than piston and propeller aeroengines over long distances. A few air-breathing engines made for high-speed applications (ramjets and scramjets) use the ram effect of the vehicle's speed instead of a mechanical compressor.

The thrust of a typical jetliner engine went from 5000 lbf (de Havilland Ghost turbojet) in the 1950s to 115,000 lbf (General Electric GE90