75 diurnal
distillation /d.st.le..(.)n/ noun the process by which a liquid is heated and the resulting vapour is then condensed and collected . With kerosene-type fuels, the volatility is controlled by dis-tillation.
distinct /d.st..kt/ adjective clear
and easily seen or understood . When a lead-acid battery is fully charged, each cell displays three distinct indications.
distinction /d.st..k..n/ noun
something which makes one thing dif-ferent from another . A clear distinc-tion is made between showers and gen-eral precipitation.
distinctive /d.st..kt.v/ adjective
easily recognised because of particular features or characteristics . Concorde is a very distinctive-looking aeroplane.
distinguish /d.st..w../ verb to
know or to see the difference between things . A receiver antenna would be unable to distinguish between signals unless they had some differing charac-teristics.
distinguishable /d. st..w...b(.)l/ adjective easily rec-ognised as different from . Useful ground features must be easily distin-guishable from their surroundings.
distort /d.st.t/ verb 1. to put out of shape . Stress could cause the body of the aircraft to distort or change its shape. 2. to produce a bad radio signal
. The sound of the transmission is dis-torted if the volume is set too high.
distortion /d.st..(.)n/ noun 1. the bending or twisting of something so that it is out of shape . Difficulty in closing a door may be caused by distor-tion of the airframe. 2. alteration of the electrical signal that makes a transmis-sion unclear . Distortion of the signal made it difficult for the controller to understand what the pilot said.
distress /d.stres/ noun 1. serious danger or difficulty 2. a personal worry or anxiety . Some passengers were in distress after the incident.
distress and diversion cell /d. stres .nd da.v(.)n sel/ noun a unit at an air traffic control centre that provides immediate assistance to air-craft in difficulty
distress signal /d.stres s.n(.)l/
noun a signal transmitted by an aircraft in danger
distribute /d.str.bjut/ verb 1. to
give or send out . There are two basic configurations which are used to dis-tribute electrical power, the parallel system and the split bus system. 2. to spread over a wide area . Multiple wheel undercarriage units distribute the weight of the aircraft.
distribution /d.str.bju.(.)n/ noun
1. the act of giving or sending out . Par-allel AC and DC power distribution sys-tems are found on commercial aircraft containing three or more engines. 2. the fact of being spread over an area .
There is a high distribution of used and disused airfields in the south of Eng-land.
distributor /d.str.bjυt./ noun a
device which sends an electrical charge to each spark plug in turn . The distrib-utor directs the high voltage impulses to the cylinders in turn as they reach their ignition point.
disturb /d.stb/ verb to upset the normal condition of something . Small hills can disturb the flow of air.