Phugoid

Quick meaning: Phugoid is an adjective meaning (aeronautics, aviation) Of the motion of an aircraft, missile, or other flying object: continuously oscillating in a vertical plane due to the object pitching up and climbing, thus slowing down; then pitching down and descending, thus speeding up.

Meaning

(aeronautics, aviation) Of the motion of an aircraft, missile, or other flying object: continuously oscillating in a vertical plane due to the object pitching up and climbing, thus slowing down; then pitching down and descending, thus speeding up.

More Meanings

1. (aeronautics, aviation) The motion of an aircraft, missile, or other flying object continuously oscillating in a vertical plane due to the object pitching up and climbing, thus slowing down; then pitching down and descending, thus speeding up.

Example Sentences

The Phugoid theory deals with the longitudinal stability, and the form and equations of the flight path of an aerodone.

As well as physical debris, the report drew on recent analysis by Australian defense scientists of burst frequency signals from Flight 370 to satellites that indicated the aircraft had been descending fast, likely in an automated series of swooping dives called fugoids.

As the amplitude of the phugoid is increased beyond the limits of the semicircle, there is a rapid shortening of the time period as shown by the manner in which the time curve falls away almost immediately after that critical form of flight path is passed. […] [I]f we select phugoids of greater and greater velocity, for a given aerodone the form of the tumbler curve approximates more and more closely to a circle of radius #61;2H#95;n.

Word Forms

• phugoids

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include gliding, airfaring, aflight, boostglide, aerobatic, onwing.

Related Dictionary Tools