Aviation USAFA

Aerodynamics

The study of air motion and how it interacts with aircraft.

Lift

The upward force generated by the wings that opposes weight.

Weight

The downward force due to gravity acting on an aircraft.

Thrust

The forward force produced by the aircraft's engine.

Drag

The backward force opposing thrust, caused by air resistance.

Bernoulli's Principle

As the speed of a fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.

Fuselage

The main body of the aircraft, housing the cockpit, passenger cabin, and cargo.

Empennage

The tail section of an aircraft, providing stability and control.

Landing Gear

The structure supporting the aircraft when on the ground.

Airspeed Indicator

An instrument measuring the speed of the aircraft through the air.

Altimeter

An instrument that measures the altitude of an aircraft above sea level.

Newton's First Law

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a force.

Second Law of Motion

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

Third Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Fighter Aircraft

Military aircraft designed for air-to-air combat.

Bomber Aircraft

Military aircraft designed to drop bombs on ground targets.

Transport Aircraft

Military aircraft used to carry troops and cargo.

Reconnaissance Aircraft

Military aircraft used for gathering intelligence.

Electronic Warfare

Military tactics that involve disrupting enemy communications and radar.

Stealth Technology

Technology that reduces an aircraft's visibility to radar.

Precision-Guided Munitions

Weapons that can accurately hit targets using advanced guidance systems.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Remotely controlled aircraft used for various missions.

Attitude Indicator

Instrument that displays the aircraft's orientation relative to the horizon.

Turn Coordinator

An instrument that shows the rate and coordination of turns.

Lift Coefficient (C_L)

A dimensionless coefficient representing the lift generated by an airfoil.

Drag Coefficient (C_D)

A dimensionless coefficient representing the drag produced by an object's shape in fluid.

Angle of Attack

The angle between the wing's chord line and the relative wind.

Chord Line

An imaginary straight line from the leading edge to the trailing edge of an airfoil.

Adverse Yaw

Yawing moment opposite to the direction of aileron roll, caused by increased drag on the upward-moving wing.

Dihedral

The upward angle of an aircraft's wings from the fuselage, providing lateral stability.

Sweepback

The angle at which the wings are swept back from the root to the tip, improving high-speed performance.

Stall

A condition where the angle of attack exceeds the critical angle, causing a sudden loss of lift.

Boundary Layer

The thin layer of air next to the aircraft's surface, where air slows down due to friction.

Laminar Flow

Smooth, streamline airflow, typically found at the front of an airfoil.

Turbulent Flow

Irregular, chaotic airflow, often found towards the rear of an airfoil or at high angles of attack.

Parasite Drag

Drag caused by components that don't create lift, such as the fuselage, landing gear, and antennas.

Induced Drag

Drag created as a byproduct of lift generation, strongest at low speeds and high angles of attack.

Critical Angle of Attack

The angle of attack at which the stall occurs, resulting in a significant reduction in lift.

Flaps

Hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of the wing, used to increase lift at lower speeds.

Slats

Leading edge devices that increase lift and delay stall by improving airflow over the wing.

Spoilers

Devices on the upper surface of the wing that disrupt airflow and reduce lift, used for roll control and to decrease lift during landing.

Ailerons

Hinged control surfaces on the trailing edge of the wings, used to control roll.

Elevator

A control surface on the empennage that controls pitch.

Rudder

A control surface on the empennage that controls yaw.

Trim Tabs

Small, adjustable surfaces on the control surfaces that reduce the force required to maintain a desired attitude.

Vertical Stabilizer

The vertical

Vertical Stabilizer

The vertical fin of the empennage, providing directional stability.

Horizontal Stabilizer

The horizontal fin of the empennage, providing pitch stability.

Elevons

Control surfaces that combine the functions of elevators and ailerons, commonly used on delta wing aircraft.

Leading Edge

The foremost edge of the wing that first encounters airflow.

Trailing Edge

The rearmost edge of the wing where airflow rejoins after passing over the airfoil.

Winglets

Small, vertical fins attached to the wingtips to reduce induced drag.

Vortex Generators

Small vanes or ridges on the wing surface that energize the boundary layer to delay flow separation and improve stall characteristics.

Canard

A small, wing-like surface located forward of the main wing to provide pitch control and improve lift.

Delta Wing

A triangular wing shape that provides high-speed performance and maneuverability.

Swept Wing

A wing that is angled backward from the root to the tip, reducing drag at high speeds.

High-Lift Devices

Components such as flaps and slats used to increase lift during takeoff and landing.

Control Column

The primary control in the cockpit used to manipulate the ailerons and elevators.

Rudder Pedals

Foot-operated controls used to manipulate the rudder.

Throttle

A control that regulates the engine power and thrust.

Yaw Damper

An automatic control system that reduces unwanted yaw oscillations.

Mach Number

The ratio of an object's speed to the speed of sound.

Subsonic

Speeds below the speed of sound (Mach 1).

Transonic

Speeds around the speed of sound (Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.2).

Supersonic

Speeds above the speed of sound (Mach 1).

Hypersonic

Speeds significantly above the speed of sound (Mach 5 or higher).

Icing Types

Types of icing that include clear, rime, and mixed ice.

Anti-Icing and De-Icing Systems

Heated surfaces, inflatable boots, and chemical treatments used to prevent or remove ice buildup.

Ground Effect

An increase in lift coefficient and decrease in stall speed due to ground effect when close to the runway during landing or takeoff.

Landing Distance

The distance an aircraft travels from touchdown to a complete stop.

Takeoff Distance

The distance required for an aircraft to become airborne.

Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW)

The maximum weight at which an aircraft is permitted to takeoff.

Maximum Landing Weight (MLW)

The maximum weight at which an aircraft is permitted to land.

Load Factor

A maneuverability metric indicating the ratio of lift generated by an aircraft to its weight.

Yaw

Angular displacement of an aircraft about its vertical axis.

Roll

Angular displacement of an aircraft about its longitudinal axis.

Pitch

Angular displacement of an aircraft about its lateral axis.

Resonance

A condition in which the frequency of an external force matches a natural frequency of an object, causing it to vibrate with increased amplitude.

Aerospace Engineering

The science and technology of designing and building aircraft or spacecraft.

Flight Envelope

A depiction of the relationships between altitude, airspeed, and angle of attack during flight.

Stability

The ability of an aircraft to return to its original position after being disturbed.

Controllability

The ease with which an aircraft can be controlled and maneuvered.

Acoustic Engineering

Study of noise and vibration reduction in aircraft design.

Composite Materials Technology

The use of composite materials such as carbon fiber to reduce weight and increase strength.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

The use of computer simulations to test and optimize aircraft designs.

Green Aviation

The process of designing aircraft to minimize environmental impact, including noise and emissions.