This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2016) |
Specific thrust is the thrust per unit air mass flowrate of a jet engine (e.g. turbojet, turbofan, etc.) and can be calculated by the ratio of net thrust/total intake airflow.[1]
Low specific thrust engines tend to be more efficient of propellant (at subsonic speeds), but also have a lower effective exhaust velocity and lower maximum airspeed. High specific thrust engines are mostly used for supersonic speeds, and high specific thrust engines can achieve hypersonic speeds.