Aircraft Terms Trivia Quiz

Answer: An imaginary vertical line that separates the right and left side of an aircraft

Buttock line 14R would identify components 14" to the right of center on an aircraft. Buttock, water, and station lines are all grid lines to specifically locate a pinpoint on an aircraft, similar to a map grid.

Answer: A component which finely filters contaminants from a system

A micron is a micrometer, a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter. These filters which are used in oil, fuel, hydraulic, and others systems, traps contaminants that are not visible to the human eye.

Answer: Check nut

A check nut is a plain nut that when tightened against another nut, prevents the first nut from loosening due to vibration, one of the worst enemies of an aircraft. Check nuts are used in lieu of lock washers. It is also similar to a pal nut.

Answer: Fire detection

The continuous loop uses two conductors separated by a thermistor material. Located around an engine, thermistor being an electrical insulator at normal temperatures, becomes a conductor when heated. This completes a circuit to a warning light in the cockpit.

Answer: Air/nitrogen

A schrader valve is a high tech valve stem, something that you might use to put air in your car tire. This expensive servicing valve is spring-loaded, and allows servicing on a number of nitrogen (dry air) systems on an aircraft.

Answer: Megohmeter

Used to check materials that are normally insulators, high voltage is forced through these insulators to measure the small amounts of current passing through them.

Answer: Bolt

The grip length is the smooth and unthreaded portion of the shank on a bolt.

Answer: To allow flow in one direction only

A check valve is similar to what one might use in fish tank air tubing. It allows air to flow into the aquarium, but prevents the water to travel back down towards the air pump in the event of power failure.

Answer: Fillister

A fillister head screw is a machine screw which has an either .020 or .032 hole drilled through the head for the use of safety wiring. This screw is used to help withstand vibration when safety wired.

Answer: Fly-by-wire

Fly-by-wire systems are computer operated flight control systems with miles of additional electrical wiring that an aircraft would not normally have. The system was designed to alleviate the use of heavy tubing and control linkages. It could be compared to a Playstation joy stick and game, but costs in the millions of dollars.