Innovative and disruptive technologies

Vocabulary list - Technical english

circumference

The distance around the boundary of a circular shape, or the perimeter of a circle.

pressurization

The building up of pressure.

fuselage

The body of a plane.

conventional

Traditional.

freighter

A vessel (ship or plane) designed to transport goods.

cargo handling

The process of efficiently and safely moving goods from one point to another.

spanwise

From the edge of one wing to the other, along the span.

lengthwise

Along the length of something.

better suited for

More appropriate to distribute loads.

dissipate

Equally transfer loads.

greater payload

The useful load or content carried by a vehicle.

anticlockwise, counterclockwise

The opposite direction to which the hands of a clock move.

calibrate

To standardize a measuring instrument, check its accuracy, and adjust it if necessary.

comply with the standards

Follow/go by the common, accepted rules or measurements.

deviation

The amount by which a single measurement differs from a fixed value.

become obsolete

Is no longer in use / no longer useful and therefore unnecessary.

portable

Handheld, possible to be carried along.

a paying proposition

Something worthwhile and profitable, with a high return on investment.

airframe

Fuselage + wings (the basic structure of an airplane).

aircraft powerplant

Aircraft engine.

masterpiece

An exceptionally well-designed, innovative or high-performance product.

afterburners

They are used for injecting additional fuel to boost thrust (e.g. in supersonic flights).

shutdown

Suspension of operations.

a lack of …

A shortage of …, missing … .

fundamental

Essential, basic.

Mach 1 (1235 km/h)

Speed of sound.

fabricate

Manufacture, produce, assemble.

a quantum leap in …

A huge step forward.

novel

New.

certifiable

Formally verified and validated by a recognized authority, ensuring compliance with specific standards and regulations.

acceptable tolerance

The permissible difference between the maximum and minimum dimensions of errors (that is, the still possible deviations from the accurate values).

rapid prototyping

The fast fabrication of a new product part or a new model using 3D computer-aided design (CAD).

reverse engineering

The process of analyzing the design details of a (usually) complex structure with the help of computer technology to produce something similar or nearly identical.

sonic boom

A loud, thunderclap-like sound generated by an object (usually an aircraft) exceeding the speed of sound.

frictional heat

Heat generated as a result of friction between two surfaces in contact, converting some mechanical energy into thermal energy.

off-the-shelf … (e.g. engines) (OTS)

Components that are ready-made and available for sale, they are in stock.

drag reduction

Decreasing the resistance force experienced by an object moving through a fluid (like air or water).

seat mile cost

The cost of operating a seat, whether or not it is actually occupied, to calculate operational efficiency.