Santa’s Sleigh Would Need Thrust of Boeing Jet Engines to Get Airborne – Study
Santa in sleigh & reindeer fly over houses 
In films and illustrations dear to children’s hearts, Santa Claus – also known as Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas – and his team of nimble-footed reindeer dash across the sky at night, carrying much-anticipated Christmas gifts to youngsters.The sleigh that Santa Claus’ reindeer pull across the night sky as he delivers gifts on Christmas Eve could get airborne if it indulged in some heavy-duty modern technology modifications, a recent study has revealed.Physics students at the University of Leicester have tried to delve into the actual science behind the magic of the much-loved holiday image. They calculated that Santa’s sleigh would need an engine possessing a thrust equivalent to that of a NASA rocket or at least 150 Boeing 747-400 airplanes to get started on its mission.Furthermore, the speed required to allow the jolly, white-bearded and often pot-bellied man also known as Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, to haul his toy bag into the sky, was estimated at 12,300 miles per hour or 5,500 meters per second.
"We have concluded that Santa's jet engine must be extremely powerful and as a result he and the elves must have access to advanced technologies. Santa must have had access to a new type of jet engine technology capable of replacing the effects of Christmas spirit," Ryan Rowe, one of the authors of the paper published in the Journal of Physics Special Topics said.
ViralMerry Christmas: What Presents Should You Avoid Giving?17 December, 15:47 GMTThe team claimed to have been inspired to carry out the light-hearted research by a scene from the 2003 American Christmas movie Elf. In the comedy, Santa was forced to rustle up a jet engine as the sleigh could not take off because of a shortage of “Christmas spirit”.The students made their calculations proceeding from the assumption that Santa used a British naval sleigh dating to the 19th century, and weighing 635kg.Modified with a pair of Boeing 747 wings, they said, there was no reason why basic physics couldn’t help the sleigh to fulfil its mission.
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