French/English aviation glossary

Chandelle's French/English aviation glossary

Word

Part of speech

Gender

Definition

aboutir verb n/a to abut

agencer verb n/a to arrange, adjust

aile noun fem wing

ajouré, ée adj n/a drilled out (for lightness), fretted

aliment noun masc fuel (lit. "food")

amortisseur noun masc shock absorber (US), damper (UK)

atterrisseur noun masc landing gear leg

badin noun masc airspeed indicator

béquille (de queue) noun fem tail skid

boulon noun masc bolt

cabine noun fem aircraft cabin, cockpit

cadre noun masc frame

calage noun masc chocking (of aircraft wheels), keying or cottering (of mechanical components)

carburant noun masc fuel

carlingue noun fem aircraft cockpit or cabin

charge noun fem load

cloison noun fem bulkhead, baffle, partition

cloison pare-feu noun fem fire wall (separating engine compartment from cabin or wing structure)

compensé, ée adj n/a aerodynamically balanced

contre-placage noun masc plywood construction

contre-plaqué noun masc plywood

croisillonement noun masc trueing up, alignment, squaring up

decalé, ée adj n/a offset, staggered, displaced, shifted

dégivreur noun masc de-icer, de-icing boot

demi-essieux noun masc (pl) half-axles

démarreur noun masc starter

dérive noun fem fin, vertical stabilizer

dispositif noun masc [1] apparatus, device [2] military disposition or formation

efforts noun masc pl. stresses (in a structure)

efforts secondaires noun masc pl. secondry stresses

entretien noun masc maintenance

envergure noun fem. span (of a wing or aileron)

escamotable adj n/a retractable

escamoter verb n/a to retract

essence noun fem gasoline, petrol

essieu noun masc axle

extenseur noun masc Aviation: shock absorber (US), damper (UK)

éxtincteur noun masc fire extinguisher

ferrure noun fem metal fitting

frein noun masc brake

frein aérodynamique noun masc air brake

fuseau moteur noun masc engine nacelle

fuselé, ée adj n/a streamlined

gouvernail noun masc rudder

gouvernail de profondeur noun masc elevator

hauban noun masc stay, rigging wire, bracing wire

hauban porteur noun masc load-bearing wire, stay, rigging wire

haubanage noun masc rigging

haubanner verb n/a to rig

hélice noun fem propeller

largable adj n/a jettisonable

lisse adj n/a smooth (of airframe coverings)

longeron noun masc [1] wing spar, main spar [2] longeron (a main longitudinal structural member of a fuselage)

longeron caisson noun masc box spar

manche à balai noun masc stick, control column, control wheel (lit. "broom handle")

mât noun masc strut

montant noun masc an upright

montant de cellules noun masc interplane strut

moyeu noun masc hub, boss (of a propeller)

nacelle noun fem [1] aircraft cockpit or crew nacelle [2] gondola (balloon) or control car (dirigible)

nervure noun fem [1] rib, flange [2] piping (on a uniform, for instance)

nid d'abeille, à n/a descriptive phrase honeycomb-type (of radiators)

palonnier noun masc rudder bar

pare-balles noun masc bullet-proof shield, armor plate

pare-brise noun masc wind screen

pas noun masc pitch (of a propeller)

phare noun masc headlamp, searchlight

porteur, -euse adj n/a bearing, load-bearing

prise d'air noun fem air-intake duct

prise de courant noun fem electrical connection

rev�tement noun masc covering, skin (of an airframe)

se reporter (les efforts) verb n/a to be carried or transferred to (said of structural stresses)

rondelle noun fem washer

sandow noun masc Aviation: shock absorber

surcompresseur noun masc supercharger

surcomprimé, ée adj n/a supercharged

tableau de bord noun masc instrument panel

train d'atterrissage noun masc undercarriage, landing gear

trainée noun fem [1] aerodynamic drag [2] lag (of a bomb) [3] trail (of smoke)

