alt Hacker NewsNot really much room. Unlike a car going down a hill, an airplane descending still wants thrust from the engines, just not as much as in cruise.
Not really much room. Unlike a car going down a hill, an airplane descending still wants thrust from the engines, just not as much as in cruise.
Exactly like a car going down a hill, a descending plane doesn't need any thrust for anything in particular. Planes are notoriously aerodynamic and can trade altitude for speed easily. (Note how gliders don't need any thrust at all.)
There are SOME planes where you want to avoid the "no thrust" situation because their implementation of "no thrust" can lead to weird aerodynamics or prop pitch behavior, or can stress the engine.