Define thrust.

Define thrust.

• A. The force opposing motion through air.
• B. The forward force produced by a propulsion system that propels the vehicle.
• C. The lift generated by a wing.
• D. The thrust vector orientation of the engine.

Answer: (B)

Thrust is the forward force produced by a propulsion system that propels the vehicle. It comes from Newton’s third law: the propulsion system pushes exhaust or air backward, and the vehicle is pushed forward in response. This force acts along the engine’s thrust axis and is what powers acceleration and sustained motion by overcoming drag and weight. Lift, by contrast, supports weight and acts upward, while drag is the force opposing motion through the air. Thrust vector orientation refers to directing that force, not to what thrust itself is.

Thrust is the forward force produced by a propulsion system that propels the vehicle. It comes from Newton’s third law: the propulsion system pushes exhaust or air backward, and the vehicle is pushed forward in response. This force acts along the engine’s thrust axis and is what powers acceleration and sustained motion by overcoming drag and weight. Lift, by contrast, supports weight and acts upward, while drag is the force opposing motion through the air. Thrust vector orientation refers to directing that force, not to what thrust itself is.