[chrispenycate]

I chatted to my polyglot German, and the first entity we came up with was a Kobold; generally responsible for mischief making, although in no way specialised in mechanical matters, or aircraft (I'd met them in mines, like Tommyknockers, but they are also domestic, and will occasionally be helpful, like Hobgoblins). Then, she eMailed me to follow up the word "wicht", being a sort of generalised gnome or 'little people' figure, and a word short enough for the German compound noun mania to give Mekanikwicht or something of the order. There is, however, less of the destructive side of the gremlin; 'Wichten' can often be helpful, or co-operative, gremlins are universally antipathetic.