Glossary

From UfoWiki

Alkali battery: See alkali batteries in transmitter

Base station: Experimental add-on for the X-UFO. The exact function is unknown (but obviously included stabilisation via ultrasonic sensors for training) - the project has been cancelled

Calibration: The process of re-learning the gyro parameters (which are stored in the X-UFO mainboard). Usually improves flight stability.

China board: The main PCB of the original Silverlit-X-UFO.

EPP: Expanded Polypropylen - a special kind of foamed material, more bendable and robust than Styrofoam. E.g. the "rings" of the X-UFO as well as the fuselage and wings of the Silverlit-planes are made of it.

Earth: In conjunction with UFO-Crashes: mostly harmless.

FoD: Flip of Death, a sudden half-loop and crash of the X-UFO. Mostly caused by precession of the mechanical gyro, but also by wind, motor failure, receiver problems. Sometimes also used to refer to a hard crash that damages the mechanical gyro.

FXN: forum.xufo.net

Gyro, mechanical: (also Gyro, Mechgyro) Standard sensor system of the X-UFO. The movement of the vehicle is measurd by a weight, which is stabilized by fast spinning. Susceptible to damage, because of the delicate mechanics.

KB: Knowledge Base, a collection of hints here in the forum.

Pitch (UFO): In german: A synonym for the thrust or throttle control. In english pitch means the forward/backward angle control (which is called Nick in german). Confused?

POM: Polyoxymethylen, a synthetic material, used e.g. for gearboxes. Also called Delrin. alex_s insists on calling the white gears on the X-UFO (which are made from this material) "POMs".

Piezo-gyro: Electronic sensor for measuring angular movement. Used e.g. in the Plottermod and in the X-3D.

Pinion: The small gear on the motor.

Plottermod: A DIY modification, replacing the mechanical gyro by piezo-gyros. When used, controlling the UFO feels more like flying a helicopter; the absolute angle stabilisation is removed, and it doesn't flip anymore.

UFO: Unidentified flying object.

Wobble: Movement of the mechanical gyro, if the UFO is moved too jerkily or inclined more than 20 degrees. Leads to measurement errors of the gyro and subsequently mostly to a crash.

X-3D: A replacement module for the mechanical gyro, developed and produced by the original UFO-inventors and two friends. Less susceptible to failure and longer lasting than the mech gyro, because piezo-gyros are used instead. The controller software in the X-3D can be user-configured via USB. The X-3D allows acrobatic flight.

X-Frame: A set of torsion-free, crash-resistant alternative frames for the X-UFO, made of CF and/or aluminium. Designed by Hammer & Co.