airfoil - a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flightaileron - an airfoil that controls lateral motion device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" elevator - the airfoil on the tailplane of an aircraft that makes it ascend or descend flaps, flap - a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag rotary wing, rotor blade - the long airfoil that rotates to provide the lift that supports a helicopter in the air rudder - a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes spoiler - a hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag spoiler - an airfoil mounted on the rear of a car to reduce lift at high speeds stabilizer - airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraft vertical tail - the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft wing - one of the horizontal airfoils on either side of the fuselage of an airplane |