: 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.
By eliminating vertical stabilizers, the aircraft relies on advanced fly-by-wire computer systems for control. New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024 The cockpit of the BBJ 737-700 Select is equipped with Boeing’s advanced avionics suite, fly-by-wire technology, advanced weather radar, traffic collision avoidance, and more. Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024 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

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 2 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

fly-by-wire

adjective
: controlled by electrical signals rather than mechanically

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