Vocabulary

There are so many terms to learn when you're helping to build an airplane.  Each time I use a new term, I'll try to add it to this vocabulary list.

Countersink - making a funnel-shaped opening at the end of a hole; allows the head of the rivet to sit flush with the surface

Dimpling - putting a small divot in sheet metal so the pieces will sit together properly and the rivet head will be flush to the surface

Empennage - the tail section, or rear section of the body, of an airplane

Final Drill - drilling the holes to the right size

Flange - small section that sticks out and is used to fasten pieces together, I don't know why they don't just call it a tab.  Flanges usually stick out at a 90° angle from the web.

Fluting - making little bends (flutes) in a material; subtly alters the shape of the part to remove bows from the manufacturing process

Gullwing doors - doors that open up, like on a DeLorean

Longeron - an especially hefty stringer, it serves the same purpose, but it's made of a thicker piece of aluminum

Match Drill - Drilling a hole through two pieces of metal (like a skin and a bulkhead) so the holes line up perfectly, these holes will be probably be filled with rivets at some later time

Skeleton - the inside, structural part of the airplane that you don't see

Skin - the outside surface of the plane that you do see

Spar - a load bearing part of the plane

Stringer - a long straight piece of metal that is used to add rigidity. 

Web - the large flat portion of a part, it probably has flanges on the edges that will be used to attach things together.

Vertical Stabilizer - the fin that sticks up on the tail of the airplane

Vinyl - the protective blue plastic that covers every since piece of the plane