This is Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Christopher Cogar. He’s testing a F-414 jet engine’s afterburner aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. And spectacular view, no doubt, which made me wonder:
If he’s testing this on the stern of the carrier, would the ship go faster? It seems logical that it will, since any force would affect a mass, even if the mass is huge. But can anyone with some solid physics knowledge tell us by how much?
Here’s some data:
F-414 jet engine maximum thrust: 22,000 lbf (98 kN)
USS George Washington displacement: 104,200 long tons (116,700 short tons)
USS George Washington maximum speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
An estimate will be good. [Flickr]
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class William Pittman
