Immelmann turn
English
Etymology
Named after the German pilot Max Immelmann.
![](Images/wiktionary/WW1Immelmann.png.webp)
An Immelmann turn (sense 1) from a WWI flight manual.
![](Images/wiktionary/Immelmann_turn.svg.png.webp)
Diagram of an Immelmann turn (sense 2).
Noun
Immelmann turn (plural Immelmann turns)
- (military, aviation, archaic) A WWI-era fighter pilot maneuver resembling the aerobatic wingover or hammer-head turn, originally developed by Max Immelmann.
- (aviation) The roll-off-the-top aerobatic maneuver, where an aircraft in upright level flight pulls up through one-half of an inside loop until in level inverted flight and then rolls upright, ending up in upright level flight in the opposite direction at a higher altitude; a reverse split S.
Synonyms
- Immelmann
- Immelmann maneuver