"Robert Clark" wrote in message
...
This Astronautix page gives the old Saturn F-1 engine a vacuum thrust
of 1,740,134 lbf at a weight of only 18,498 lb for a thrust to weight
ratio of nearly 100 to 1:

Lifting how much fuel?



F-1.
http://www.astronautix.com/engines/f1.htm

The Astronautix page on the Ares I solids give it vacuum thrust of
3,480,122 lbf but an empty weight of 221,230 lb (!) for a thrust to
weight ratio of only 16 to 1 (!):

Lifting how much fuel?

Have a look at the shuttle, it's got a big orange tank strapped to it with
two SRBs to lift the tank.