Immelmann turn

English Etymology Named after the German pilot Max Immelmann. thumb|An Immelmann turn (sense 1) from a WWI flight manual. thumb|Diagram of an Immelmann turn (sense 2). Noun en military aviation archaic A WWI-era fighter pilot maneuver resembling the aerobatic wingover or hammer-head turn, originally developed by Max Immelmann. en 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 en eponyms