Definition
The rate at which an engine burns fuel during operation, typically expressed in pounds per hour (lb/hr) or gallons per hour (gal/hr) for a given power setting, altitude, and operating condition. In jet engines, fuel consumption is often described as thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC), which is the fuel burned per unit of thrust produced.
Plain English
How much fuel the engine is using over a set period of time, usually measured per hour.
Context Anchor
Seen in engine operation, flight planning, performance, range, endurance, and fuel-required discussions.
Derivation
“Fuel” means material burned to produce energy. “Consumption” comes from an older sense meaning “using up.” Together, the phrase points to fuel being used up by the engine, usually measured as a rate over time.
Why Pilots Care
Directly affects how far the aircraft can fly on a given fuel load and influences all fuel planning decisions.
Intuition Check
Fuel consumption is not the amount of fuel sitting in the tanks. It is the amount of fuel being used over time.
Example Sentence 1
At cruise power, the airplane's fuel consumption was 12 gallons per hour, giving roughly four hours of endurance with full tanks.
Example Sentence 2
Lower fuel consumption at cruise altitude extended the aircraft's range beyond the original plan.