The Collaborative International Dictionary
Trailing edge \Trail"ing edge\ (Aeronautics) A following edge. See Advancing edge, above.
Wiktionary
n. (context aeronautics English) The rearmost edge of a wing or other airfoil.
WordNet
n. the rear edge of an airfoil
Wikipedia
The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge rejoins. Essential flight control surfaces are attached here to redirect the air flow and exert a controlling force by changing its momentum. Such control surfaces include ailerons on the wings for roll control, elevators on the tailplane controlling pitch and the rudder on the fin controlling yaw. Elevators and ailerons may be combined as elevons on tailless aircraft.
Other surfaces and equipment that may be attached to the trailing edge of an aircraft's wing or on its control surfaces include:
- on control surfaces:
:* trim tabs
:* servo tabs
:* anti-servo tabs
- other surfaces:
:* flaps
- other equipment
:* anti-shock bodies
:* static dischargers
Usage examples of "trailing edge".
From now on the orbiter had to fly like an aircraft: elevens, flaps in the trailing edge of the wings, would now control the craft's pitch and roll.
His legs slid back until his feet projected over the trailing edge and he cried out in pain as a tremendous pressure, a bone-breaking, skin tearing pressure, was applied to his shins, half-way between knees and feet: someone had him by the ankles and that someone seemed determined to separate his feet from the rest of his body.
Now, as the AC-130s took off, their fuselages crammed with spare ammo for their Catlings, cannons, and 105mm howitzers, Hunter's F-16s were to fall in behind them, lifting off last to form the trailing edge of the air bridge.
A leg spun past me and the trailing edge of the foot caught me a glancing blow across the mouth.
His jeans were black and tight enough to be skin, the boots were knee-high, with a trailing edge of black leather that flopped as he moved.
Rosvita hitched the trailing edge of her robe sideways, half afraid that if any part of him came in contact with it, he would know of her at once, that he would know everything about her and all that she suspected, all her loyalties and weaknesses.
Dwellers, hundreds of them, hung from it, each anchored like refuelled aircraft by a cable strung out from the wing's trailing edge, riding in a little pocket of calm gas produced by simple shells of diamond, open to the rear and which, to the human eye, were shaped like a pair of giant cupped hands.