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idgehead
for arrivals or another for departures. Apron-drive
bridges are controlled by steerable powered wheels at the
free end, running over the apron surface. A variant is
the over-the-wing bridge, which with the more common
ADB enables a rear-fuselage door to load/unload from
the same terminal walkway. So-called glass walls are
becoming popular. Noseloaders are parallel to the parked
fuselage and have a fixed outer end provided with a short
section at 90° to mate with the aircraft door. Commuter
bridges provide covered access at ground level. Other
names are passenger-boarding or passenger-loading *,
airbridge or jetlink; Jetway is a tradename.
bridgehead End of apron-drive bridge which abuts
aircraft; hence * cab.
bridge-type stick In side-by-side cockpit, control
columns linked by pivoted connector.
bridle 1 Towing linkage, other than expendable strop,
transmitting pull of catapult to two hard points on
aircraft.
2 Assembly of electric cables or fluid system pipes
which, after disconnection, can be removed from
supporting structure (eg, landing gear) as a unit.
3 Rigging attached to two or more points on aerostat,
esp. blimp, to distribute main mooring pull.
brief To issue all relevant instructions and information
in advance of flying mission (not necessarily military),
static test, war game or other operation involving human
decision-taking.
bright display Normally, display which can be viewed
clearly without a hood in brightest daylight.
brightness control Facility provided in radar, TV and
other display systems for adjusting CRT bias to control
average brightness.
brilliant Describes munition having both guidance
(smart) and programmable software; in practice also
means with ability to guide itself to target without external
help.
Brinell hardness Measure of relative hardness of solids,
expressed as numerical value of load (either 500 kg or
3,000 kg) and resulting area of indentation made by hard
10 mm ball.
bring-back weight Weight at which combat aircraft
recovers to airbase or carrier, with remaining fuel and
unexpended ordnance.
BRITE 1 Broadcast request imagery technology experiment
(satellites).
2 Basic research in industrial technologies for Europe
[Int.].
3 Boston rocket ionospheric tomography experiment.
4 Bright radar indicator tower equipment.
BritGFO British Guild of Flight Operations Officers.
British Parachute Association, controlling the sport in
the UK (office Leicester).
British Thermal Unit Obsolete [from 1995] measure
of heat: quantity required to raise temperature of 1 lb of
water from 63° to 64°F; six definitions, all close to 1 Btu =
1,055 J.
brittle fracture Fracture in solid, usually metal, in which
plastic deformation and energy dissipated are close to
zero. Contrasts with ductile frcture, and is rare except at
very low temperatures.
BRKG, BRKS Breaking, breaks (ICAO).
BRM British Rotorcraft Museum, see IHM.
B-RNAV, B-RNav Basic area navigation, accurate 95
per cent of time to 5 nm (9.3 km); was VOR/DME, now
increasingly GPS.
Broach Bomb, Royal Ordnance, augmented charge.
broach Cutting tool having linear row(s) of teeth, each
larger than its predecessor.
broad-arrow engine In-line piston engine having three
banks of cylinders with adjacent banks spaced at less than
90°; W-engine.
broadband aerial Aerial [antenna] capable of operating
efficiently over spread of frequencies of the order of ten
per cent of centre frequency.
broadband GAN Worldwide secure shared IP service
providing 144 kbit/s.
broadcast Radio transmission not directed at any
specific station and to which no acknowledgement is
expected.
broadcast control Air interception in which interceptors
are given no instructions other than running commentary
on battle situation.
broad goods Carbon-fibre and other fibre-reinforced
sheet as delivered in the bale.
broadside array Aerial array in which peak polarization
is perpendicular to array plane.
Broficon Broadcast flight-control (originally fighter
control) management of tac-air warfare (USAF).
broken clouds Sky coverage between ‘scattered’ and
‘continuous’, defined by ICAO as five-tenths to ninetenths,
UK usage 5–7 oktas.
broken field Covered by craters and debris, especially on
runway.
brolly Parachute.
bromine Br, toxic liquid, density 3.1, BPt 59°C, used in
a range of aerospace products.
bronze Alloys of copper and tin and/or aluminium.
Bronze C First qualification for glider pilot (BGA).
browned off Discouraged, bored (RAF WW2).
brown job Member of friendly army (RAF, WW2).
brownout Often hypenhated, near-zero surface visibility
because of blown sand or topsoil.
brown water Littoral, close inshore.
BRP Braked retarded parachute [S adds super].
BRS 1 Best-range speed.
2 Baggage reconciliation system.
3 Ballistic recovery system.
BRSL Bomb-release safety lock.
Br-Stoff Avgas or benzole (G).
BRT 1 Brightness.
2 Bomb retarding tail.
BRTF Battery repair and test facility (artillery, guided
weapons).
BRU Bomb release unit, normally complete interface
beween hardpoint and munition.
brush discharge See Corona discharge.
brush seal Ring of fine wire bristles continuously
rubbing on erosion-resistant [ceramic] sleeve on rotating
shaft.
BRW Brake release weight, ie at start of takeoff run.
BS 1 Commercial broadcasting station.
2 British Standard, thus * parts.
3 Bomb (or bombardment) squadron (USAAC,
USAAF, USAF).
4 Blowing snow.
b/s Bits per second.
BSB British Satellite Broadcasting.
BSB
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