Wikipedia
Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires (hence the fly-by-wire term), and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control surface to provide the ordered response. The fly-by-wire system also allows automatic signals sent by the aircraft's computers to perform functions without the pilot's input, as in systems that automatically help stabilize the aircraft, or prevent unsafe operation of the aircraft outside of its performance envelope.
Usage examples of "fly-by-wire".
No doubt this plane was fly-by-wire with a flight control computer stabilizing the machine and automatically trimming.
But I would appreciate it if you would get a team of experts from the company that made that fly-by-wire system out here, like tomorrow.
The fly-by-wire system is supposed to keep it from stalling and spinning, and obviously it didn't.
The navy was just floating a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the fly-by-wire system.
Judy had spent one too many evenings in the office, asked one too many questions about that TRX fly-by-wire system.
Their fly-by-wire controls and a subtle but significant change in the design’s center of gravity made the planes much more maneuverable than the Mirage III they outwardly resembled.
In the fly-by-wire system the apparatus of the automatic system could be commandeered by the astronaut for manual control.
The g-forces were coming up so fast, driving him back so deep into his seat, he knew he couldn't complete the maneuvers he was supposed to make on the fly-by-wire system.
The evidence for this was that he forgot to turn off the manual system when he switched to fly-by-wire and thereby really blew his fuel supply.
This time Schirra nudged it around manually, using only the low thrusters, the five-pound thrusters, of the fly-by-wire system.
If the plane weren't fly-by-wire, if the controls were linked directly to the flying surfaces, right now the left rudder pedal would be flapping like the tongue of an untied shoe.
He touched his stick back, stroking the fly-by-wire, the plane's nervous system.
If the automatic control system malfunctioned, then the astronaut would have to take over on the manual or the fly-by-wire.