Origin of "aeroplane"

"Stuart Chapman" wrote in message
...

I wonder what the Wright brothers called their machine?


Flyer

In message ,
writes
On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 14:26:00 +1000, "The Raven"
wrote:

http://www.etymonline.com
airplane - 1907, in Amer.Eng. largely superseding earlier aeroplane
(1873, and still common in British Eng.), from Fr. aéroplane, from Gk.
aero- "air" + stem of planer "to soar" (see plane (1)). Aircraft is
also from 1907; airship is 1888, from Ger. Luftschiff "motor-driver
dirigible."

plane (1) - "flat surface," 1604, from L. plantum "flat surface," from
neut. of planus "flat, level." The verb meaning "soar, glide on
motionless wings" is 1410, from M.Fr. planer, from L. planum on notion
of bird gliding with flattened wings.

The French for 'Glider' is 'Planeur'.

Mike
--
M.J.Powell

robert arndt wrote:
Geoff May wrote in message ...

wrote:

[snipped]

The French seem to have formed the word "aero-plane" (1873) from two
earlier French craft- the Aeronave (1865) concept and the flying model
aircraft Penaud Planophore (1871). The flying Planophore was the most
influential design of the 19th century that inspired the great
aviation pioneers to build a full scale aeroplane/airplane for flight.

Rob
World Encylopedia of Civil Aviation

I asked on another news group about this one and this was the reply:

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (1966) supports both the
Greek planos and the Latin planus by way of the French "plan."

However, the Oxford English Dictionary (1989) gives only the French
Latinate derivation. IMO this entry is the more convincing. The first
usage of aeroplane was in terms of the wing or plane itself. an 1866
article refers to the application of a beetles wings as aeroplanes and a
1902 article describes airships as a combination of "äerostat,
äeroplane, and propelling apparatus." Simultaneous to this, "aeroplane"
was being used to describe heavier than air craft to distinguish it from
all the other flying craft like balloons. *Switch to Mongolfier
brothers sketch*

Perhaps the idea of the planos origin came about because of the use of
the word as a verb as in "aeroplaning" to describe traveling about by
aeroplane. This usage would seem to be archaic, but maybe that is where
the confusion started.

/paste

MfG and thanks Toof,

Geoff.

--
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Database will be updated after the French GP

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message
...
Stuart Chapman wrote:

I wonder what the Wright brothers called their machine?

The Wright "Flyer"?
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)


Yes, but was this a title, such as Titanic, or simply a name, such as ocean
liner....

Stupot

However, the Oxford English Dictionary (1989) gives only the French
Latinate derivation.

Funnily enough, the Shorter Oxford (1993) gives only the French Greek
derivation

(G planos = wandering)

There must be blood on the floor after Lesley Brown and the boys
settled that one!

Or perhaps you were looking at "plane" and not at "aeroplane"?

all the best -- Dan Ford (email: info AT danford.net)

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub

"Stuart Chapman" wrote in message
...

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message
...
Stuart Chapman wrote:

I wonder what the Wright brothers called their machine?

The Wright "Flyer"?

That was after it flew of course but Anglo-Saxon names before that!

Richard.

On Thu, 3 Jul 2003, Stuart Chapman wrote:

"Andrew Chaplin" wrote in message

Stuart Chapman wrote:

I wonder what the Wright brothers called their machine?

The Wright "Flyer"?

Yes, but was this a title, such as Titanic, or simply a name, such as ocean
liner....

The Wrights' patent referred to it as a "flying machine" while the
term "aeroplane" was reserved for the flying machine's "aeroplanes".

Cheers and all,

The Wright "Flyer"?

Yes, but was this a title, such as Titanic, or simply a name, such as ocean
liner....

No, I don't think so. The Flyer name was around at least till 1911,
much to the confusion of folks who want to see the original Flyer in
action this December.

I think that to the Wrights, Flyer was the generic name.

Langley called his aircraft the Aerodrome.

all the best -- Dan Ford (email: info AT danford.net)

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

The Wright "Flyer"?

Yes, but was this a title, such as Titanic, or simply a name, such as
ocean
liner....

No, I don't think so. The Flyer name was around at least till 1911,
much to the confusion of folks who want to see the original Flyer in
action this December.

I think that to the Wrights, Flyer was the generic name.

Langley called his aircraft the Aerodrome.


I think you'll find that the reference to his machine as an aerodrome came
not from Langley but from articles in the scientifc American of August 22,
1903
and October 17 1903

Langley in his press release simply referred to flying machines

Quote
To the Press:
The present experiments being made in mechanical flight have been carried on
partly with funds provided by the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications, and
partly from private sources, and from a special endowment of the Smithsonian
Institution. The experiments are carried on with the approval of the board
of regents of the Smithsonian Institution. The public's interest in them may
lead to an unfounded expectation as to their immediate results without an
explanation, which is here briefly given.
These trials, with some already conducted with steam driven flying machines,
are believed to be the first in the history of invention where bodies far
heavier than the air itself have been sustained in the air for more than a
few seconds by purely mechanical means. In my previous trials success has
only been reached after initial failures, which alone have taught the way to
it, and I know no reason why prospective trials should be an exception. It
is possible, rather than probable, that it may be otherwise now, but judging
from the light of past experience it is to be regretted that the enforced
publicity which has been given to these initial experiments which are
essentially experiments, and nothing else a may lead to quite unfounded
expectations.

It is the practice of all scientific men, indeed, of all prudent men, not to
make public the results of their work till these are certain. This
consideration, and no desire to withhold from the public matters in which
the public is interested, has dictated the policy thus far pursued here. The
fullest publicity consistent with the national interest (since these recent
experience have for their object the development of a machine for war
purposes) will be given to this work when it reaches a stage which warrants
publication.
S. P. Langley
Smithsonian Institution, August 19. "

/Quote

The first use of the term aeroplane by one of the pioneers of
aviation seems to have been by Sir Hiram Maxim in his work
entitled 'Aerial Navigation: The Power Required' published in 1891

Quote
I think all scientists are agreed that if we are ever able to navigate the
air it must be on the aeroplane system; that is, the weight of the machine
and passenger or passengers must be carried by a large plane driven at a
high velocity through the air. There is, however, some difference in opinion
in regard to the proper manner of propelling these planes...I am in favor of
a scew- propeller, because with it I find a high-degree of efficiency, and
the possibility of applying a large amount of force in a continuous manner
without any vibration or unsteadiness in action...'
/Quote

Keith