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fly-by-wire

American

[flahy-bahy-wahyuhr] / ˈflaɪ baɪˈwaɪər /

adjective

(of aircraft or spacecraft) activated entirely by electronic controls.

fly-by-wire British

noun

FBW. aircraft control through systems operated by electronic circuits rather than mechanical rods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Test pilot Paul Stone said that the craft's digital fly-by-wire system and multiple rotors make it much easier to fly than a traditional helicopter.

From Reuters • Nov. 11, 2022

Honeywell is supplying the cockpit instruments and screens, the flight control computer, the fly-by-wire flight control system and the cabin air system.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2021

The 560-foot boats will be armed with Trident II D5 nuclear missiles, fly-by-wire, computer-generated navigational controls, a stealthy X-shaped stern and ultra-quieting “electric drive” propulsion.

From Fox News • Nov. 11, 2020

These include radar equipment, fly-by-wire advanced fighters and other military aircraft.

From Washington Post • Jul. 14, 2020

Some 737 pilots said they preferred the cable-and-pulley system to fly-by-wire because they believed it gave them more control.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023