Reinventing_Wheels t1_iuh0845 wrote
Reply to comment by cipher315 in ELI5: How exactly do we get some much power from engine now, than we did 40, 50, 60 years ago? by Micromashington
There's a big difference between how airplane engines and automobile engines are rated for power output. Airplanes have to be able to put out their full rated power for extended periods of time, without suffering any ill effects. Cars only put out peak power for a few seconds at a time while accelerating. Once the car reaches cruising speed, it may only be using a tiny fraction of the peak power output the engine is capable of.
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