for a receiver battery, usually in electric R/C cars and boats.
BB - These letters usually designate a ball-bearing supported crankshaft in an R/C engine. This makes the engine run smoother and last longer.
Binding - occurs when the friction at a joint is stronger than the linkage.
Buddy Box - Two similar transmitters that are wired together with a "trainer cord." This is most useful when learning to fly -- it's the same as having dual controls. The instructor can take control by using the "trainer switch" on his transmitter.
Bulkhead - a vertical former inside a fuselage.
Boring Holes in the Sky - Having fun flying an R/C airplane, without any predetermined flight pattern.
| C | |
Cabane - A strut attaching a wing to the fuselage when the wing is above the fuselage such as biplanes and parasol aircraft.
Canard - An aircraft having the horizontal stabilizer forward of the main wing rather than in the conventional position behind it. Canard aircraft are theoretically more efficient because both the horizontal stabilizer and the wing provide upward lift. The horizontal stabilizer of a conventional aircraft provides downward lift to stabilize the aircraft resulting in an overall decrease of the aircraft's total lift.
Carburetor - The part of the engine which controls the speed or throttle setting and lean/rich mixture via setting of the needle valve.
CG ("Center of Gravity") - For modeling purposes, this is usually considered -- the point at which the airplane balances fore to aft. This point is critical in regards to how the airplane reacts in the air. A tail-heavy plane will be very snappy but generally very unstable and susceptible to more frequent stalls. If the airplane is nose heavy, it will tend to track better and be less sensitive to control inputs, but, will generally drop its nose when the throttle is reduced to idle. This makes the plane more difficult to land since it takes more effort to hold the nose up. A nose heavy airplane will have to come in faster to land safely.
Charge Jack - The plug receptacle of the switch harness into which the charger is plugged to charge the airborne battery. An expanded scale voltmeter (ESV) can also be plugged into it to check battery voltage between flights. It is advisable to mount the charge jack in an accessible area of the fuselage so an ESV can be used without removing the wing.
Charger - Device used to recharge batteries, usually supplied with the radio if NiCd batteries are included.
Chicken Stick - A hand-held stick used to "flip start" a model airplane engine.
Clevis - The Clevis is a small fastener at the end of a pushrod, usually made from nylon or metal, which connects the pushrod to the control horn. Clevises may frequently be referred to as links.
Clunk - A weighted fuel pick-up used in a fuel tank to assure the intake line is always in fuel.
Control linkage - any linkage transmitting servo movement to a control surface.
Control surface - a movable surface such as elevator, rudder and aileron.
Conventional Tail - A Conventional Tail is one with the stabilizer mounted directly on the fuselage and is the usual configuration of an aircraft. These are the simplest to construct and seem to be most popular.
Covering - The covering of an aircraft is the skin which is applied to the airframe, closing it in. On R/C aircraft it is commonly a fabric or plastic film which is heat applied with an iron. Plastic covering, once applied, gives a durable, shiny finish and requires no further treatment. Fabric covering usually requires a layer of paint to finish it and make it resistant to the exhaust of the engine. Covering materials come on a roll and in many different colors and may be cut to rough shape before being ironed onto the airframe.
Crab - When an aircraft flies at a sideways angle relative to the direction being traveled. Can be caused by a crosswind or may be flown intentionally to reduce altitude without increasing forward airspeed while on landing approach.
| D | |
Decalage - The angular difference of the wing incidence and the horizontal stabilizer incidence.
Delta Wing - Delta Wing aircraft have one large wing with a sharply swept leading edge and a strait trailing edge. The result is a wing that looks like the Greek letter Delta. There is usually no horizontal stabilizer with conventional elevators. Delta Wing aircraft use their ailerons for both pitch and roll control.
Detonation or (pre-ignition) - A potentially engine-damaging condition in which part of the fuel/air mixture ignites before the piston is at top dead center (TDC). Pre-ignition is a result of poor ignition timing and can be heard as 'engine knock'. In nitro engines, the proper combination of glow plug and nitro content will prevent this.
Differential Throw - Ailerons that are set up to deflect more in the upward direction than downward are said to have Differential Throw. The purpose is to counteract Adverse Yaw.
