Airfoil/Aerofoil.  This is the shape of the cross section of the wing. The upper surface is nearly always curved, the lower can be curved or flat.

Angle of Attack.  The angle that the wing cuts through the air viewed from the side.

BB - Ball bearings.  These small, metal spheres are used to support any rotating cylinder, for example, an engines crankshaft.

Barrel Roll.  The aircraft rolls in a ‘corkscrew'' manner.

Buddy Box.  Just like a dual controlled car when learning to drive. Your transmitter is wired to that of an experienced flyer who can, at any time, take over the control of the airplane to avoid disaster.

CG - Centre of Gravity.  This is the point at which the plane balances so that it will fly, without r/c control, parallel to the ground. Very important to get this spot on.

Carburettor.  Where the fuel and air are mixed before entering the compression chamber in the planes engine. The mixtures balance is fine tuned with a needle valve.

Channel.   Can mean either the frequency that your transmitter uses or the number of functions your r/c equipment can control. A single channel system will usually control the rudder or engine speed, whereas an eight channel set up could also control ailerons, flaps, undercarriage etc.

Chicken Stick.  Nothing to do with a quick snack. To prevent shredding your finger when starting the motor you can wear a strong rubber sleeve on your digit or, if you are a real wimp, a stick of some sort with which to flip the propeller.

Clunk.  A weight on the fuel line dangling in the fuel tank to make sure that it is always in the fuel.

Dead Stick.  Engine failure in flight ... good luck !

Dihedral.  Looking at your plane from the front it is the angle of the wings to the horizontal - the ‘V' shape.

Drag.  Literally the dragging effect of air on your plane in flight. The greater the drag the more power is needed.

Elevator.  The hinged surface on the trailing (back) edge of the horizontal stabiliser - fancy phrase for wing - that enables the plane to climb or dive.

Epoxy.  A very strong two part adhesive.

Expanded Scale Voltmeter.  A meter that measures battery voltage.

FM - Frequency Modulator.  Where the frequency of the waves transmitted can be varied.

Flaps.  Just inboard from the ailerons, on the trailing edge of the wings usually used to slow down landings or takeoffs.

Flutter.  When a control surface, like an aileron, oscillates violently usually as a result of too wide a gap between the moving part and the wing. Land immediately !

Fuselage.  The body of your plane.

Glow Plug. Rather like the spark plug in the top of the engine cylinder but instead of sparking it glows continually when the engine is running to ignite the fuel.

Landing Gear or Undercarriage.  The wheels used in landing and taking off.

Leading Edge.  The front edge of any flying surface - wings, tail plane etc.

Lift.  A wing moving forward through air creates an area of relatively low pressure on the upper surface of the wing. This causes pressure or lift as air beneath the wing tries to force it's way up. The secret of flight itself.

Mixing.  When two functions of the aeroplane, say aileron and rudder, are carried out with a single command from the transmitter.

Muffler.  I know it can be cold out there, no - this is a silencer to reduce the noise of the engine and improve relationships with the neighbours.

NiCD.  Nickel cadmium rechargeable batteries.

NiMN.  Nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Much more powerful than NiCD.

Nitro.  Nitro methane is a fuel additive.

Pitch Axis.  The angle at which the aircraft climbs and dives, controlled by the elevators.

Propeller or Prop.  You know what it is - watch your fingers !

RTF.  Ready to fly or ‘out of the box'

R/C.  Radio Control.

Receiver (RX).  The bag of tricks in your aeroplane that translates the signals from your transmitter into actions.

Roll.  When the plane rolls to the right or left up to 360 degrees.

Rudder.  The moving vertical surface of the tail plane.

Servo.  A device that converts electrical commands into movement.

Spinner.  The cone, often plastic, that is fixed to the centre of the propeller.

Stall.  When your planes looses lift and falls out of the air - to be avoided.

Tail Wind.  When the wind is blowing into the back of your plane. Landing or taking off this way could prove terminal.

Trailing Edge.  The rear of any flying surface - wings, tail plane etc.

Transmitter (TX).  You hold it in your hands, aerial extended, controlling your airplane - or not.

Trimming.  The art of setting your plane up so that without your interference it still flies level.

Tricycle Undercarriage.  Three wheeled landing gear. Sometimes the front wheel is steerable.

Vertical Fin.  Part of the tail plane.

Windsock.  Tube shaped device at the top of a flag pole that indicates wind direction.

Wingspan.  The overall length of the wings from wingtip to wingtip.

Yaw.  Movement of the nose of the plane, left or right when flying level.

Robert Oak