So Long Utah, And Thanks For The Plane That Takes Off.

Does the plane take off?


  • Total voters
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Fly and I argued about this yesterday on IM, and I see his logic.

The question is all up to how the individual interprets the particulars, thus making it an invalid problem to solve.

No, there was and is only one question, tards seem to confuse it though. btw, this question is tested on Mythbusters this season.
 
The question is all up to how the individual interprets the particulars, thus making it an invalid problem to solve.



There are certainly multiple ways to see the problem:

1: If the treadmill accelerates to match any forward momentum of the aircraft, then no, it will not take off as there will be no lift under the wings, since the plane essentially stationary.

2:Treadmill at one constant speed, allowing the thrust of the aircraft propulsion to push it forward, then yes, it will take off as will have lift under the wings.

Im sure there are other ways to argue it, but thats all I have right now.
 
There are certainly multiple ways to see the problem:

1: If the treadmill accelerates to match any forward momentum of the aircraft, then no, it will not take off as there will be no lift under the wings, since the plane essentially stationary.

You can have the treadmill accelerate as fast as you want, it won't matter.
 
There are certainly multiple ways to see the problem:

1: If the treadmill accelerates to match any forward momentum of the aircraft, then no, it will not take off as there will be no lift under the wings, since the plane essentially stationary.
yes it will

I don't care if the treadmill accelerates to ten times the speed of the plane, it's not going to stop the plane from taking off. Aircraft wheels are completely free spinning unless the brakes are applied, the friction of the bearings at any speed isn't going to be enough to stop a plane with tens of thousands of pounds of thrust pushing it forward.

The plane will take off regardless of what the treadmill is doing. The only way to keep the plane from taking off is to alter wind conditions such that the plane has a tailwind that matches takeoff speed or add an enormous amount of friction to the wheels for some ungodly reason. To keep the plane from taking off you'd have to introduce a variable that would stop the plane from taking off from a regular runway.
 
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yes it will

I don't care if the treadmill accelerates to ten times the speed of the plane, it's not going to stop the plane from taking off. Aircraft wheels are completely free spinning unless the brakes are applied, the friction of the bearings at any speed isn't going to be enough to stop a plane with tens of thousands of pounds of thrust pushing it forward.

The plane will take off regardless of what the treadmill is doing. The only way to keep the plane from taking off is to alter wind conditions such that the plane has a tailwind that matches takeoff speed or add an enormous amount of friction to the wheels for some ungodly reason.


I didnt say anything about the wheels. I said forward momentum of the aircraft.
 
I didnt say anything about the wheels. I said forward momentum of the aircraft.

Yes but the treadmill's speed only matters to the wheels of the plane. It can be going at any speed relative to the plane and it won't matter. :confused: Treadmill doesn't affect airflow.
 
1: If the treadmill accelerates to match any forward momentum of the aircraft, then no, it will not take off as there will be no lift under the wings, since the plane essentially stationary..

Let's say you're on roller blades. You get placed on a treadmill. You are hanging on to a rope that's attached to a car off the treadmill. You hold on to the rope and the treadmill starts. The wheels are spinning, yet you aren't going anywhere. Now the car starts (thrust from the jets) and the wheels go even faster and you start moving foward. No matter how fast the treadmill goes, you will still move foward.
 
Let's say you're on roller blades. You get placed on a treadmill. You are hanging on to a rope that's attached to a car off the treadmill. You hold on to the rope and the treadmill starts. The wheels are spinning, yet you aren't going anywhere. Now the car starts (thrust from the jets) and the wheels go even faster and you start moving foward. No matter how fast the treadmill goes, you will still move foward.

until the wheels rip off and your ankles explode in a gooey mess :fly:
 
The wheels and the treadmill have 0 effect on it. This would be the same effect as if a plane was on ice. A plane on ice (assuming it could find a way to maintain control of not sliding around everywhere) can still take off even though the wheels have 0 traction.

Agreed so long as there enough air flow under the wings to give lift. The plane will fly.