Dihedral - The V-shaped bend in the wing. Typically, more dihedral causes more aerodynamic stability in an airplane, and causes the rudder to control both the roll and yaw axis. This is why some trainers and sailplanes require only 3 channels of radio control--i.e., having no ailerons.
Direct Servo Control (DSC) - This radio feature permits you to check servo operation without broadcasting a radio signal. A cable connects the transmitter to the receiver. Direct servo control is very useful for on-the-ground control checks.
Ding - Minor dent or damage to the structure. Also, a nick in a prop. Dinged props must be replaced.
Down Thrust - Downward angle of the engine relative to the centerline of the airplane. Down thrust helps overcome the normal climbing tendency of flat bottom wings.
Drag - air resistance that slows the model.
Dual conversion - A dual conversion receiver filters the incoming radio signal from the transmitter through two separate and distinct electronic filters. This “double filtering” helps the receiver to ignore unwanted signals that are close to the frequency being used. This is NOT protection against another transmitter sending a signal on the SAME frequency. Instead, it is protection against other transmitters transmitting on frequencies that are close to the one being used.
| E | |
Electronic Speed Control (ESC) - Electronic speed controls replace the mechanical speed control and servo providing enhanced power efficiency and precision in an electric R/C car or boat. In addition, they are lighter which improves the performance of some electric models.
Elevator - Hinged control surface located at the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer, which provides control of the airplane about the pitch axis and causes the airplane to climb or dive. The correct direction of control is to pull the transmitter elevator control stick back, toward the bottom of the transmitter, to move the elevator upward, which causes the airplane to climb, and vice versa to dive.
Empennage - The vertical and horizontal tail surfaces of an airplane.
Endpoint Adjustment - This radio feature adjusts the length of servo travel in one direction (a single channel will have adjustments for two endpoints). If your plane rolls faster one way than the other, endpoint adjustments can correct the problem.
Epoxy - A two-part resin/hardener glue that is extremely strong. It is generally available in 6 and 30-minute formulas. Used for critical points in the aircraft where high strength is necessary.
Expanded Scale Voltmeter (ESV) - Device used to read the battery voltage of the on-board battery pack or transmitter battery pack.
Exponential - This radio function allows the modeler to adjust the sensitivity of the control towards the center. This will make the small stick motions very precise, while longer stick movement moves the servo arm at a proportional rate.
EZ Connector - A Dubro product name generically used to describe a fitting that is attached to a control horn or servo arm by means of a pin and a snap connector. A wire or cable pushrod slides through a hole in the connector and is secured by means of a set screw. (personally, I prefer the good ol' z bend)
| F | |
Field Charger - A fast battery charger designed to work from a 12-volt power source, such as a car battery.
Flaps - Hinged control surface located at the trailing edge of the wing inboard of the ailerons. The flaps are lowered to produce more aerodynamic lift from the wing, allowing a slower takeoff and landing speed. Flaps are often found on scale models, but usually not on basic trainers.
Flare - The point during the landing approach in which the pilot gives an increased amount of up elevator to smooth the touchdown of the airplane.
Flight Box - A special box used to hold and transport all equipment used at the flying field.
Flight Pack (or Airborne pack) - All of the radio equipment installed in the airplane, i.e., Receiver, Servos, Battery , Switch Harness.
Flutter - A phenomenon whereby the elevator or aileron control surface begins to oscillate violently in flight. This can sometimes cause the surface to break away from the aircraft and cause a crash. There are many reasons for this, but the most common are excessive hinge gap or excessive "slop" in the pushrod connections and control horns. If you ever hear a low-pitched buzzing sound, reduce throttle and land immediately.
Four Stroke (Four Cycle) - Although a 4-stroke engine has less power than a 2-stroke engine of comparable size, there are advantages to 4-stroke engines. They do not require a muffler and are often quieter than most 2-strokes are with a muffler. They can swing a bigger prop than the same size 2-stroke engine. This is an asset in the large, slow-flying aerobatic and scale models where 4-stroke engines are usually mounted. Lastly, the fuel economy is better.
