Aeronautics

Aeronautics

The branch of science that deals with flight aerodynamics and with the operation of all types of aircraft.

Industry: Aviation

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Aeronautics

rotary radial engine

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of reciprocating engine used in some early airplanes because of its light weight. In a rotary radial engine, the crankshaft is attached to the airframe and the crankcase, cylinders, and ...

four-stroke-cycle reciprocating engine

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of reciprocating engine which has an intake and an exhaust valve in each cylinder. Four strokes of the piston (two in and two out) are needed to change chemical energy in the fuel into ...

A form of reciprocating engine which uses heat produced by compressing the air in the cylinder to ignite the fuel. A diesel engine is a compression-ignition engine. The piston, moving upward in the ...

rack-and-pinion actuator

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of rotary actuator in which the fluid acts on a piston on which a rack of gear teeth is cut. As the piston moves, it rotates a pinion gear which is mated with the teeth cut in the rack.

Wankel engine

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of rotary, internal combustion engine. Instead of using cylinders and moving pistons, the Wankel engine uses a rounded, triangular-shaped rotor, with sliding seals that form the combustion ...

foam rubber

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of rubber filled with millions of tiny air bubbles. These bubbles were beaten into the latex before it was vulcanized.

drivescrew

Aviation; Aeronautics

A form of self-tapping screw that has no screwdriver slot nor recess in its head. Drivescrews are used to attach nameplates to an engine crankcase and to plug holes in a tubular steel structure ...