flapping


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Wikipedia.
Related to flapping: flapping tremor

flapping

[′flap·iŋ]
(metallurgy)
Striking through the surface of molten copper to hasten oxidation by increasing the exposure to air.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

flapping

The angular movement of a rotor blade above or below the plane of the hub. Blades ride higher and lower during their rotation, but they can do so only if they are allowed to move freely about a horizontal hinge or flexible root element. Design features allow for the blades to flap vertically about the flapping hinge. Blade flapping compensates for dissymmetry of lift as the retreating side flaps down resulting in increased angle of attack with consequent increase in lift. The advancing blade flaps up and the angle of attack reduces resulting in decreased lift.
An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
References in classic literature ?
As they ran, shouting, forward, it was obvious to them that the weird and terrible apparition was attempting to seize James; but when it saw the others coming to his rescue, it desisted, flapping rapidly upward and away, its long, ragged wings giving forth the peculiarly dismal notes which always characterized the sound of its flying.
View in context
While a gliding type of flight appears to have matured earlier in evolutionary history, increasing evidence suggests that active flapping flight may have arisen without an intermediate gliding phase.
Dinos Flapped 'Proto-Wings' and Ran?
John Angemi comments - "I wanted to create a game that people loved and one that they could personalize, which is why I came up with Go Flap Yourself, because everyone loves flapping themselves from time to time."
Bluemoon Studios Has Released a New Free App, Go Flap Yourself
Washington, Nov 23 (ANI): Creating tiny air vehicles that mimic the flapping of winged insects is a popular notion, but require a complex combination of pitching and plunging motions to oscillate the flapping wings.
Winged insects to inspire nextgen tiny air vehicles
The insectlike machines being pursued by OAI and the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta would carry out those tasks by vigorously flapping their wings--a means of flight long used by birds and insects but never mastered by human aviators.
Bugs on Mars: unearthly aircraft may explore the Red Planet--and beyond
Flapping helps transfer heat from blood to the air to cool the whole animal, says Spevak.
Summer survival guide

Full browser ?