| | - airbrush
- (from the article "pneumatic device") ...with the compressed air serving as the motive fluid to draw the paint into the mixing area. Spray painting usually implies covering relatively large surfaces, such as a building. The term airbrush, by contrast, implies a device for developing a fine, small diameter spray of paint, protective coating, or liquid ...
- Airbus Industrie
- European aircraft-manufacturing consortium formed in 1970 to fill a market niche for short- to medium-range, high-capacity jetliners and to compete with long-established American manufacturers. Full members include the German-French-Spanish-owned European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), with an 80 percent interest, and Britain's BAE Systems, with 20 percent. Belgium's Belairbus ... [5 Related Articles]
- aircraft
- (from the article "Approximate Strengths of Selected Regular Armed Forces of the World") any of a class of fixed-wing aircraft that is heavier than air, propelled by a screw propeller or a high-velocity jet, and supported by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings.aerodynamic principlesfluid mechanicsDrag...layer behind the obstacle can be ...
- aircraft carrier
- naval vessel from which airplanes may take off and on which they may land. As early as November 1910, an American civilian pilot, Eugene Ely, flew a plane off a specially built platform on the deck of the U.S. cruiser Birmingham at Hampton Roads, Va. On Jan. 18, 1911, in ... [8 Related Articles]
- Aire, River
- river rising at Malham Tarn (lake), in North Yorkshire administrative county, historic county of Yorkshire, England. It drains the central Pennines and flows southeastward through West Yorkshire metropolitan county and across the southern part of North Yorkshire to meet the River Ouse at the border of the East Riding of ...
- Airedale
- (from the article "Aire, River") ...county and across the southern part of North Yorkshire to meet the River Ouse at the border of the East Riding of Yorkshire. The upper reaches of the river are in a deep, troughlike valley known as Airedale; the dale's scenic beauty makes it a tourist attraction, and its agriculture ...
- Airedale terrier
- the largest of the terriers, probably descended from the otterhound and an extinct broken-haired dog, the black-and-tan Old English terrier. It is named for the Aire valley, or Airedale, in Yorkshire. Intelligent and courageous, powerful and affectionate, though reserved with strangers, it has been used as a wartime dispatch carrier, ...
- Aires, Matias
- (from the article "Portuguese literature") ...and philosopher Luis Antonio Verney) poured scorn on prevailing methods of education in Veradeiro metodo de estudar (1746; "True Method of Studying"). Matias Aires, who studied science in Spain and France, returned to Portugal to write Reflexoes sobre a vaidade (1752; "Reflections on Vanity"), a philosophical and...
- airfoil
- shaped surface, such as an airplane wing, tail, or propeller blade, that produces lift and drag when moved through the air. An airfoil produces a lifting force that acts at right angles to the airstream and a dragging force that acts in the same direction as the airstream. [3 Related Articles]
- airframe
- basic structure of an airplane or spacecraft excluding its power plant and instrumentation; its principal components thus include the wings, fuselage, tail assembly, and landing gear. The airframe is designed to withstand all aerodynamic forces as well as the stresses imposed by the weight of the fuel, crew, and payload. [2 Related Articles]
- airglow
- faint luminescence of the Earth's upper atmosphere that is caused by air molecules' and atoms' selective absorption of solar ultraviolet and X-radiation. Most of the airglow emanates from the region about 70 to 300 km (42 to 180 miles) above the surface of the Earth. Unlike the aurora, airglow does ... [1 Related Articles]
- airi aicme
- (from the article "Ireland") Surrounding a king was an aristocracy (airi aicme, the upper class), whose land and property rights were clearly defined by law and whose main wealth was in cattle. Greater landowners were supported by ceili, or clients. These and other grades of society, minutely classified ...
- airline
- (from the article "Andorra") One of Andorra's drawbacks-and a large part of its charm-was the difficulty in arriving there. Spain announced an agreement to build a new airport only 15 minutes' drive from the Spanish-Andorran border. In 2007 the closest major airports were located two and a half hours away in Barcelona or Toulouse, ...
- airmail
- letters and parcels transported by airplanes. Airmail service was initiated in 1911 in England between Hendon (northwest of London) and Windsor, to celebrate the coronation of George V. Service was irregular, however, and only 21 trips were made. Continuous regular air transport of letters between London and Paris was established ... [2 Related Articles]
- airman
- (from the article "private") ...class ranks below private first class. The grade equivalent to private in other branches of the armed services in the United States varies; in the U.S. Navy it is seaman, in the U.S. Air Force, airman.
- Airmaster
- (from the article "flight, history of") ...Among the most popular private aircraft models were the two-seat Piper Cub, powered by a 65-horsepower engine that enabled a cruising speed of about 85 miles (140 km) per hour; the four-seat Cessna Airmaster, powered by a 145-165-horsepower engine that enabled a cruising speed of about 160 miles (260 km) ...