trainée induite noun fem induced drag

travée noun fem bay, rib

traverse noun fem cross member

turbocompresseur noun masc turbocharger, turbosupercharger

turbocomprimé, ée adj n/a turbocharged, turbosupercharged

turboréacteur noun masc turbojet

tuyau d'échappement noun masc exhaust pipe

tuyère d'ejection noun fem jet nozzle, jet exhaust pipe

verrière noun fem cockpit canopy, glazing

verrière largable noun fem jettisonable canopy

virage noun masc banking, turning

voilure noun fem wings, flying surfaces

volet noun masc [1] flap [2] tab

Word	Part of speech	Gender	Definition
aboutir	verb	n/a	to abut
agencer	verb	n/a	to arrange, adjust
aile	noun	fem	wing
ajouré, ée	adj	n/a	drilled out (for lightness), fretted
aliment	noun	masc	fuel (lit. "food")
amortisseur	noun	masc	shock absorber (US), damper (UK)
atterrisseur	noun	masc	landing gear leg
badin	noun	masc	airspeed indicator
béquille (de queue)	noun	fem	tail skid
boulon	noun	masc	bolt
cabine	noun	fem	aircraft cabin, cockpit
cadre	noun	masc	frame
calage	noun	masc	chocking (of aircraft wheels), keying or cottering (of mechanical components)
carburant	noun	masc	fuel
carlingue	noun	fem	aircraft cockpit or cabin
charge	noun	fem	load
cloison	noun	fem	bulkhead, baffle, partition
cloison pare-feu	noun	fem	fire wall (separating engine compartment from cabin or wing structure)
compensé, ée	adj	n/a	aerodynamically balanced
contre-placage	noun	masc	plywood construction
contre-plaqué	noun	masc	plywood
croisillonement	noun	masc	trueing up, alignment, squaring up
decalé, ée	adj	n/a	offset, staggered, displaced, shifted
dégivreur	noun	masc	de-icer, de-icing boot
demi-essieux	noun	masc	(pl) half-axles
démarreur	noun	masc	starter
dérive	noun	fem	fin, vertical stabilizer
dispositif	noun	masc	[1] apparatus, device [2] military disposition or formation
efforts	noun	masc	pl. stresses (in a structure)
efforts secondaires	noun	masc	pl. secondry stresses
entretien	noun	masc	maintenance
envergure	noun	fem.	span (of a wing or aileron)
escamotable	adj	n/a	retractable
escamoter	verb	n/a	to retract
essence	noun	fem	gasoline, petrol
essieu	noun	masc	axle
extenseur	noun	masc	Aviation: shock absorber (US), damper (UK)
éxtincteur	noun	masc	fire extinguisher
ferrure	noun	fem	metal fitting
frein	noun	masc	brake
frein aérodynamique	noun	masc	air brake
fuseau moteur	noun	masc	engine nacelle
fuselé, ée	adj	n/a	streamlined
gouvernail	noun	masc	rudder
gouvernail de profondeur	noun	masc	elevator
hauban	noun	masc	stay, rigging wire, bracing wire
hauban porteur	noun	masc	load-bearing wire, stay, rigging wire
haubanage	noun	masc	rigging
haubanner	verb	n/a	to rig
hélice	noun	fem	propeller
largable	adj	n/a	jettisonable
lisse	adj	n/a	smooth (of airframe coverings)
longeron	noun	masc	[1] wing spar, main spar [2] longeron (a main longitudinal structural member of a fuselage)
longeron caisson	noun	masc	box spar
manche à balai	noun	masc	stick, control column, control wheel (lit. "broom handle")
mât	noun	masc	strut
montant	noun	masc	an upright
montant de cellules	noun	masc	interplane strut
moyeu	noun	masc	hub, boss (of a propeller)
nacelle	noun	fem	[1] aircraft cockpit or crew nacelle [2] gondola (balloon) or control car (dirigible)
nervure	noun	fem	[1] rib, flange [2] piping (on a uniform, for instance)
nid d'abeille, à		n/a	descriptive phrase honeycomb-type (of radiators)
palonnier	noun	masc	rudder bar
pare-balles	noun	masc	bullet-proof shield, armor plate
pare-brise	noun	masc	wind screen
pas	noun	masc	pitch (of a propeller)
phare	noun	masc	headlamp, searchlight
porteur, -euse	adj	n/a	bearing, load-bearing
prise d'air	noun	fem	air-intake duct
prise de courant	noun	fem	electrical connection
rev�tement	noun	masc	covering, skin (of an airframe)
se reporter (les efforts)	verb	n/a	to be carried or transferred to (said of structural stresses)
rondelle	noun	fem	washer
sandow	noun	masc	Aviation: shock absorber
surcompresseur	noun	masc	supercharger
surcomprimé, ée	adj	n/a	supercharged
tableau de bord	noun	masc	instrument panel
train d'atterrissage	noun	masc	undercarriage, landing gear
trainée	noun	fem	[1] aerodynamic drag [2] lag (of a bomb) [3] trail (of smoke)
trainée induite	noun	fem	induced drag
travée	noun	fem	bay, rib
traverse	noun	fem	cross member
turbocompresseur	noun	masc	turbocharger, turbosupercharger
turbocomprimé, ée	adj	n/a	turbocharged, turbosupercharged
turboréacteur	noun	masc	turbojet
tuyau d'échappement	noun	masc	exhaust pipe
tuyère d'ejection	noun	fem	jet nozzle, jet exhaust pipe
verrière	noun	fem	cockpit canopy, glazing
verrière largable	noun	fem	jettisonable canopy
virage	noun	masc	banking, turning
voilure	noun	fem	wings, flying surfaces
volet	noun	masc	[1] flap [2] tab