The visitors did not look like a team fighting for their very existence and their hopeful long balls were easily cut out by Danny Shittu and Georges Santos.
Their task was made almost impossible just after the half hour when Powell, booked earlier for hauling Paul Furlong to the ground, received his second yellow card for a lunge on Martin Rowlands.
The only real surprise was that it took 44 minutes for QPR to break the deadlock through a John Curtis own goal.
The impressive Lee Cook swung a dangerous free-kick into the box and the unfortunate Curtis jumped amongst a crowd of players and flicked the ball into the back of his own net.
Forest changed things at half-time with Gareth Taylor moving from central defence to his more familiar role in attack. The change breathed life into Forest's struggle briefly as they made their first serious attacks on QPR's goal.
The respite was all too brief as QPR soon wrestled control back and forced a brave double save from Paul Gerrard to deny Furlong. Rowlands almost tucked away the loose ball, but had his shot cleared off the line by Gregor Robertson.
QPR doubled their lead from the resulting corner when Forest only managed to clear the ball as far as Marc Bircham, who curled the ball into the top corner from all of 20 yards.
Second-half substitute Eugen Bopp scored a consolation fans in answer to Forest vocal support when he smashed home Curtis' cross, but by then it was all far too late.