- airplane
- any of a class of fixed-wing aircraft that is heavier than air, propelled by a screw propeller or a high-velocity jet, and supported by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings. [25 Related Articles]
- airport
- site and installation for the takeoff and landing of aircraft. An airport usually has paved runways and maintenance facilities and serves as a terminal for passengers and cargo. [3 Related Articles]
- airport surveillance radar
- (from the article "radar") Airport surveillance radar systems are capable of reliably detecting and tracking aircraft at altitudes below 25,000 feet (7,620 metres) and within 40 to 60 nautical miles (75 to 110 km) of their airport. Systems of this type have been installed at more than 100 major airports throughout the United States. ...
- airport terminal
- (from the article "airport") Passenger terminal layout and design
- Airpower Museum
- (from the article "Ottumwa") Meatpacking and the manufacture of farm equipment are the chief industries. Ottumwa has a campus of Indian Hills Community College (1966). The city's former airport is the site of the Airpower Museum, which displays a large collection of antique airplanes and artifacts from early aviation. Lake Wapello State Park is ...
- airship
- (from French diriger, "to steer"), a self-propelled, lighter-than-air craft. [14 Related Articles]
- Airship Industries
- (from the article "aerospace industry") ...hydrogen-filled dirigible Hindenburg in 1937) caused enthusiasm for them to fade. In the 1970s and '80s, interest in blimps was reawakened in Britain when Airship Developments, later Airship Industries, created a successful fleet of multirole airships. The prototype, the AD500, first flew in 1979, and the production ...
- airside facility
- (from the article "airport") ...takeoff of aircraft, lighting and radio navigational aids are provided. These are supplemented by airfield markings, signs and signals, and air traffic control facilities. Support facilities on the airside of the field include meteorology, fire and rescue, power and other utilities, aircraft maintenance, and airport maintenance. Landside facilities are the ...
- airspeed indicator
- instrument that measures the speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air, using the differential between the pressure of still air (static pressure) and that of moving air compressed by the craft's forward motion (ram pressure); as speed increases, the difference between these pressures increases as well.
- airway
- (from the article "traffic control") Airplanes travel along established routes called airways, which are analogous to guideways, even though they are not physical constructions. They are defined by a particular width (e.g., 32 miles) and also have defined altitudes, which separate air traffic moving in opposite directions along the same airway. Because of the ability ...
- Airway Limited
- (from the article "airplane") ...and the Pennsylvania Railroad joined forces to solve, at least in part, these altitude and darkness problems. They organized a rail-plane route between New York City and Los Angeles. The "Airway Limited" departed New York's Pennsylvania Station at 6:05 PM, using a Pullman sleeper to reach Port Columbus, Ohio, a ...
- Airy disk
- (from the article "optics") When a well-corrected lens is used in place of a pinhole, the geometrical ray divergence is eliminated by the focussing action of the lens, and a much larger aperture may be employed; in that case the diffraction spreading becomes small indeed. The image of a point formed by a perfect ...
- Airy hypothesis
- (from the article "isostasy") The Airy hypothesis says that Earth's crust is a more rigid shell floating on a more liquid substratum of greater density. Sir George Biddell Airy, an English mathematician and astronomer, assumed that the crust has a uniform density throughout. The thickness of the crustal layer is not uniform, however, and ...
- Airy, Sir George Biddell
- English scientist who was astronomer royal from 1835 to 1881. [4 Related Articles]
- Aisen
- region, southern Chile, bounded on the east by Argentina and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Aisen includes the Chonos Archipelago, the Taitao Peninsula, and the mainland between the Palena River in the north and O'Higgins Lake in the south. It is divided into the provinces of Aisen, General ...
- Aisin Gioro
- (from the article "China") Under Nurhachi and his son Abahai, the Aisin Gioro clan of the Jianzhou tribe won hegemony among the rival Juchen tribes of the northeast, then through warfare and alliances extended its control into Inner Mongolia and Korea. Nurhachi created large, permanent civil-military units called "banners" to replace the small hunting ...
- aisle
- portion of a church or basilica that parallels or encircles the major sections of the structure, such as the nave, choir, or apse (aisles around the apse are usually called ambulatories). The aisle is often set off by columns or by an arcade.
- aisling
- in Irish literature, a poetic or dramatic description or representation of a vision. The Vision of Adamnan is one of the best-known examples. In the 18th century the aisling became popular as a means of expressing support for the exiled Roman Catholic king James II of England and Ireland and ...
- Aisne
- (from the article "Picardy") region of France encompassing the northern departements of Oise, Somme, and Aisne. Picardy is bounded by the regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais to the north, Champagne-Ardenne to the east, Ile-de-France to the south, and Haute-Normandie to the west. Small...
