the Aviation Dictionary

F . fail-safe
FAA air carrier operations specifications - Document
issued to users operating under Federal Aviation
Administration Regulations (FAR) Parts 121, 125, 127,
129, and 135. Operations Specifications are established
and formalized by FARs. The primary purpose of FAA
Air Carrier Operations Specifications is to provide a
legally enforceable means of prescribing an
authorization, limitation and/or procedures for a
specific operator. Operations Specifications are subject
to expeditious changes. These changes are usually too
time critical to adopt through the regulatory process.
FAA Form 337 - Major Repair and Alteration Form.
FAA Form 8500-8 - Application for airman medical
certificate, or airman medical and student pilot
certificate.
FAA Form 8710-1 - Application for an airman
certificate and/or rating.
FAA-approved data - Data that can be used as
authorization for the techniques or procedures
necessary to make a repair or an alteration to a
certificated aircraft. Approved data can consist of
documents such as Manufacturer's Service Bulletins,
Manufacturer's kit instructions, Airworthiness
Directives, or specific details of a repair issued by the
engineering department of the manufacturer.
FAA-PMA - The identifying letters required on an
aircraft part or component to signify it as being
manufactured under a Federal Aviation Administration
Parts Manufacturing Approval.
fabric - Individual fibers woven together to produce
cloth. Unidirectional or matted fibers may be included
in this classification.
fabric material - A cloth used to cover aircraft
structures. The basic fabric is Grade-A long staple
cotton, but Irish linen is sometimes used
interchangeably. Synthetic fabrics made of polyester
resins and specially treated glass fibers also can be
used in place of cotton.
fabric punch test - A test performed to measure the
condition of fabric covering material on fabric-covered
aircraft. The tester determines fabric condition by
measuring the resistance of the fabric to a sharp punch
pressed against the fabric until it pierces.
fabric punch tester - A hand tester used to give an
indication of the relative strength of aircraft fabric. It
measures the force required to press a specially shaped
pointed plunger a specific distance into the fabric.
fabric repair - The repair made to a fabric-covered
structure that produces the same strength and tautness
in the fabric as it originally had.
fabric warp face - That side of a woven fabric on
which the greatest number of yams are parallel to the
selvage
fabricate - To construct or build something.
fabrication - The assembling of parts to make a
complete unit or a structure.
face of a propeller - The flat side of a propeller blade.
face of the drawing - The surface of an object as seen
from the front view.
face shield -- A transparent protective guard covering the
entire face to protect against flying objects or liquid
spray.
face-end spanner - A type of semicircular, open-end
wrench having short pins extending from its face and
used to turn special circular type nuts.
faceplate, lathe - Used for turning metal. A heavy, steel
disk with a smooth face mounted on the headstock of
the lathe and is turned by it.
face-to-face bearings - Bearing sets installed in such a
way that one set carries thrust loads in one direction
while the other bearing set carries thrust loads in the
opposite direction.
facing - A machining operation on the end, flat face, or
shoulder of a part.
facsimile - A copy of a document that is transmitted
over telephone lines or radio waves by a facsimile
machine to be recreated by a facsimile machine at the
other end. Also referred to as a fax.
factor of safety - The ratio of the ultimate strength of a
member to the probable maximum load. This ratio is
larger than one.
fading - 1. A decrease in the friction applied by a
drum-type brake when it is hot. As the drum is heated,
it expands in a bellmouth fashion and part of it moves
away from the lining. This decreases the friction area
and causes a loss of breaking action. 2. A decrease in
strength of a received radio signal.
fahnstock clip - An electrical type of spring clip
connector used to temporarily connect a wire to an
electrical circuit.
Fahrenheit (F)- A temperature scale on which pure
water freezes at 32' and boils under standard
atmospheric pressure conditions at 212'.
fail hardover - A failure of an automatic flight control
system in which a steady signal is produced that drives
the controls to the extreme end of their travel and holds
them there.
fail-safe - A design feature that transmits the loads into
a secondary portion of the structure in the event of the
primary structure failure.
Aircraft Technical Book Company
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