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It's crazy that a 60 ton metal airplane can just fly
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2024
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Its all in those powerful engines
Not really. The thrust those engines produce is only about 1/3 the weight of the aircraft. It's in part thanks to the engines for sure though.
You make it sound like 1/3 is a small number. That's enough to accelerate the plane quickly and the speed is what generates lift.
I just meant that thrust is only 1/3rd the equation. The rest is the wings that convert thrust into lift at 3 to 1 ratio. And then there is all the systems that keep it controllable and safe etc.... it's a miracle machine really....
A few jobs back I was working was on a little learjet that had a .75 thirst to weight ratio. Now that was a fun jet. Now I have 54k lbs if thrust in a plane that weighs anywhere from 100-160k lbs.