In aerodynamics, what matters most is the force that an airplane produces to have the ability to penetrate through air and move for longer distances. Thrust-producing aircraft produce thrust directly from their engines and are preferred for longer distances as compared to power- producing aircraft. To explain why thrust producing aircraft are preferred for longer distances, this kind of airplane applies Newton’s Second Law of motion in its propulsion. Due to the thrust produced directly from the engine as the plane propels through the air, the acceleration of the plane increases, and thus these aircraft can move faster through the air for long distances and with so much ease (Hurt, 2012). This also makes it appropriate to travel long distances as they can propel through atmospheres with high wind velocity. The thrust is producing aircraft also apply Newton’s Third Law of Motion in its propulsion. This law states that “for every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force” (Hurt, 2012). In the cases of thrust producing aircraft, the action force is the accelerating air around the plane as a result of the thrust being produced from the engine, and the reaction force is in the engine making the aircraft to accelerate. This makes these kinds of planes to move faster through the air making them appropriate for long distance travel.
On the contrary, power producing aircraft applies the principle of the pressure difference. For it to produce thrust to overcome drag, this kind of aircraft needs the power to provide energy to move the propeller (FAA-H-8083-15, 2001). These planes have no capability of producing thrust as they propel through the air and thus have little forward kinetic force to move through the air which makes them appropriate for shorter distances. They can easily be affected by the velocity of the wind. These differences between the two types of planes make thrust-producing aircrafts efficient in moving through high heights and at the same time at a very high speed (Code7700, 2017). The power-producing aircraft require low maintenance cost as compared to thrust-producing aircraft which make it appropriate to use thrust-producing aircraft for longer distances which do not occur often. Application of power producing aircraft in short distances is appropriate as the weather conditions (especially wind strength) can easily be determined and predicted. This makes them safe for traveling to near places and inappropriate for long distances as they are easily affected by strong winds.
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References
Code7700. (2017). Thrust vs Power Aero. http://code7700.com/aero_thrust_vs_power.htm&hl=en-KE&geid=1027 .
FAA-H-8083-15. (2001). Instrument Flying Handbook, U.S. Department of Transportation, Flight Standards Service, .
Hurt, H. H. (2012). Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators. New York NY: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
