... centre of the earth whilst thrust generally acts forward along the centre line of the aircraft. Lift and drag, although not predominantly being discussed in this essay, are aerodynamic forces and are dependent upon the shape and size of the aeroplane and the flying conditions. Lift is directed perpendicular to drag, which is directed along the flight path. It is widely understood that aerodynamic efficiency is dependent upon a favourable lift to drag ratio. It is equally accurate to state that the efficiency of aircraft propulsion depends on the ratio between thrust and weight. Derived from Newton's second law of motion for constant mass, force is equal to mass times acceleration. Considering thrust as force, and mass as weight divided by gravity, it can be determined that the thrust to weight ratio (T/W) is directly proportional to the acceleration of the aircraft. T/W is often quoted as the powerplant sea level ...

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