Frequency Control - The FCC has allowed the 72MHz band to be used for R/C aircraft operations. This band is divided up into many different channels in which you can choose a radio system. You should be aware that certain areas have frequencies in which there is pager interference. This is why it is always a wise move to check with your local hobby shop to find out any channels that may be troublesome in the area you wish to fly.
Frequency Module - A frequency module plugs into the transmitter and enables you to change the channel number your radio broadcasts on.
Fuel Overflow Line (Vent) - The fuel line is either open to atmospheric pressure or attaches to the muffler pressure nipple to pressurize the fuel tank for better fuel flow to the engine. This is the line through which the fuel will overflow when the tank is full.
Fuel Pick Up-Line - The fuel line in the fuel tank through which fuel travels to the carburetor. Typically a flexible tube with a weight or "Clunk" on the end which allows it to follow the fuel with changes in aircraft attitude. This is the line through which the tank is filled.
Fuselage - The body of an airplane.
| G | |
Glitch - Momentary radio problem that never happens unless you are over trees or a swamp.
Glow Plug - The heat source for igniting the fuel/air mixture in the engine. When starting the engine a battery is used to heat the filament. After the engine is running, the battery can be removed. The wire filament inside the plug is kept hot by the "explosions" in the engine's cylinder. (See next heading and "Idle Bar" Plug.)
Glow Plug Clip/Battery - A 1.2-volt battery, which is connected to the glow plug on a model airplane engine for starting. The battery is removed once the engine is running steadily.
Grease-In - A very smooth, gentle landing without a hint of a bounce.
Ground Effect The cushion of air that the model rides on when close to the ground. This will decrease the amount of elevator needed to maintain a constant altitude when near the ground/landing.
| H | |
Hit (or to be hit) - Sudden radio interference which causes your model to fly in an erratic manner. Most often caused by someone turning on a radio that is on your frequency, but can be caused by other radio sources miles away.
Horizontal Stabilizer - The horizontal tail surface at the back of the fuselage which provides aerodynamic pitch stability to the airplane.
| I | |
Incidence - Angle of the airfoil's centerline to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Positive incidence indicates that the center of the leading edge is higher than the center of the trailing edge. Negative incidence indicates that the center of the leading edge of the wing is lower than the center of the trailing edge of the wing.
| J | |
| K | |
| L | |
Lateral Balance - The left-right or side-to-side balance of an airplane. An airplane that is laterally balanced will track better through loops and other maneuvers.
Leading Edge (LE) - The very front edge of the wing or stabilizer. This is the edge that hits the air first.
Lean - Refers to carburetor setting. When an engine is run too lean it will overheat, causing damage, and likely an in flight engine failure. Tuning a carburetor is best accomplished by starting rich, and working gradually to the condition which produces maximum power, while allowing a small amount of unburned fuel mixture to lubricate and cool the engine.
Lift - the aerodynamic force generated by air flowing around an airfoil that is equal to or greater than the weight of the aircraft and acts opposite to the force of gravity.
Longeron - A load-bearing, fore to aft structural member of a fuselage.
| M | |
mAh (Milliamp Hour) - A measure of a battery's total capacity. The higher the number (ex. 600 mAh, 1,500 mAh) the more charge a battery can hold and usually, the longer a battery will last under a certain load. Typical rechargeable receiver battery packs are in the 500-600 mAh range. Typical R/C car motor batteries are in the 1,200 - 1,500 mAh range.
Mixing (Coupling) - Two radio control channels can be coupled together so that they move together when only one control channel is activated. Many 1/4 scale models require a combination of aileron and rudder to turn. Mixing does this electronically at the transmitter. V-tailed models, where the two halves of the V-tail must move not only together but independently, are another use of control mixing.
Moment (nose moment, tail moment) - refers to a distance on a model forward or aft of the balance point.
Moment Arm - The distance between where a force is applied and the Center of Gravity. The distance from the Elevator hinge line to the Center of Gravity is the Pitch Moment Arm.
Muffler - A device attached to the exhaust stack of the engine to reduce noise and increase back pressure which helps low speed performance. Note: Most R/C Clubs require the use of mufflers.
