Patent ID: 7980509

Claim:
A thrust system for an aircraft having a tail portion, comprising: one or more flight engines positioned on said aircraft, each of said flight engines having a take-off thrust corresponding to a maximum rated thrust, a lesser cruise thrust and an idle thrust which is equal or less than the cruise thrust, all flight engines together providing a combined rated thrust sufficient for takeoff said flight engines arranged to direct said takeoff thrust in a takeoff thrust direction; and a taxi engine located in the fuselage in said tail portion, the taxi engine having a maximum rated thrust corresponding to a maximum taxi thrust, said maximum taxi thrust being less than said idle or cruise thrust and not exceeding 15% of the combined takeoff thrust provided by the flight engines and arranged to direct said taxi thrust in a taxi thrust direction that is substantially the same as said takeoff thrust direction; said maximum taxi thrust being less than 33% of the rated thrust of one of the one or more flight engines; said taxi thrust thereby sufficient to taxi said aircraft along a taxi path said taxi engine not required to provide thrust for the aircraft in takeoff or flight.