Glossary and Guide to Abbreviations

ACTG	Aircraft Carrier Training Group.
Aileron	Aerodynamic control surfaces mounted on the wings that control roll.
Aileron Roll	A 360-degree roll about the airplane’s longitudinal axis. Although the airplane rolls from upright, through inverted, and back to upright flight, its altitude and heading do not change.
API	Armor-piercing incendiary ammunition.
Avenger	Navy/Marine Corps TBF Avenger single-engine torpedo bomber manufactured by Grumman.*
B-24	U.S. Army Air Forces Liberator four-engine heavy bomber manufactured by Consolidated.
Betty	Imperial Japanese Navy G4M twin-engine land-based medium bomber manufactured by Mitsubishi.
Breguet 521	Three-engine French maritime reconnaissance biplane flying boat.
CAP	Combat Air Patrol.
Chandelle	Steep climb at the top of which the airplane’s heading is abruptly reversed, and the airplane transitions into a dive in the direction opposite that at which the maneuver was begun.
Corsair	Navy/Marine Corps F4U single-engine carrier fighter manufactured by Vought.
CPT	Civilian Pilot Training (Program).
CV	Fleet carrier.
CVE	Escort carrier.
CVL	Light carrier.
Curtiss Hawk 75	Export version of the U.S. Army Air Forces Curtiss P-36.
Dauntless	Navy/Marine Corps SBD single-engine dive bomber manufactured by Douglas.
DC-3	Douglas twin-engine commercial transport (C-47 or R4D equivalent).
Dewoitine 520	French single-engine fighter.
Division	Naval aviation term for a flight of four aircraft.
Elevator	Control surface at the tail of the airplane that causes an airplane to climb or dive.
F2A	Navy/Marine Corps Brewster Buffalo single-engine carrier fighter.
F4F	Navy/Marine Corps Grumman single-engine carrier fighter.
F4U	Navy/Marine Corps Vought Corsair single-engine carrier fighter.
F6F	Navy Grumman Hellcat single-engine carrier fighter.
FDO	Fighter direction officer.
Finger Four	Four-plane aerial formation arranged similarly to the tips of a hand’s fingers
Flak	Antiaircraft fire (from the German; Flieger Abwehr Kannonen).
Ford Trimotor	Three-engine commercial monoplane.
Forecastle	Forward part of a ship.
Frances	Imperial Japanese Navy P1Y twin-engine light bomber manufactured by Yokosuka.
FW-190	German single-engine fighter manufactured by Focke-Wulf.
G	Force of gravity—1 G equals the force of gravity on a body at rest.
Half-Cuban Eight	Variation of the loop whereby the airplane is rolled upright at the top of the loop and continues to dive in the direction opposite that in which the maneuver was begun.
Hellcat	Navy F6F single-engine carrier fighter manufactured by Grumman.
Helldiver	Navy SB2C single-engine carrier dive bomber manufactured by Curtiss.
HVAR	High-velocity aerial rocket.
IJN	Imperial Japanese Navy.
Immelmann	A half-loop in which the airplane is rolled upright at the top of the loop—essentially a climbing vertical turn resulting in a 180-degree change in heading. Named after the German World War I aviator credited with inventing it.
Irving	Imperial Japanese Army Nakajima J1N twin-engine reconnaissance airplane.
J3	Light American single-engine monoplane.
Kingfisher	Navy OS2U single-engine observation floatplane manufactured by Vought.
LeO 451	French twin-engine bomber.
Liberator	U.S. Army Air Forces B-24 four-engine heavy bomber manufactured by Consolidated.
Lightning	U.S. Army Air Forces P-38 twin-engine fighter manufactured by Lockheed.
Loop	A 360-degree turn in the vertical plane. The airplane is pulled into a vertical climb, through inverted flight (headed in the opposite direction), down into a dive and back into upright flight in the original direction and at the original altitude.
LSO	Landing signal officer.
Mae West	Rubberized inflatable life jacket.
Mariner	Navy two-engine flying boat patrol plane manufactured by Martin.
