barrel roll
Definition
- Noun:
- A flight maneuver in which an aircraft makes a complete rotation on its longitudinal axis while following a corkscrew-like path: A "barrel roll" is an aerobatic maneuver where the aircraft rolls 360 degrees around its nose-to-tail axis, but unlike a simple aileron roll, it simultaneously traces a large, barrel-shaped path through the air, combining roll and loop elements.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The pilot executed a perfect barrel roll over the airfield.
- Performing a barrel roll requires precise control of the aircraft's ailerons and elevator.
Advanced Usage
- "to do/pull/perform a barrel roll": This is the standard phrasing for describing the execution of this maneuver.
- The flight instructor demonstrated how to perform a safe barrel roll.
Variants and Related Words
- Aileron roll (n): A simpler roll where the aircraft rotates 360 degrees around its longitudinal axis without the significant change in flight path characteristic of a barrel roll.
- Snap roll (n): A much faster, more aggressive rotational maneuver.
- Roll (n/v): The general action of rotating an aircraft about its longitudinal axis.
Synonyms
- Aerobatic roll: A general term for rolling maneuvers in flight aerobatics.
- Flight maneuver: A broad term encompassing actions like the barrel roll.
Related Phrases
- Barrel roll out of danger: A phrase sometimes used in fiction or dramatic accounts to describe using the maneuver evasively.
- The fighter pilot barrel-rolled out of danger to avoid the missile.
Related Idioms
- (To be) on a barrel roll: Informally, this can be adapted to describe a situation of continuous, rapid, or out-of-control activity, though this is a creative extension of the term.
- After the product launch, the marketing team has been on a barrel roll.
Noun
-
a roll in which the plane follows a spiral course
