Click for Video The bigger the jet engine, the more efficient it is…to a point. Eventually, the larger the engine, the more drag it produces, offsetting the efficiency of the engine’s thrust.
In this video, Henry Reich illustrates the thrust of pure jet engines like after burning turbofans that propel lightweight fighter aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon. He points out the great power but natural inefficiency of the pure jet engine, which wastes a lot of energy out the engine’s exhaust. He compares this to the engine of a commercial aircraft, which exchanges great thrust power of the pure jet for a more efficient larger fan powered by a smaller jet engine, to push air to the rear.
We won’t spoil the video for you any further. In this short MinutePhysics video below, Reich explains what this means. Share this post with your friends!
