Definition
A power setting on an inoperative-engine simulation that produces neither forward thrust nor significant drag, replicating the effect of a feathered propeller on a shut-down engine. It is used during multiengine training to simulate an engine failure without actually shutting the engine down, by setting the throttle and propeller controls to a position where the operating engine produces about the same drag it would if it had been feathered.
Plain English
A throttle setting used in training that makes a running engine act like one that has been shut down and feathered — it isn't pushing the airplane forward, but it isn't dragging it back either. This lets instructors safely simulate an engine failure without truly stopping the engine.
Context Anchor
Seen in multi-engine training and one-engine-inoperative climb performance discussions, especially when simulating a failed engine without actually shutting it down.
Derivation
From 'zero' (none) and 'thrust' (the forward force produced by an engine and propeller). The name describes exactly what the setting produces: a net thrust of zero — neither pulling the airplane forward nor holding it back.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must understand zero thrust to accurately predict climb capability after an engine failure and to practice emergency procedures safely without risking a full engine shutdown.
Intuition Check
Zero thrust does not always mean the throttle is fully closed. It means the propeller is producing zero net forward push; a small power setting may be used to reach that condition.
Example Sentence 1
After reaching a safe altitude, the instructor reduced the right engine to zero thrust to simulate an engine failure for the student.
Example Sentence 2
The performance charts assume zero thrust from the inoperative engine when calculating the gradient of climb after an engine failure.