pitch or angle of the blades. The 6 represents the distance the
propeller will move forward in one revolution, in this case 6”.
Re-Kitting Your Airplane - Changing your finished model back into a
kit, as a result of “stuffing it in.”
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.
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.
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.
Servo - The electro-mechanical device which moves the control
surfaces or throttle of the airplane according to commands from the
receiver. The radio device which does the physical work inside the
airplane.
Servo Output Horn - The removable arm or wheel which bolts to the
output shaft of a servo and connects to the pushrod.
Shot Down - A “hit” that results in a crash landing. Sometimes
caused by radios miles away.
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.
Also,
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).
Tachometer - An optical sensor designed specifically to count light
impulses through a turning propeller and read out the engine RPM.
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.
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.
Touch-And-Go - Landing and taking off without a pause. Often
confused with a good bounce.
Vertical Fin - The non-moving surface that is perpendicular to the
horizontal stabilizer and provides yaw stability. This is the surface to
which the rudder attaches.
Washout - An intentional twist in the wing, causing the wing tips to
have a lower angle of attack than the wing root. In other words, the
trailing edge is higher than the leading edge at the wing tips.
Washout helps prevent tip stalls.
Wheel Collar - A small, round retaining device used to keep wheels
from sliding off an axle.
Wing - The main lifting surface of an airplane.
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.
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-Bend - A simple Z-shaped bend in the wire end of a pushrod,
which is used to attach the pushrod to a servo output arm.
Z-Bend Pliers - An inexpensive plier type tool used for easily making
perfect Z-bends.
P.O. Box 9078
Champaign, IL
61826-9078
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