Aeronautical Terms beginning with W

Waste Gate

A controllable valve in the tailpipe of an aircraft reciprocating engine equipped with a turbocharger. The valve is controlled to vary the amount of exhaust gases forced through the turbocharger turbine.

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Weight

A measure of the heaviness of an object. The force by which a body is attracted toward the center of the Earth (or another celestial body) by gravity. Weight is equal to the mass of the body times the local value of gravitational acceleration. One of the four main forces acting on an aircraft. Equivalent to the actual weight of the aircraft. It acts downward through the aircraft’s center of gravity toward the center of the Earth. Weight opposes lift.

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Weight And Balance

The aircraft is said to be in weight and balance when the gross weight of the aircraft is under the max gross weight, and the center of gravity is within limits and will remain in limits for the duration of the flight.

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Windmilling

When the air moving through a propeller creates the rotational energy.

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Wing

Airfoil attached to each side of the fuselage and are the main lifting surfaces that support the airplane in flight.

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Wing Area

The total surface of the wing (square feet), which includes control surfaces and may include wing area covered by the fuselage (main body of the airplane), and engine nacelles.

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Wing Chord

A straight-line distance across a wing from leading edge to trailing edge.

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Wing Span

The maximum distance from wingtip to wingtip.

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Wing Tank Liner

A liner for aircraft fuel tanks which limits the amount of fuel that can be spilled in the event of a crash.

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Wing Twist

A design feature incorporated into some wings to improve aileron control effectiveness at high angles of attack during an approach to a stall.

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Winglet or tip fin

An out-of-plane surface extending from a lifting surface. The surface may or may not have control surfaces.

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Wingtip Vortices

The rapidly rotating air that spills over an airplane’s wings during flight. The intensity of the turbulence depends on the airplane’s weight, speed, and configuration. It is also referred to as wake turbulence. Vortices from heavy aircraft may be extremely hazardous to small aircraft.

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