Editing Taxiing (section)

== Propulsion ==

The thrust to propel the aircraft forward comes from its [[Propeller (aircraft)|propeller]]s or [[jet engine]]s. Reverse thrust for backing up can be generated by [[Thrust reversal|thrust reversers]] such as on the [[Boeing C-17 Globemaster III]], or reversible pitch propellers such as on the [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules]], a rare procedure known as [[powerback]]. Most aircraft, however, are not designed to back up on their own and must be pushed back either by hand or by using an [[Pushback (aviation)|aircraft tug]].

At low power settings, combustion aircraft engines operate at lower efficiency than at cruise power settings. A typical [[Airbus A320 family|A320]] spends an average of 3.5 hours a day taxiing, using {{convert|600|L|USgal|sp=us}} of fuel. Hybrid electrically driven nose gear are under development to allow high use aircraft to shut down the engines during taxi operations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Torque Test: The German Aerospace Center unveils a silent, emissions-free electric nose wheel drive system for the Airbus A320 |last=Majcher |first=Kristin |date=1 April 2011 |website=Aviation Week Network |publisher=Aviation Week |url=http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/OM_04_01_2011_p69-294342.xml|access-date=2011-04-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518234428/http://aviationweek.com/awin/torque-test |archive-date=18 May 2017 |quote=The new, electric nose wheel can power the A320 both forward and backward without requiring power from the aircraft's main engine. In addition to the energy savings, the electric nose wheel completely eliminates engine noise during taxi maneuvers. }}</ref>