control surface

control surface

n.

A movable airfoil, especially a rudder, aileron, or elevator, used to control or guide an aircraft, guided missile, or rocket.

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control surface

n

(Engineering / Aeronautics) a movable surface, such as a rudder, elevator, aileron, etc., that controls an aircraft or rocket

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

control surface - a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight aerofoil, airfoil, surface aileron - an airfoil that controls lateral motion device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" elevator - the airfoil on the tailplane of an aircraft that makes it ascend or descend flaps, flap - a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag horizontal stabiliser, horizontal stabilizer, tailplane - the horizontal airfoil of an aircraft's tail assembly that is fixed and to which the elevator is hinged leading edge - forward edge of an airfoil rotary wing, rotor blade - the long airfoil that rotates to provide the lift that supports a helicopter in the air rudder - a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes spoiler - a hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag spoiler - an airfoil mounted on the rear of a car to reduce lift at high speeds stabilizer - airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraft trailing edge - the rear edge of an airfoil vertical tail - the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft wing - one of the horizontal airfoils on either side of the fuselage of an airplane