Muffler Baffle - A restrictor plate inside the muffler which reduces engine noise. This plate can be removed to increase power, but only if there are no noise restrictions where you fly.
| N | |
NiCd - Nickel Cadmium battery. Rechargeable batteries which are typically used as power for radio transmitters and receivers.
Nitro - Nitromethane, a fuel additive which increases a model engine's ability to idle low and improves high speed performance. Ideal nitro content varies from engine to engine. Refer to the engine manufacturer's instructions for best results. Nitro content in fuel is indicated by the percent of the fuel.
NiCd Starter - A self-contained battery and glow plug clip, used when starting the engine. (See Glow Plug Clip.)
| O | |
Over-control - excessive control inputs that overcompensate for unwanted model movement.
| P | |
Pitch Axis - The airplane axis controlled by the elevator. Pitch is illustrated by holding the airplane at each wingtip. Raising or lowering the nose is the pitch movement. This is how the climb or dive is controlled.
Power Panel - 12-volt distribution panel that provides correct voltage for accessories like glow-plug clips, fuel pumps and electric starters. Usually mounted on a field box and connected to a 12-volt battery.
Programmable or Computer Radios - These high-tech radios are not inexpensive but allow a full set of programmable transmitter features like multiple plane memory, preprogrammed maneuvers (rolls, loops, etc. at the touch of one button) and much more.
Prop Pitch - Props are designated by these two numbers, for instance 10 - 6. The first number is the prop's length, 10". The second number is the pitch or angle of the blades. The 6 represents the distance the propeller will move forward in one revolution, in this case 6".
| Q | |
| R | |
Receiver (Rx) - The radio unit in the airplane which receives the transmitter signal and relays the control to the servos. This is somewhat similar to the radio you may have in your family automobile, except the radio in the airplane perceives commands from the transmitter, while the radio in your car perceives music from the radio station.
Resonance: This is the vibration frequency of a rotating or moving object. When the resonance of many parts of a machine are in synch, the whole machine will vibrate at a greater rate. This can cause vibration damage. Resonance can cause difficulties in an aircraft, particularly when using a vibration mount with an improperly balanced propeller/spinner wherein the engine is vibrating at one frequency and the propeller at another. Rib: the internal, vertical portion of the wing that gives it an airfoil-shaped contour.
Rich - This refers to the air/fuel mixture on an internal combustion engine. A "rich" mixture means that there is not enough air compared to the amount of fuel entering the combustion chamber. If you are not careful, this condition can lead to hydro lock.
Roll Coupling - Applying rudder alone can cause the aircraft to bank into a turn without aileron input. The ability of the rudder to perform a banked turn is called roll coupling since the rudder input also induces the roll into the bank. Roll coupling is caused by wing dihedral, (the upward bend in the wing), and rudder placement. The higher the rudder is above the wing and fuselage, the greater its roll coupling effect. Roll coupling in performance aerobatic aircraft is not a good thing as it makes certain maneuvers, like a slow roll or stall turn, very difficult. But it is good in an aerobatic trainer as it teaches the pilot how to coordinate rudder and aileron.
Roll Axis - The airplane axis controlled by the ailerons. Roll is illustrated by holding the airplane by the nose and tail. Dropping either wingtip is the roll movement. This is used to bank or turn the airplane. Many aircraft are not equipped with ailerons and the Roll and Yaw motions are controlled by the rudder. This is one reason why most trainer aircraft have a larger amount of dihedral.
RTF - Ready-to-Fly. Some newer airplanes are now available as RTF models. These planes usually come with everything needed for flight--plane, radio system, engine and all hardware. The really nice thing about an RTF is that it will almost always be completely pre-built with only a few minor construction steps left for the modeler. If you want to fly and want to fly now, RTF is the way to go.
Rudder - Hinged control surface located at the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer, which provides control of the airplane about the Yaw axis and causes the airplane to Yaw left or right. Left rudder movement causes the airplane to Yaw left, and right rudder movement causes it to Yaw right.
| S | |
Servo Output Arm - The removable arm or wheel which bolts to the output shaft of a servo and connects to the pushrod.
Servo Reversing - This radio feature allows you to install the servos where they can give the best pushrod routing without concern about the direction of servo rotation. When your installation is complete, turn on your radio and check each channel. If a channel operates opposite of its intended direction, a simple flick of a switch corrects the problem.
