| tumbling [`tǝm·bliŋ] AEROSPACE ENGINEERING An attitude situation in which the vehicle continues on its flight, but turns end over end about its center of mass. ENGINEERING A surface-finishing operation for small articles in which irregularities are removed or surfaces are polished by tumbling them together in a barrel, along with wooden pegs, sawdust, and polishing compounds. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Loss of control in a two-frame free gyroscope, occurring when both frames of reference become coplanar. |