An experimental investigation on thrust and body force of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) /plasma actuators aimed at low power flow control applications is presented. A parametric study on thrust is conducted for a wide range of geometrical configurations as well as several electrical operational conditions. Direct measurements of the induced thrust are taken using a highly sensitive load cell. Simultaneous readings of current and voltage are also performed, providing the power consumption. Furthermore a novel technique for determination of the spatial distribution of the body-force is proposed, developed and tested. The technique involves the use of a high-speed PIV system to resolve all terms of the Navier-Stokes equation representation of the flow field including body force. Results reveal the existence of an explicit relation between voltage, thrust and consumed power. Furthermore the influence of the geometrical configuration of the actuator on the thrust is shown. The body force obtained with the proposed technique agrees well with the thrust measurements.