| 2.4GHz |
The
most popular frequency band of today, interference-free
'spread spectrum' digital rc systems. Frequency is
usually assigned by the transmitter with a UFID (Unique
Frequency ID) |
| 3D |
a
complex form of aerobatic flying, usually with more
than one maneuver being performed simultaneously.
3D airplanes have over-sized control surfaces, exaggerated
control surface deflection and excess power for maximum
performance and sensitivity. |
| AILERONS |
the
moving section of the trailing edge of the wing, located
towards the outer end or they can be the whole length
of the TE. Ailerons come in pairs, (left and right)
and always work in opposite directions to each other
(one up, one down). When used, they cause the airplane
to roll to the left or right. More details here. |
| AOA |
"Angle-Of-Attack"
: The angle measured between the chord of an airfoil
and a line representing the undisturbed relative airflow.
It is also angle of the wing (when viewed from the
end) in relation to the horizontal airflow when the
airplane is flying. Nothing to do with your incoming
trajectory when trying to cut the tail off your friend's
model in aerial combat games. |
| ARF
|
"Almost-Ready-To-Fly":
An airplane model that comes almost completely assembled
and finished. Usually without electronics but with
hardwares and Plane Kit only. |
| BUDDY
BOX |
When
two transmitters are wired together using a trainer
cord. This procedure is good when learning to fly,
because if you get into trouble while flying, the
instructor can fly the plane using his controls. |
| CA |
"Cyanoacrylate"
: An adhesive that will cure rapidly. Used mainly
for kit modeling. Liquid Form. |
| CG |
"Center
of Gravity" : The model's balance point. usually
1/3rd from the main wing leading edge measured near
the chord. |
| CLEVIS |
A
clip at the ends of the control linkage to clip onto
the control surfaces of either Servo Horn Control
Horn |
| CONTROL
LINKAGE |
Servo
movement is transmitted through this linkage to the
control surface. Usually comes in Steel Wires or carbon
rods with clevis or Z-bend. |
| CONTROL
SURFACES |
Movable
surfaces like the rudder, aileron, flaps and elevator.
|
| Conventional
Landing Gear |
Tail
dragger configuration. Airplane has two main gears
up front and one gear in the. |
| DEAD
STICK |
A
term used to shout across to warn others of stalled
engine inflight to stay clear for emergency landing. |
| Dihedral |
When viewing the model from the front, you will notice
an upward sweep of the wings. It is this upward sweep
that gives the airplane its added stability. |
| Drag |
The opposing force placed on an object as it moves
through the air. |
| DSM
/ DSM2 |
a
type of technology developed by Spektrum for their
spread spectrum 2.4GHz rc systems. Stands for Digital
Spectrum Modulation, the '2' just being the newer
updated version of the original. |
| Elevator |
That part of an airplane that controls up and down
pitch movement. |
| EDF |
Electric Ducted Fan for scale JET model Kits |
| Elevon |
A control surface on an airplane that combines the
functions of an elevator and an aileron. |
| ESC |
Electronic
Speed Control (ESC) - Controls the motor RPM / Speed |
| FLAPS |
Moving
sections of the trailing edge of the wing, usually
found between the ailerons and fuselage. Used to create
more lift at slower flying speeds and also to slow
the plane on landing approach, flaps are usually only
found on rc airplanes with 5 or more channels. |
| HORIZONTAL
STABILIZER |
also
called the tailplane. The horizontal surface at the
back of the fuselage, to which the elevators are attached. |
| IDLE-UP |
A
function on the Radio to fix the throttle speed and
maintain the motor RPM on the throttle stick while
the throttle stick still able to move to change the
pitch (usually for RC Heli) |
| INRUNNER |
A
type of brushless motor where the permanent magnets
and motor shaft rotates within the fixed stator, as
in a normal brushed motor. Inrunners don't provide
a lot of torque so usually need to be geared. |
| KV |
Unit
measurement for Motor's RPM, measured against volt. |
| MODE
1 |
left
stick operates elevator & rudder, right stick operates
throttle & ailerons. |
| MODE
2 |
left
stick operates throttle & rudder, right stick operates
elevator & ailerons. |
| MODE
3 |
left
stick operates elevator & ailerons, right stick operates
throttle & rudder. |
| MODE
4 |
left
stick operates throttle & ailerons, right stick operates
elevator & rudder. |
| OUTRUNNER |
Outrunner
is a brushless motor that spins its outer shell around
its windings, much like motors found in ordinary CD-ROM
computer drives. In fact, CD-ROM motors are frequently
rewound into brushless outrunner motors for small
park flyer aircraft. Parts to aid in converting CD-ROM
motors to aircraft use are commercially available.
Outrunners spin much slower than their inrunner counterparts
with their more traditional layout (though still considerably
faster than ferrite motors) while producing far more
torque. This makes an outrunner an excellent choice
for directly driving electric aircraft propellers
since they eliminate the extra weight, complexity,
inefficiency and noise of a gearbox. |
| PITCH
CURVE |
Transition
of pitch angle values of the helicopter blades on
the transmitter to measure the rate of blade angles
across from 0%-100% on the pitch/throttle stick. (i.e.
from -ve to +ve pitch angle) |
| Plug-N-Play
(PNP) |
Ready To Fly models that are missing the transmitter
and receiver, sometimes no batteries, thus allowing
the pilot to use his/her own. |
| PROPELLER |
The
blade at the front of the airplane. It spins round
very fast when the motor is running. Propellers have
been known to eat the fingers of careless rc pilots
who hand start their motor without the use of a chicken
stick. Props will fly off at an alarming speed, if
the securing nut hasn't been tightened properly. |
| RC
flight simulator |
A
home computer based training aid that lets you practice
flying radio control from the safety and comfort of
your house. Excellent for novice rc pilots, particularly
those looking at flying rc helicopters. |
| RPM |
Revolutions
Per Minute (for motor / heli blade rotations |
| RTF
- Ready To Fly |
RTF models can be assembled in hours, usually it's
a case of just strapping on the wing. RTFs are very
popular these days. |
| SERVO |
Servo
- Used to move the control surfaces. |
| SERVO
HORN |
|
| Stall |
A
point at which airflow over a wing is disrupted, resulting
in loss of lift, and causing the airplane to drop
|
| THROTTLE
CURVE |
Transition
of Throttle values on the transmitter to measure the
rate of acceleration/decelration across from 0%-100%
on the throttle stick. |
| Tricycle
Landing Gear |
Landing gear that has a single nose gear and two main
landing gear. |
| VERTICAL
STABILIZER |
It's
the vertical surface at the rear of the airplane used
to stabilize the plane in flight. |
| WING
LOADING |
A
calculation that is useful when determining certain
flight performance characteristics of a plane, the
figure is obtained by dividing the flying weight of
the airplane by the total wing area. A plane with
large wings relative to its weight will have a lower
wing loading, which means better lifting capacity
but not so great high speed performance, and vice
versa. Wing loading values are given in oz/sq.ft (ounces
per square foot). |
| WINGSPAN |
The
overall length of the wing, from tip to tip. Wingspan
is the primary measurement when referring to an airplane's
size, and it's usually stated in inches ("). |
| YAW |
The
rotational movement of an aircraft about its vertical
axis, controlled by the rudder. |
