Model Aircraft Glossary

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Washin

Twist incorporated in wing tips to raise the leading edge, to give more incidence at the tip than at the root.

Washout

Twist incorporated in wing tips to raise the trailing edge, to give less incidence at the tip than at the root. Washout inherently makes the aircraft more stable.

Waterslide Decals

Markings come in many different forms and are normally provided with the kit.

Weather

See also: Beaufort Scale.

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Wheel Spats

Designed to reduce the drag of fixed undercarriages by providing an aerodynamic shroud over the top section of the wheels.

White Metal Modelling

So what is white metal and why is it so good for modelling especially unusual subjects. Well after the cost of material and labour the moulding process is relatively cheap. Therefore short runs of kits can be produced and of a variety of different subjects can be kitted. more...

Winch

A motorised towline spool for launching gliders.

Winding Tube

A removable tube surrounding the rubber motor of a free-flight aircraft during winding, which protects the fuselage from damage in case of a motor breakage.

Wing Construction

The wing of a model aeroplane that is intended to fly may be constructed in a number of ways depending on the required performance envelope of the model aircraft. more......

See also: Stitching.

Wing Covering

There are a number of ways a model aircraft wing can be constructed and finished to produce a durable structure (this is especially important in the case of model aircraft powered by internal combustion engines).

Wing Loading

Expression for the weight per unit wing area of a model. Thermal gliders might have a wing loading of around 10 or 12 ounces per square foot, large scale power models may be over 24 ounces per square foot.

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Wing Section

The chord-wise cross section of a wing. Since the first days of flight wing sections have been continually changing and optimised for different aspects: lift, drag, low speed, high speed, strength.....

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Wing Warping

The earliest form of roll control was produced by warping the whole wing. Raising the trailing edge of the right hand wing and lowering the trailing edge of the left hand wing will result in the aircraft rolling to the right.

See also: Ailerons.

Wood

A brief description of timbers from acacia to walnut. more......

Wright Brothers

On 17 December 1903 Orville Wright made the first controlled powered flight. He flew a distance of 120 feet, lasting 12 seconds. On the second flight his brother Wilbur Wright flew a distance of 850 feet, lasting 69 seconds.

Further reading: www.inventingflight.com www.wrightexperience.com www.countdownto-kittyhawk.com www.first-to-fly.com

See also: Chronology of Flight.

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