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angle of attack
noun phrase
: the acute angle between the direction of the relative wind and the chord of an airfoil
Examples of angle of attack in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The rear wing uses an actuator to continuously alter its height and angle of attack, and can adopt Low Drag or High Downforce configurations.
—Jason Barlow, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
Anduril say there is also an ant-tank warhead, and the operator can easily attach whichever type is needed as well as selecting the angle of attack at will.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Once a target has been selected, the human operator can set parameters for the angle of attack while the onboard vision and guidance algorithms handle the rest, even if the drone is no longer in contact with the operator.
—New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2024
The investigation, completed in 2021, blamed the crash on a faulty angle of attack sensor on the plane that fed pilots inaccurate data.
March 2019: An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 crashed about six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 13 June 2024
Even if the wing could have been patched and cold-soaked and Columbia's reentry profile altered to raise the angle of attack and lower the temperature at the wing leading edge, vehicle loss was almost certain.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2023
The center of pressure for an airfoil, however, is locked in place and does not change with the angle of attack.
—Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 9 Aug. 2023
According to the researchers, the angle of attack is the wing's angle and the incoming flow of water.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
Watch on This is based on rocky performance already encountered, when the difference between the aircraft’s trajectory and where its nose is pointed (known as ‘angle of attack’) exceeds 25 degrees—a common situation when changing elevation.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 23 June 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
1901, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near angle of attack
Cite this Entry
“Angle of attack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angle%20of%20attack. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on angle of attack
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about angle of attack
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