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INTRODUCTION

The nomenclature for aeronautics presented in this Report No. 474 is a revision of the last previous report on this subject (Report No. 240), which was issued in 1926. This nomenclature was prepared by a special conference on aeronautical nomenclature authorized by the executive committee of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The organization of the conference was as follows:

CONFERENCE ON AERONAUTICAL NOMENCLATURE
Dr. Joseph S. Ames, Chairman

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics:
Mr. Charles H. Helms
Mr. Carlton Kemper
Mr. G.W. Lewis
Mr. H. J. E. Reid
Hon. Edward P. Warner
Air Corps, U.S.A.:
Capt. Karl S. Axtater, U.S.A.
Capt. Albert C. Foulk, U.S.A.
Capt. A.F. Hegenberger, U.S.A.
Maj. C.W. Howard, U.S.A.
Capt. Clements MacMullen, U.S.A.
Capt. E. R. Page, U.S.A.
Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department:
Lt. Comdr. W.S. Diehl (C.C.), U.S.N.
Commander Garland Fulton (C.C.), U.S.N.
Lt. Comdr. R. D. MacCart (C.C.), U.S.N.
Commander C.A. Pownall, U.S.N.
Commander R.D. Weyerbacher (C.C.), U.S.N.
Bureau of Standards:
Dr. L. J. Briggs
Dr. W. G. Brombacher
Dr. H. C. Dickinson
Dr. H. L. Dryden
Aeronautics Branch, Department of Commerce:
Col. Harry H. Blee
Mr. Richard C. Gazley
Capt. F.C. Hingsburg

The members of the conference were engaged in the preparation of the report from the time of the appointment of the members August 11, 1931, to the date of approval of the report for publication by the executive committee of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics on November 14, 1933.

This report supersedes all previous publications of the Committee on this subject. The entire text has been thoroughly revised and new sketches have been inserted to replace obsolete photographs. The arrangement is alphabetical throughout and not by subjects, but the complete cross-indexing will, it is expected, make each term easily found. The definitions have been made as brief and as general as possible except in the cases where use of the term is restricted to a small specialized group. In cases where uncertainty or ambiguity is known to exist, the complete definition given herein represents the meaning ascribed to the term in the official publications of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

This report is published for the purpose of encouraging greater uniformity and precision in the use of terms relating to aeronautics, both in official documents of the Government and in commercial publications. Terms in general use in other branches of engineering have been included only where they have some special significance in aeronautics, or form an integral part of its terminology.