An airplane has at least one, or as many as eight engines, which provide the thrust needed to fly. There are many different makes and models on aircraft today but all perform the same basic function of taking the air that’s in front of the aircraft, accelerating it and pushing out behind the aircraft. Jet powered aircraft perform this function by compressing the air using turbines, while propeller-powered aircraft use a propeller mounted to the engine. In general, the propeller
works like a big screw, pulling the aircraft forward while pushing the air behind it