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| F |
Fahrenheit |
| FAA |
Federal Aviation Administration (US) |
| also: |
Fleet Air Arm (UK) |
| FAC |
Forward air control(ler) |
| FADEC |
Full authority digital engine control |
| FAE |
Fuel-air explosive |
| FAI |
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale |
| FANS |
Future Air Navigation System |
| FAR |
Federal aviation regulations (US) |
| FARP |
Forward arming and refueling point |
| also: |
Forward area rearm/refuel point |
| FBL |
re: Fly by light |
| FBW |
re: Fly by wire |
| FCR |
Fire control radar |
| FCS |
Flight control system |
| FDO |
Flight deck officer (on aircraft carrier) |
| FDR |
Flight data recorder |
| FDS |
Flight director system |
| feathering |
Alignment of propeller blades with airstream to
prevent windmilling and minimise drag with engine shut-down |
| FEBA |
Forward edge of battle area |
| fence |
Wing surface projection, parallel to chord, to
prevent spanwise airflow |
| fenestrom |
Tail rotor for helicopters, consisting of many
narrow blades in a short duct |
| ferry range |
Maximum safe range with no payload |
| FEWSG |
Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group (USN) |
| FF |
First flight |
| FFAR |
Folding fin aircraft rocket |
| also: |
Free flight aircraft rocket |
| FFOS |
Forward flying observation station |
| FG |
Fighter Group (USAF) |
| FGA |
Fighter Ground attack (UK) |
| FGR |
Fighter Ground attack Reconnaissance (UK) |
| field length |
Distance needed for take-off and/or landing;
varies upon circumstances |
| fine pitch |
Propeller pitch most suitable for take-off and
low-speed flight |
| FIR |
Flight Information Region |
| FIRAMS |
Flight incidence recorder and aircraft
monitoring system |
| fire-and-forget missile |
A missile with self-homing
capability |
| firewall |
Fire-resistant bulkhead seperating powerplant
from rest of aircraft |
| fixed pitch |
Propeller with blades fixed immovably to hub |
| FL |
Flight Level; expressed in hunderds of feet:
FL175 is 17500ft |
| flameout |
Discontinuation of combustion in gas turbine not
caused by fuel shut-off |
| flap |
Part of trailing or leading edge of wing which
can be moved to alter lift and drag characteristics during low-speed
flight |
| flaperon |
Trailing edge control surface combining
functions of flap and aileron |
| flare |
A source of heat energy used to divert
infra-red (heat-seeking) homing missiles |
| flat-rated |
Engine restricted in output at s/l but able to
give constant power at higher ambient temperatures and/or higher
altitude |
| FLCC |
Flight control computer |
| FLCS |
Flight control system |
| flight envelope |
The design limits (speed, altitude, G-forces
etc) of the aircrafts' performance |
| FLIR |
Forward looking infra-red |
| flutter |
High frequency oscillation caused by interaction
of aeroelastic and aerodynamic forces |
| fly by light |
Fibre-optically signalled flight control system |
| fly by wire |
Electrically-signalled flight control system |
| FM |
Frequency modulation |
| FMC |
Flight management computer |
| FMCS |
Flight management computer system |
| FMD |
Flight management display |
| FMS |
Flight management system |
| also: |
Foreign military sales (US) |
| FOB |
Forward operating base |
| FOC |
Full operational capability |
| FOD |
Foreign object damage |
| FOL |
Forward operating location |
| footprint |
re: noise footprint |
| foreplanes |
Canard surfaces providing the primary pitch
control |
| FOT&E |
Follow-on test and evaluation |
| FOV |
Field of view |
| Fowler flap |
Trailing edge flap which moves rearwards first,
then deflects downwards |
| fpm |
Feet per minute; standard measure to express
climb or descent speed of an aircraft |
| FR |
Flight refueling |
| free turbine |
Turbine which drives the output shaft but is
mechanically independent of the compressor |
| frequency agile |
Automatically switching over a range of
frequencies to minimise chance of eavesdropping |
| FRS |
Fleet Replenishment Squadron (USN) |
| also: |
Fighter Reconnaissance Strike (UK) |
| FS |
Fighter Squadron (USAF) |
| FSAT |
Full-scale aerial target |
| FSD |
Full scale development |
| FSED |
Full scale engineering development |
| FSS |
Flight Screening Squadron (USAF) |
| FSW |
Forward swept wing |
| ft |
Foot (= 12 inch; = 30.5 cm) |
| FTS |
Flying Training Squadron (USAF) |
| also: |
Flying Training School (RAF) |
| FTW |
Flying Training Wing (USAF) |
| FW |
Fighter Wing (USAF) |
| FY |
Fiscal Year (US: October 1 to September 30; FY
2006 starts in October 2005) |