Shot Down - A "hit" that results in a crash landing. Sometimes caused by radios miles away.
Slip - A maneuver where the airplane's controls are used to make the fuselage fly at an angle to the line of flight. This causes a tremendous increase in drag, and allows an airplane without landing flaps to increase its angle of descent without picking up a lot of speed.
Slop - Unwanted, excessive free movement in a control system. Often caused by a hole in a servo arm or control horn that is too big for the pushrod wire or clevis pin. This condition allows the control surface to move without transmitter stick movement. (See Flutter.)
Solo - Your first totally unassisted flight that results in a controlled landing.
Spinner - The nose cone which covers the hub of the propeller.
Sport Airplane - A model which possesses some attributes of many of the specialty airplanes and are best for general flying as they are the most versatile and durable.
Stall - What happens when the angle of attack is too great to generate lift regardless of airspeed. (Every airfoil has an angle of attack at which it generates maximum lift -- the airfoil will stall beyond this angle).
| T | |
Tail Dragger - This refers to the landing gear configuration where the main landing gear with two wheels is placed forward of the center of gravity and one small wheel, called a “tail wheel”, is mounted under the tail of the aircraft.
Tip Stall - The outboard end of one wing (the tip) stops developing lift, causing the plane to roll suddenly in the direction of the stalled wing. This situation is not fun when you are only a few feet off the runway trying to land.
Trainer Airplane - A model designed to be inherently stable and fly at low speeds, to give first-time modelers time to think and react as they learn to fly.
Trainer System - This effective method of training allows two transmitters to be connected by means of a trainer cord. The instructor can pass control over to the student's transmitter so that he can fly. If the student gets into trouble, the instructor can regain control instantly.
Trailing Edge (TE) - The rearmost edge of the wing or stabilizer.
Transmitter (Tx) - The hand-held radio controller. This is the unit that sends out the commands that you input.
Tricycle Landing Gear - refers to the landing gear configuration with a single steerable nose wheel mounted in front of the center of gravity, and a set of main landing gear with two wheels positioned just behind the center of gravity. Tricycle landing gear is usually a little easier to use when learning.
T-tai l- refers to a stabilizer that is mounted on top of the fin. This brings the stabilizer away from the turbulent air-flow of the wing and makes pitch control more responsive. It also gets the stabilizer out of harms way when landing on rough terrain. The T-tail construction is usually more fragile than the conventional tail, though, and are more difficult to build.
Trim - the adjustment of a model's control surfaces to obtain a stable and balanced flight performance.
Touch-And-Go - Landing and taking off without a pause. Often confused with a good bounce.
| U | |
| V | |
| W | |
Weathervane - An aircrafts natural tendency to turn into the wind.
Wheel Collar - A small, round retaining device used to keep wheels from sliding off an axle.
Wind Sock - A tubular flag like device that shows the direction of wind movement. Wind speed may also be approximated by the angle at which the sock hangs. Used by pilots to aid with takeoff, landing, and flight patterns.
Wing - The main lifting surface of an airplane.
Wing chord (chord) - the distance measured horizontally between the wing's LE and TE.
Wing Loading - This is the amount of weight per square foot that has to be overcome to provide lift. It is normally expressed in ounces per square foot. This specification can be easily calculated as follows: If you know the square inches of the wing, simply divide by 144 to obtain square feet. Divide the total weight (in ounces) of the airplane by the wing area (in square feet). This information is valuable when deciding on which airplane to build next. Planes with high wing loading numbers must fly faster to stay in the air. These are generally "performance" airplanes. Conversely, planes with lower numbers do not need as much air flowing around the wing to keep it flying. Gliders and trainer airplanes fall into this category because slow, efficient flight is desirable.
Wing Root - The centerline of the wing, where the left and right wing panels are joined.
| X | |
| Y | |
Yaw Axis - The airplane axis controlled by the rudder. Yaw is illustrated by hanging the airplane level by a wire located at the center of gravity. Left or right movement of the nose is the Yaw movement.
| Z | |
Z-Bend Pliers - An inexpensive plier type tool used for easily making perfect Z-bends
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