Power-to-weight ratio (sometimes referred to as the more general Specific power) and its inverse weight-to-power ratio are measures commonly used when comparing various vehicles (or engines), including automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, and armoured fighting vehicles. It is the power the engine generates, divided by the vehicle's (or engine) weight or vice versa:

$$

\begin{matrix} \mbox{PtW} &= P/m \\ \mbox{WtP} &= 1/ptw \\ &= m/P \end{matrix}

Units are usually horsepower per tonne (hp/tonne - PtW) or kilograms per horsepower (kg/hp - WtP), although nowadays watts are used for power in most countries that adopted the metric system

The power-to-weight ratio is often used as an indication of likely performance. The larger the PtW (the smaller the WtP) the more performance can be expected. Vehicle weights have relatively little impact on top speed, which is mostly dependent on aerodynamic drag (see drag equation). Acceleration (a), on the other hand, is dominated by the Newtonian acceleration term, $F\; =\; ma$, so more force (F - from the engine's torque delivered to the driven wheels or thrust delivered by an aircraft engine), will deliver more acceleration for any given vehicle mass (m = weight/g).

In any vehicle the engine power-to-weight ratio is essential for vehicle power-to-weight ratio. But in an aircraft it is more critical than in any other vehicle because any additional weight requires more lift to be generated by the wings in order to lift it. More lift from the wings automatically means more drag, through a process known as induced drag, slowing the plane down. Thus if any two engines deliver the same power, the lighter one will result in a better plane. Power-to-weight ratio therefore has a much more important impact on overall performance in aircraft, including top speed.

In this usage the power-to-weight ratio is typically used to refer to the weight of the engine alone, as a useful way of comparing various aircraft engines. The term applying to the aircraft as a whole is power loading, and is used especially in helicopter engineering.

Power-to-weight ratio is also often used as a general indicator of the mobility of tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, usually expressed in horsepower per tonne (hp/t). Such vehicles, weighing up to seventy tons, must be able to achieve relatively high speeds quickly, while overcoming a great deal of inertia and mechanical resistance even on hard surfaces, and also travel at high speeds over soft ground and up steep slopes.

Mechanics | Power | Engineering ratios

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