Definition
Wing flaps that are extended and retracted by an electric motor, controlled from the cockpit by a switch or selector that signals the motor to drive the flaps to the selected position.
Plain English
Flaps that move up and down because an electric motor moves them, instead of being moved by hydraulic pressure or by a hand lever.
Context Anchor
A pilot encounters electrically driven flaps during preflight checks, before takeoff, during landing setup, and when considering what to do after an electrical problem.
Derivation
“Flap” comes from an older English idea of something that hangs or moves back and forth. In aviation, it came to mean a movable part of the wing. “Driven” here means powered or moved by something, so electrically driven flaps are flaps moved by electrical power.
Why Pilots Care
Affects flap deployment speed, electrical system load, and emergency procedures if power fails.
Intuition Check
“Electrically driven” does not mean the flaps are automatic or computer-controlled. It means an electric motor supplies the force that moves them.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the pilot selected full flaps and waited a few seconds for the electrically driven flaps to reach the selected position.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight inspection the instructor confirmed that the electrically driven flaps moved smoothly through all positions.