Me-109	German single-engine fighter manufactured by Messerschmitt.
Myrt	Imperial Japanese Navy C6N single-engine reconnaissance airplane manufactured by Nakajima.
Napalm	Jellied aviation gasoline weapon.
N3N	Navy single-engine biplane trainer.
NAS	Naval air station.
Ohka	Imperial Japanese Navy MXY7 manned flying bomb manufactured by Yokosuka.
OS2U	Navy single-engine observation floatplane manufactured by Vought.
P-26	U.S. Army’s first metal single-engine monoplane fighter manufactured by Boeing.
P-36	U.S. Army Air Forces Hawk single-engine fighter manufactured by Curtiss.
P-38	U.S. Army Air Forces Lightning twin-engine fighter manufactured by Lockheed.
P-39	U.S. Army Air Forces Airacobra single-engine fighter manufactured by Bell.
P-40	U.S. Army Air Forces Warhawk single-engine fighter manufactured by Curtiss.
Paul	Imperial Japanese Navy Aichi E16A long-range reconnaissance floatplane manufactured by Aichi.
PBM	USN Martin-built flying boat patrol plane.
Pete	Imperial Japanese Navy F1M2 single-engine biplane observation floatplane manufactured by Mitsubishi.
Pipper	Center aiming dot of a gunsight.
Port	Left.
Quonset Hut	Prefabricated corrugated metal building in the shape of a half cylinder.
R4D	Navy/Marine Corps version of Douglas DC-3 transport airplane.
R5D	Navy/Marine Corps version of Douglas C-54 twin-engine transport.
Rudder	Vertical control surface mounted on the rear of the tail that controls yaw.
SB2C	Navy Helldiver single-engine carrier dive bomber manufactured by Curtiss.
SBD	Navy/Marine Corps Dauntless single-engine dive bomber manufactured by Douglas.
SBU	Navy/Marine Corps two-seat, single-engine biplane dive bomber manufactured by Vought.
SCAR	Sub-Caliber Aerial Rocket; small, cheap practice rocket.
Section	Naval aviation terminology for a flight of two aircraft.
Snap roll	An abrupt, rolling turn usually executed with a preponderance of rudder control.
SNJ	Navy advanced trainer. (AT-6 in the U.S. Army Air Forces) manufactured by North American.
SON-1	Navy two-seat, single-engine scout observation biplane.
Split-ess	A diving vertical half-loop. At the start of the maneuver the airplane is rolled inverted and pulled down through a vertical dive and back into upright flight. The maneuver finishes with the airplane lower and heading in the direction opposite that in which it started.
Starboard	Right.
Strafe	Air-to-ground gunnery.
TBD	Navy Devastator single-engine carrier torpedo bomber manufactured by Douglas.
TBF	Navy/Marine Corps Avenger single-engine torpedo bomber manufactured by Grumman.
TBM	Navy/Marine Corps General Motors–built Avenger single-engine torpedo bomber (same as TBF).
Thach Weave	Defensive response to an enemy attack by two or more fighters whereby each airplane protects the other.
Tracer	Phosphorescent bullet which enables the pilot to visibly trace the path of his machinegun fire.
USAAF	United States Army Air Forces.
USMC	United States Marine Corps.
USN	United States Navy.
V5	Navy pilot training program.
V-mail	Victory mail.
VB	Navy bombing squadron.
VBF	Navy fighter-bomber squadron.
Vertigo	Spatial disorientation.
Very pistol	Flare-firing signal pistol.
VF	Navy fighter squadron.
VT	Navy torpedo squadron.
UPF 7	American biplane trainer manufactured by Waco.
Wildcat	Navy Grumman F4F single-engine carrier fighter.
Willie Pete	White phosphorous marking round.
YE/ZB	USN aircraft radio navigation system used to home on the aircraft carrier.
Zero	Imperial Japanese Navy A6M single-engine fighter manufactured by Mitsubishi.

* Identified manufacturers are the companies which designed the associated aircraft. Wartime exigencies were such that many aircraft types were manufactured by more than one company. Those additional manufacturers are not identified here.