ASA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook Powerplant 1&2

chapter one aircraft engine's general requirements aircraft require thrust to produce enough speed for the wings to provide lift or enough thrust to overcome the weight of the aircraft for vertical takeoff for an aircraft to remain in level flight thrust must be provided that is equal to and in the opposite direction of the aircraft drag this thrust or propulsive force is provided by a suitable type of aircraft heat engine all heat engines have in common the ability to convert heat energy into mechanical energy by the flow of some fluid mass generally air through the engine in all cases the heat energy is released at a point in the cycle where the working pressure is high relative to atmospheric pressure the propulsive force is obtained by the displacement of a working fluid again atmospheric air this air is not necessarily the same air used within the engine by displacing air in a dire