Mythbusters/airplane on a treadmill.

[JeepFreak21]

I got $20 that says it'll take off.
Billy

 

[ZacSquatch]

Your on... I'm serious.. 20 on no flight

 

[JeepFreak21]

THe wings need lift and it all depends on how they rig up the experiement.

Rumor has it that they're going to pull a giant tarp with a truck in the opposite direction of a small plane that is sitting on the tarp.
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

Your on... I'm serious.. 20 on no flight

Consider it shook on
Billy

 

[Ray H]

THe wings need lift and it all depends on how they rig up the experiement.

Simple. A plane sitting on a conveyor, you start the engine, the prop starts turning, the plane moves forward and take off. As the plane starts moving forward, the conveyor matches its wheel speed in the opposite direction. The plane flys into the wild blue yonder.

 

[JeepFreak21]

if it can't move then it won't fly.... Like I said.

Well, yeah, but... can it move?
Billy

 

[Captain Ron]

This topic was burned out 8 months ago on all the aviation sites.

The thinking behind the question was from a CFI struggling with explaining the basics to a student. It's a very basic concept, so misunderstood by so many, even those who have flown for a living for many, many years.

So, you folks that think it's so simple, tell me what the question and correct answer is to that question, that would prompt such a senario.

Good luck. Then you can explain the region of reversed command, power plus pitch equals performance, VA~gross wieght and AOA, and a host of other practical flight theories minus Newtons Third Law.



--ron

 

[Ray H]

Your on... I'm serious.. 20 on no flight

What the??? My moneys not good enough?

 

[Lowrange2]

Ah... it'll take off. As long as the plane moves forward fast enough it'll lift. There is no way that the plane will be held in place by the wheels. The wheels are simple on bearings and will spin backwards... the prop will pull the plane forward. Now, you have to consider that when the plane begins to move forwards to they'll have to speed up the treadmill to make the 'facts' add up - (Wheels moving at the exact speed in the opposite direction) .... Reguardless it's going to be hard to set this one up.

If they do it like I'll think they will, it'll fly. I'll put 20 on it.

How does all this betting work...

 

[ZacSquatch]

What the??? My moneys not good enough?

Your money is 280 too many's

 

[JeepFreak21]

Simple. A plane sitting on a conveyor, you start the engine, the prop starts turning, the plane moves forward and take off. As the plane starts moving forward, the conveyor matches its wheel speed in the opposite direction. The plane flys into the wild blue wonder.

If the wheels were on the conveyor belt, and the plane was moving forward, the conveyor belt would never be able to match the wheel speed. The wheel speed is a combination of the conveyor belt speed (whatever it might be) and the plane's speed.

I think it's stated differently to avoid this pickle.

Billy

 

[ZacSquatch]

Who's our resident bookie??

 

[Lowrange2]

Well, yeah, but... can it move?
Billy

Yes, unless he forgot to let off the parking brake.

 

[JeepFreak21]

What the??? My moneys not good enough?

HAHA! Started too high bro!
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

Who's our resident bookie??

For 20 bucks? We're both pretty well known here... just make sure this thread doesn't get deleted.
Billy

 

[2000xjclassic]

I think that it will fly. What I am unsure about is if the belt matches the negative velocity of the wheels then wouldnt they just both keep spinning faster and faster untill they reached (or tried to) reach infinity. Maybe the whole thing is that the wheels get going so fast that the bearings lock up and cause the whole thing to crash. :dunno:

Chris

 

[ZacSquatch]

For 20 bucks? We're both pretty well known here... just make sure this thread doesn't get deleted.
Billy

No, I think Andy wanted in on it to... or so we just wait for another person to call his 20 for the other outcome

 

[Lowrange2]

I think that it will fly. What I am unsure about is if the belt matches the negative velocity of the wheels then wouldnt they just both keep spinning faster and faster untill they reached (or tried to) reach infinity. Maybe the whole thing is that the wheels get going so fast that the bearings lock up and cause the whole thing to crash. :dunno:

Chris

THe wheels have nothing to do with it. The plane will move forward and the wheels will move backwards... that's all there is to it.

20 for if it flies.

 

[Beej]

This experiment is going to create a tear in the fabric of spacetime when the plane suddenly implodes in a bright flash of light...

 

[ZacSquatch]

But as I think about it.. Once the wheels leave the tarp, the wheel speed will be twice what it is initially on the tarp... and once it hits pavement it'll go zoom...

Kinda like when you spin on wet grass and your tires catch on pavement.. you go zoom

I stick by my $20 though.. I don't think they can recreate it in a way to make it work... tarp will rip, lol