Meaning of hangar queen | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A grounded aircraft which is kept so that its parts can be used in other aircraft.
   idiomatic, slang
2. An aircraft which requires a great deal of regular maintenance and has an unfavorable ratio of maintenance time to flight time.
   idiomatic, slang

Examples

“In the Air Forces, "Hangar Queen" is not a proud title. It refers to any grounded plane which is being systematically "cannibalized" (stripped of its parts) so that other planes may fly.”

“[T]he F-35 . . . was not only meant to be an affordable fifth-generation fighter-bomber for the U.S. and her allies, but also to have lower maintenance costs than aircraft now in service. These claims may also turn out to be inaccurate, with the F-35 a potential hanger-queen like the F-22 Raptor.”

CEFR level