sweepback

The airplane's wings have a noticeable sweepback angle.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Aircraft design feature: "sweepback" refers to the angle at which an aircraft's wing is set back from a perpendicular line to the fuselage, typically measured from the wing's leading edge to its trailing edge. This design reduces drag at high speeds and improves stability.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The fighter jet's sweepback allows it to fly at supersonic speeds without excessive drag. (The wing's backward angle improves performance.)
  • Engineers increased the sweepback on the new airliner to enhance fuel efficiency. (They adjusted the wing angle for better aerodynamics.)

Advanced Usage

• "sweepback angle": the specific measurement of the wing's backward tilt.
  • The sweepback angle of the Concorde was 62 degrees. (The precise degree of backward tilt.)
• "variable sweepback": a design where the wing angle can be adjusted in flight.
  • The F-14 Tomcat uses variable sweepback to optimise performance at different speeds. (The wing angle changes during flight.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sweepback (n): the concept or property itself.
  • The aircraft's sweepback is a key factor in its design. (The wing's backward angle.)
• Swept-back (adj): describing a wing that has sweepback.
  • The swept-back wings of the B-52 give it a distinctive silhouette. (Wings angled backwards.)

Synonyms

• Wing sweep: the angle of a wing relative to the fuselage.
• Aft sweep: a less common term for backward wing angle.

Phrasal Verbs

• (No common phrasal verbs directly derived from "sweepback".)

Related Idioms

• (No idioms directly associated with "sweepback".)