It is easy to forget the many French aviation pioneers.
And many Americans learned to fly with the Lafayette Esquadrille. So quite a few French words entered English.
Aerodrome anteceded airport. Fuselage is only one I can think of at the moment. I was disappointed that I had no luck searching for others.
Aileron is another. And don't forget canard.
nacelle - a streamlined enclosure for an aircraft engine.
Noun 1. chandelle - a flight maneuver consisting of a steep climbing turn executed to gain altitude while changing direction
Didn't 'pilot' come to English via the French?
pilot?
edit oy! less than a minute... point to you, dixbey...
Came atcha outta the sun!
Didn't 'pilot' come to English via the French?
Perhaps, but not to aviation. It was already in English when it came to aviation.
AHD4 doesn't list a date for its entry into English. MWO says 1530.
I learned the word "tarmac" reading pulp magazine stories about aerial warfare in WWI. Only fairly recently did I discover that it is eponymic for MacAdam, who pioneered asphalt pavement.
And "taxi" to use power of propellor to move aircraft
along the tarmac to or from either takeoff or landing.
Perhaps "tachometer"
tachometer
SYLLABICATION: ta·chom·e·ter
PRONUNCIATION: t-km-tr, t-
NOUN: An instrument used to measure the rotations per minute of a rotating shaft.
ETYMOLOGY: Greek takhos, speed + –meter.
OTHER FORMS: tacho·metric (tk-mtrk) —ADJECTIVE
ta·chome·try —NOUN
"longeron" - early aircraft had four lengthwise members that gave strength to the fuselage.
"monocoque" described the later fuselages where a lightweight metal shell gave required strengt.t
Didn't 'pilot' come to English via the French? ~
dxbPerhaps, but not to aviation. It was already in English when it came to aviation.
AHD4 doesn't list a date for its entry into English. MWO says 1530. ~
FaldageWell, it must've been that guy Leonardo and his sketches.
Anyway I guess it was the French who first applied it to the aviateur!
I just remembered a dandy I think I learned reading Tom Swift books:
volplane
SYLLABICATION: vol·plane
PRONUNCIATION: AUDIO: vlpln, vôl- KEY
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: vol·planed, vol·plan·ing, vol·planes
1a. To glide toward the earth in an airplane with the engine cut off. b. To glide toward the earth with the engine cut off. Used of an airplane.
2. To make one's way or go by gliding.
NOUN: The act or an instance of volplaning.
ETYMOLOGY: From French vol plané, gliding flight : vol, flight (from Old French, from voler, to fly; see volley) + plané, gliding, past participle of planer, to glide; see plane3.
the French who first applied it to the aviateur
Modern French for pilot is pilote. It's not a huge leap to go from boat pilot to airplane pilot. I think we could have probably managed it without any help from the French. The first sky pilots were preachers.
"It's not a huge leap to go from boat pilot to airplane pilot. "
I don't want to be passenger in jet with boat pilot.
parachute
SYLLABICATION: par·a·chute
PRONUNCIATION: pr-sht
NOUN: 1. An apparatus used to retard free fall from an aircraft, consisting of a light, usually hemispherical canopy attached by cords to a harness and worn or stored folded until deployed in descent. 2. Any of various similar unpowered devices that are used for retarding free-speeding or free-falling motion.
VERB: Inflected forms: par·a·chut·ed, par·a·chut·ing, par·a·chutes
TRANSITIVE VERB: To drop (supplies or troops, for example) by means of a parachute.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: To descend by means of a parachute.
ETYMOLOGY: French : para(sol), parasol; see parasol + chute, fall; see chute.
OTHER FORMS: para·chutic —ADJECTIVE
para·chutist, para·chuter —NOUN
Decalage has something to do with angle of incidence of the wing, but I have not yet found good definition.
Camber is the curve of bottom of wing cross section, again hard to find good definition.