elevon

9.9

A moving wing part at the back of a plane that controls up-and-down and tilting movement

noun
/ˈɛlɪˌvɒn/

Specialized

: elevón

The full spanned elevons were needed to control the center of pressure for hypersonics.

Examples

The elevon on the aircraft adjusted to help stabilize the flight during turbulence.
Pilots use the elevon to control both the pitch and roll of the plane during maneuvers.
The design of the elevon allows for more efficient control of the aircraft's movements.

Synonyms

control surface

vselevon

Specialized

1 6.6

A movable part on a plane that the pilot moves to steer or keep it steady

is a specific part combining pitch and roll control not a general control device

How Complex

elevon

Specialized

9.9

control stick

Specialized

1 5.0

joystick

Specialized

13 3.4

knob

66 1.4

dial

63 1.5

button

730 1.0

Surface Forms

elevon singular

elevons plural

Morphology

elevon = elevator + aileron (semi-transparent) = elev + on

Formed by blending 'elevator' and 'aileron'; the combined function is clear to those who know the technical source terms but may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Elevon is a short mix of the common words elevator and aileron. An elevator moves the plane's nose up and down ('pitch') and an aileron tips the wings to turn it ('roll'), so an elevon does both jobs at once.