Skill testing questions...
 

I was paging through some of my old TCA stuff and in a 1950 20 page "Facts about flying TCA" came across these terms:

"Nacelle" and "Empennage" and "On the beam" or heaven forbid "Engine feathering"

Does anyone know what these are without looking them up????

It also talks about the TCA reservations "nerve centre with modern teletype machines"....

Wirelessly posted (BB: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.303 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/107)

I assume Nacelle refers to the cockpit?

No, lol....

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Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

time for some air cadet knowledge

nacelle- engine cover
empennage - tail section of aircraft
on the beam - following a path as part of a guidance system
- can also relate to a load carrying section of a wing
engine feathering - adjusting the pitch of an aircraft propeller to reduce drag

Engine Feathering, Jazz Dash 8s do every day, its a condition where a Propeller provides no thrust and the least amount of drag. Equivalent of taxing on one engine. Also used incase an inflight engine shut down is required.
Random fact, The Canadian Forces P3 Aurora patrol planes shut down and feather a prop during long over Arctic patrols to save fuel.

Engine Nacelle is the physical case of the engine.

On the beam, is taken from nautical terms, to be abeam of something, is to have something 90 degrees either side of your course.

Empernage - Is the tail assembly of a airplane

Feathering: more accurately, you adjust the prop pitch to minimize windmilling of the prop on a failed (or otherwise shut down) engine. Basically, the prop is moved so the flat part is perpendicular to the fuselage; the blade pointing forward.

This glossary might help, as well:

http://aerofiles.com/glossary.html

Feathering is used on constant-speed propellers. Might be fun to read that article.

You guys are a smart bunch hee, hee!!!!!

No, it means being on course, as in aligned with the radio 'beam.'

Not a pilot but I can identify two of the four terms easily.

As far as I can tell, both terms are used in aviation, and they have different meanings. "Abeam" is used in the sense AC681 mentioned. "On the beam" is used (although not frequently--I've never heard it, though I never flew IFR) as thebat mentioned.