phugoid
English
Alternative forms
- fugoid
Etymology
From Ancient Greek φυγή (phugḗ, “flight”) + εἶδος (eîdos, “fashion, sort, kind”). Coined in 1908 by British aerodynamicist Frederick W. Lanchester in his book Aerodonetics.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈfjuːɡɔɪd/
Audio (UK) (file)
Noun
phugoid (plural phugoids)
- (aviation) An aircraft motion where the vehicle pitches up and climbs, decreasing speed, and then pitches down and descends, increasing speed.
- 2016 November 2, Taylor, Rob, “Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Likely in Steep Dive Before Crash”, in The Wall Street Journal:
- 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.
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