"Mike" nospam@ microsoft.com wrote in
:

"Bertie the Bunyip" wrote in message
...
"Mike" nospam@ microsoft.com wrote in
:

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in message
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How does rated thrust for a jet engine translate to actual power? I
guess my question is, for example, a Cessna Mustang has two engines
that produce 1,460 lbs of thrust each (x 2) so the total is 2920
lbs of thrust for the two engines. The takeoff weight for the
Mustang is listed as 8,645 lbs. so the engines are only putting out
a 1/4 of the total aircrafts weights. So do they rate thrust
different to the actual weight that the engines can fly? Is the
reason that is does only produce 2920 lbs. of thrust but the wing
is what actually makes the plane fly so the thrust doesn't need to
equal weight?

Max thrust is measured with the engine on a test stand and doesn't
correspond to the aircraft. It doesn't correlate to power, because
the power equation requires work to be performed and an engine on a
test stand doesn't produce work.


Actually, it does. It's moving a lot of air from one end to the other
an also producing quite a bit of heat.

You could say the same about any aircraft engine operating either on a
test stand on the ground or an aircraft in the air, however I don't
think that was the translation of "actual power" the OP was looking
for.



Probably not, but the HP thing is spurious in any case.
All you're looking for at the end of the day is thrust, after all!
It's clearly illustrated by trying to equate HP with performance. A 90
HP OX5 used to fly a Jenny in a semi-satisfactory sort of way. Try
flying one with a Rotax 914 though....


Bertie