Neutral position.  The position of the magnet in a magneto when its poles are between the pole shoes and no lines of flux are flowing through the magnetic circuit. 

Newton.  The unit of force needed to accelerate a mass of one kilogram one meter per second per second. One newton is equal to 1000,000 dynes, or 2.248 × 10$^{-1}$ pound. 

Nichrome.  The registered trade name for an alloy of nickel and chromium. Nichrome wire is used for making electrical heater elements and precision wire-wound resistors. Nichrome’s resistance is approximately 65 times that of copper. 

Nitriding.  A method of case hardening steel. Steel is placed in a retort (a sealed, high-temperature furnace), and heated to a specified temperature while surrounded by ammonia gas (NH$_{3}$). The ammonia breaks down into nitrogen and hydrogen, and the nitrogen unites with some of the alloying elements in the steel to form an extremely hard surface. Nitriding hardens crankshaft bearing surfaces and cylinder walls in reciprocating engines. It takes place at a lower temperature than other forms of case hardening, and does not cause warping. 

Normal category airplane. An aircraft that is certificated under 14 CFR part 23 that is not certificated under the acrobatic, utility, or commuter category. 

Normal shock wave.  A type of pressure wave that forms at right angles to a surface when air moves at the speed of sound. 

Notch sensitivity.  A measure of the loss of strength of a material caused by the presence of a notch, or a V-shaped cut. 

Nozzle guide vanes.  See turbine inlet guide vanes. 

Oblique shock wave.  A pressure wave that forms on a sharp- pointed object when air flows past it at a supersonic speed. 

Octane rating.  A system used to rate the antidetonation characteristics of a reciprocating engine fuel. Fuel with an octane rating of 80 performs in a laboratory test engine the same as the fuel made of a mixture of 80% iso-octane and 20% heptanes. 

Odometer.  The portion of an automobile speedometer that indicates the distance traveled. 

Offset throw (crankshaft design).  Crank arms on a reciprocating engine crankshaft. The arms, or throws, to which the connecting rods and pistons are attached are offset from the center of the crankshaft to move the pistons in and out of the cylinder. The amount of the offset determines the stroke of the engine. 

Oil analysis.  A method of measuring the contents in parts per million of various chemical elements in oil. A sample of the oil is burned in an electric arc, and the resulting light is analyzed with a spectroscope which identifies the chemical elements in the oil and gives an indication of the amount of each element. This type of oil analysis is called a spectrometric oil analysis program, or SOAP. 

Oil dilution.  A method of temporarily decreasing the viscosity of the lubricating oil to make it possible to start a reciprocating engine when the temperature is very low. Before shutting the engine down, enough gasoline from the fuel system is mixed with the lubricating oil in the engine to dilute it so the starter can turn the engine over when the oil is cold and viscous. When the engine starts and the oil warms up, the gasoline evaporates. 

Oil-damped bearing. A type of roller bearing installation in a gas turbine engine in which the outer race is installed in an oil damper compartment whose inside diameter is a few thousandths of an inch larger than the outside diameter of the outer race. Oil under pressure fills the oil damper compartment and allows the bearing to compensate for sight misalignment and to absorb vibrations of the shaft. 

On-condition maintenance.  A maintenance program that closely monitors the operating condition of an engine and allows major repairs or replacements to be made when engine performance deteriorates to a specific level. 

On-speed condition.  The speed condition in which the engine is turning at the rpm for which the propeller governor is set. 

One-hundred-hour inspection.  An inspection required by 14 CFR part 91, section 91.409 for FAA-certificated aircraft operated for hire or used for flight instruction for hire. A 100-hour inspection is identical in content to an annual inspection, but can be conducted by an aviation maintenance technician who holds an Airframe and Powerplant rating, but does not have an Inspection Authorization. See 14 CFR part 43, Appendix D for list of the items that must be included in an annual or 100-hour inspection. 

Operating cycle.  One complete series of events in the operation of a turbine engine that consists of starting the engine, taking off, landing, and shutting the engine down. 

Optoelectronic device.  An electronic device that produces, modulates, or senses electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared portions of the energy spectrum. 

