sailplanen.
/ˈseɪlpleɪn/, U.S. /ˈseɪlˌpleɪn/ A heavier-than-air aircraft without an engine (or having only a small engine which is not normally used except to take off); = glider n. 2a (but see quot. 1971).
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > glider > [noun]
gliding machine1896
glider1897
aerodone1907
soarer1909
aviette1912
sailplane1922
rotochute1946
1922 Flight 14 545/2 The gliding angle of a good ‘sail-plane’ might be in the neighbourhood of 1 in 16 or 1 in 18.
1922 Daily Mail 28 Oct. New German ‘Sailplane’.
1931 Henley's ABC of Gliding 149 Flying with sailplanes is being differentiated by common acceptance into two types.
1933 Sun (Baltimore) 5 Aug. 15/5 During the day sport planes circled about his sailplane.
1933 Sun (Baltimore) 23 Sept. 4/5 Federal officials..will gather..to witness a demonstration in sailplane flying.
1935 Sun (Baltimore) 17 May 1/4 The cheapest flight from London to Paris was made this evening when Robert Kronfeld..landed..in his sailplane driven by a motor-cycle engine of five horsepower, having consumed $1.50 in fuel for the 210-mile flight.
1940 Illustr. London News 197 85/1 The type of sailplane (or, to use the popular, but less correct, term, ‘glider’) required for use in transporting troops must, of course, be very large.
1950 Chambers's Jrnl. 137/2 In tropical countries some birds utilise these thermals, as they are called by sailplane pilots, and indeed make no attempt to fly until the air has warmed up.
1961 New Scientist 18 May 362/2 The Olympia 460 is what is called a ‘standard’ class sailplane. That is to say, it has a span of only 15 metres instead of the 19 metres allowed in the open class for world championship flights.
1971 N. Ellison Brit. Gliders & Sailplanes 9 The terms ‘gliders’ and ‘sailplanes’ nowadays are somewhat synonymous. When these terms were first introduced a sailplane was defined as ‘a glider having a sinking speed of less than 0·8 metres (2·625 feet) per second’. Today, nearly all motorless aircraft are sailplanes and capable of soaring flight, i.e. flying without loss of height or gaining height.
Derivatives
ˈsailplaner n. in the same sense.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > people who fly in aircraft or spacecraft > [noun] > person in control of aircraft or spacecraft > person in control of aircraft > pilot of glider
glider1910
sailplaner1973
1973 Sci. Amer. Dec. 134/2 The cockpit panel of a serious sailplaner shows 10 dials, plus radio, oxygen gear and cameras.
ˈsailplaning n. the flying of sailplanes, gliding; also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > gliding and hang-gliding > [noun]
sailplaning1923
sail-flying1931
hang-gliding1971
parapente1987
1923 Flight 15 34/2 In order to encourage gliding and sailplaning in America, the National Aeronautic Association of U.S.A. have appointed a sub-committee to deal with this form of flying.
1930 Daily Express 8 Sept. 16 The first lesson in the art of sail-planing.
1962 Punch 15 Aug. 237/2 It [sc. the fulmar] makes distance at sea..by sailplaning and tacking.
1977 Maclean's 2 May 58/2 For recreation they have turned to such exotic and often dangerous sports as..sailplaning.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1982; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1922