Glossary
Aircraft Assembler Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential aircraft assembler terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key aircraft assembler vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in aircraft assembler training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Bucking bar
- Forms rivet tails.
- Buy-off
- Inspection approval.
- Clecos
- Temporary fasteners.
- Countersink
- Cone-shaped hole.
- Edge distance
- Space from hole to edge.
- Fastener
- Bolt, rivet or screw.
- FOD
- Foreign object debris.
- Grip length
- Thickness a fastener holds.
- Jig
- Holds parts in position.
- Rivet
- Permanent fastener.
- Sealant
- Prevents leaks and corrosion.
- Shim
- Fills gaps.
- Torque stripe
- Mark showing torque was done.
- Wire harness
- Bundle of wires.
- Work package
- Assembly instructions.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Aircraft Assembler practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Aircraft Assembler training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.