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Old 10-03-2003 | 10:40 AM
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LouW
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From: Moreland, GA
Default RE: help with rc lingo

In the old (barnstorming) days, with full scale pilots, "stall turn" was the common term. "Hammerhead" has been around for at least sixty years so I guess it is proper. "Cuban eights" have been referred to as the "spectacles", again in the olden days.

Another misnomer heard a lot is "semi-symetrical" airfoil. An airfoil is symetrical or not depending on if the mean line is straight or curved. What is normally referred to as semi-symetrical is in fact an airfoil with a mild chamber. Though not technically correct, some terms creep into common usage to such an extent that resistance is futile.

As a flight instructor, I once had a young student, to which I had told there was traffic at 2 o'clock, ask me how I knew since it was only 1:45. He had always had a digital watch.

Every field of activity has it's own jargon, and learning that is sometimes as hard as learning the skills.