main plane

British

noun

1. one of the principal supporting surfaces of an aircraft, esp either of the wings
2. both wings considered together

"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.

This creates a larger gap between the main plane and the flap, which may reduce drag and increase straight-line speed.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2024

They believe that the main plane of the wing flexes backwards, reducing drag and increasing straight-line speed.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2021

And after my brief co-pilot stint, I’ll hand you back to today’s main plane driver, Captain Luke McLaughlin.

From The Guardian • Nov. 19, 2021

The Administration requested in its budget for fiscal year 2015 to retire the A-10 aircraft, the main plane flown out of the base.

From Time • Aug. 13, 2014

Deducting the 6-foot depth of the main plane leaves 19 feet as the length of the rudder beam and rudders.

From Flying Machines: construction and operation; a practical book which shows, in illustrations, working plans and text, how to build and navigate the modern airship by Chanute, Octave

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