: of, relating to, being, or utilizing a flight-control system in which controls are operated electrically rather than mechanically

Examples of fly-by-wire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pilot relies on a redundant fly-by-wire system with hands-on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) and a widescreen HMI. New Atlas, 11 Dec. 2024 Fly-by-light control systems are very much like fly-by-wire. New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2024 The fly-by-wire aircraft was designed to be operated by a single joystick, with intuitive maneuvers that have been proven through nine years of testing and 7,000 flight hours. Julie Boatman, Robb Report, 22 July 2024 Take the fly-by-wire hardware that first appeared on General Dynamics’ F-16 fighter. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2024 These more or less three-inch shards peeled off titanium threads when workers installed the titanium bolts that secured the floor in these fly-by-wire planes. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Just as fly-by-wire systems have their risks, so does AI if deployed without oversight. Mehdi Daoudi, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The pilots steer using a joystick and fly-by-wire system that automatically integrates with sensor feedback data to control all the motors. Harry Guinness, Popular Science, 9 Nov. 2023 The design was meant to reduce drag, though the whole thing was so unstable that the plane required a fly-by-wire computer system to keep the thing in the air. Jessica Coulon, Popular Mechanics, 1 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fly-by-wire was in 1955

Dictionary Entries Near fly-by-wire

Cite this Entry

“Fly-by-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly-by-wire. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fly-by-wire

adjective
: controlled by electrical signals rather than mechanically

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