angle of attack

noun

1. alsocalledcomma especially British, angle of incidence. Aeronautics. the acute angle between the chord of an aircraft wing or other airfoil and the direction of the relative wind.
2. Railroads. the angular attitude of a wheel flange to the rail, especially on curves.

angle of attack

noun

1. the acute angle between the chord line of an aerofoil and the undisturbed relative airflow Also calledangle of incidence

Word History and Origins

Origin of angle of attack¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

They discovered that the corrugated wing performance was better when the angle of attack, that angle at which the wind meets the wing, was greater than 30°.

From Science Daily

But this affected the aerodynamic characteristics of the airplane, causing the nose to pitch up at high angle of attack at high airspeed.

From Salon

Simulations revealed that the TE fringes reduced the noise levels of owl wings, particularly at high angles of attack, and maintained aerodynamic performance comparable to owl wings without fringes.

From Science Daily

Alice's attorneys used a novel angle of attack called a Product Liability lawsuit, arguing that the site was defective in its design.

From BBC

Rugna’s taken demonic possession, that increasingly threadbare horror trope, and twisted it around until he found his own angle of attack.

From Los Angeles Times