- Aisne River
- (from the article "Champagne-Ardenne") ...through Cote des Bars, a region of scarped limestone hills. The rugged Argonne Massif lies in the northern part of the region and is drained by the Aisne River. Other important rivers include the Meuse and the Marne.Lorraine
- Aisne, First Battle of the
- (from the article "World War I") ...Chemin des Dames ridge. Along the Aisne the preponderant power of the defense over the offense was reemphasized as the Germans repelled successive Allied attacks from the shelter of trenches. The First Battle of the Aisne marked the real beginning of trench warfare on the Western Front. Both sides were ...
- Aistis, Jonas
- poet whose lyrics are considered among the best in Lithuanian literature and who was the first modern Lithuanian poet to turn to personal expression.
- Aistulf
- (from the article "Papal States") ...claim of the Byzantine Empire to sovereignty there. This Donation of Pippin (756) provided the basis for the papal claim to temporal power. In the same year, by the Treaty of Pavia, the Lombard king Aistulf ceded territory in northern and central Italy. It was probably also about this time ...
- aitihasika
- (from the article "Indian philosophy") ...(etymology) of Yaska, a 5th-century- BC Sanskrit scholar, tells of various attempts to interpret difficult Vedic mythologies: the adhidaivata (pertaining to the deities), the aitihasika (pertaining to the tradition), the adhiyajna (pertaining to the sacrifices), and the adhyatmika (pertaining to the spirit). Such interpretations...
- Aitken nucleus
- (from the article "condensation nucleus") ...in the atmosphere. Its diameter may range from a few microns to a few tenths of a micron (one micron equals 10-4 centimetre). There are much smaller nuclei in the atmosphere, called Aitken nuclei, but they ordinarily play no role in cloud formation because they do not induce condensation unless ...
- Aitken, John
- Scottish physicist and meteorologist who, through a series of experiments and observations in which he used apparatus of his own design, elucidated the crucial role that microscopic particles, now called Aitken nuclei, play in the condensation of atmospheric water vapour in clouds and fogs. Ill health prevented Aitken from holding ...
- Aitken, Robert Grant
- American astronomer who specialized in the study of double stars, of which he discovered more than 3,000. [1 Related Articles]
- Aitutaki Atoll
- one of the southern Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. Aitutaki Atoll is volcanic in origin and rises to about 450 feet (140 metres). Its 12 offshore islets, however, are low coral formations. A reef encircles the entire island with ... [1 Related Articles]
- Aitzema, Lieuwe van
- (from the article "Netherlands, The") ...by Pieter Bor and Emanuel van Meteren; the highly polished account by Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, a masterpiece of narration and judgment in the spirit of Tacitus; the heavily factual chronicle of Lieuwe van Aitzema, with its interspersed commentary of skeptical wisdom; Abraham de Wicquefort's history of the Republic (principally under ...
- Aiud
- (from the article "Alba") ...its tributaries. Neolithic artifacts have been found at Alba Iulia (q.v.; the county capital) and other sites in the judet. A Celtic community (3rd century BC) was situated at Aiud, and remnants of Daco-Roman villages have been found at Aiud, Sebes, and Alba Iulia. Vineyards are worked in the Mures ...
- Aius Locutius
- (from the article "Roman religion") ...of veneration both toward happenings that affected human beings regularly and, sometimes, toward single, unique manifestations, such as a mysterious voice that once spoke and saved them in a crisis (Aius Locutius). They multiplied functional deities of this kind to an extraordinary degree of "religious atomism," in which countless powers ...
- AIV process
- (from the article "Virtanen, Artturi Ilmari") ...silage. Knowing that the fermentation product, lactic acid, increases the acidity of the silage to a point at which destructive fermentation ceases, he developed a procedure (known by his initials, AIV) for adding dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to newly stored silage, thereby increasing the acidity of the fodder beyond ...
- Aivalli
- (from the article "South Asian arts") The early phase, as in Tamil Nadu, opens with the rock-cut cave temples. Of the elaborate and richly sculptured group at Badami, one cave temple is dated 578, and two cave temples at Aihole are early 8th century. Among structural temples built during the rule of the Calukyas of Bahami ...
- Aix-en-Provence
- city, Bouches-du-Rhone departement, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, southern France, north of Marseille. Lying on the plain 1 mile (1.6 km) from the right bank of the Arc River, it is on the crossroads of main routes to Italy and the Alps. The conquering Roman proconsul Sextius Calvinus built a huge entrenched ...
- Aix-la-Chapelle, Congress of
- (Oct. 1-Nov. 15, 1818), the first of the four congresses held by Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and France to discuss and take common action on European problems following the Napoleonic Wars (1800-15). This congress (held at Aix-la-Chapelle-now Aachen, Ger.) was attended by Alexander I of Russia, Francis I of ... [5 Related Articles]
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