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bombardier ((2))
< Armand Bombardier of Valcourt, Quebec, the inventor
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
1n. — dated, proprietary, Transportation, Outdoors
a vehicle used for travelling over snow and ice, equipped with caterpillar tracks at the rear and set of skis at the front (see Image 1 for an older model, Image 2 for the modern type).
Type: 1. Origin — Businessman and inventor Armand Bombardier, of Valcourt, Quebec, invented a tracked vehicle that ran on skis over snow in 1937. This machine and subsequent models were often called bombardiers after him. Since Bombardier launched his transportation company in 1942, the company has developed many models, most notably the Ski-Doo in 1959. The Ski-doo became popular particularly in northern Canada, replacing dog teams (see Image 2). The term (in the phrase 'bombardier snowmobile') is nearly exclusive to Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "bombardier", which is marked "Cdn", ITP Nelson, s.v. "Bombardier", and Gage-5, s.v. "Bombardier", which is marked "Cdn. Trademark".
See also COD-2, s.v. "bombardier", which is marked "Cdn", ITP Nelson, s.v. "Bombardier", and Gage-5, s.v. "Bombardier", which is marked "Cdn. Trademark".
Today's preferred terms are snowmobile or skidoo, rendering bombardier dated (see, e.g., the 2014 quotation).
Quotations
1949
DRB Bombardier snowmobile had two snags drive through [the] bottom of the vehicle.
1958
The Bombardier has the edge from the standpoint of most drivers . . . because it steers by forward skis, rather than by its wide tracks.
1962
We traveled to our fishing hole in a conveyance known as a bombardier. . . .
1964
Heated bombardiers drive their cargo into the packing plants where it is unloaded and weighed. . . .
1978
Constable Don Watt of the 22-man Picton detachment said the Bombardier is equipped with removable, five-foot long skis and can travel at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. In a test run with Picton detachment Constable Bill Walby at the controls, the Bombardier negotiated about four miles of bumpy, brush-strewn terrain near here without apparent difficulty. The 318 horsepower Chrysler V8 engine propelled the 5,000 pound vehicle up slopes that sometimes seemed to exceed its 27 degree capability. The new vehicle measures nearly 18 feet long and is more than six feet wide. It is equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission, power-steering and travels about seven miles per gallon of regular gasoline.
2004
These objects included a Bombardier, which is a vehicle used for ice fishing, many fishing and trapping supplies, and some historical photographs.
2007
In winter, transportation was via a Bombardier that had a Chrysler engine, two wide tracks, two skis up front, and three-abreast seating in the front, with the driver in the middle.
2014
The mid-'40s would see the black Bombardier snowmobile replace the double sled with a cabin built on board and a tiny pot-bellied stove barely keeping the cold, young passengers warm.
References
- COD-2
- Gage-5
- ITP Nelson
Images
Image 1: 1951 Bombardier. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: Melensdad
Image 2: Ski-doo from Bombardier. Source: Wikimedia Commons, adapted from a Photo by OSX II
