Mythbusters/airplane on a treadmill.

[FitchVA]

No it won't, thats the point. The treadmill is suppose to completely counteract the fwd motion of the plane.

this is where you're going wrong. re-read the original wording of the question...

Imagine a plane is sitting on a massive conveyor belt, as wide and as long as a runway. The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels, moving in the opposite direction. Can the plane take off?

it matches the speed of the wheels. it doesn't counteract the forward motion of the plane

 

[BlueCuda]

HERE, this guy and his kid made it very simple

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EopVDgSPAk

 

[woody]

I smoked dope through high school physics, but I think I can answer this.

An aircraft carrier turns into the wind why? To create a static lift on the a/c @ takeoff... A sailboat uses the wind how? Thrust. Put into perspective... a light aircraft (like a Cessna) set to takeoff and climb... but idle on the deck of an inwind carrier making way... and catch a good gust? guess who's flying w/o the plane cranked up yet?

A treadmill acting on the wheels of the aircraft (assuming the brakes are not locked, and the plane isn't tethered) is going to have no "bearing" on the thrust and takeoff... the wheels might be running overtime backwards, the a/c is going take off if it was otherwise ready. Because of THRUST and LIFT...

I :dunno: the most fun I've had in aircraft is jumping out. And my worst times have always been landings. Early 70s BOAC 747 trips were cool though

 

[JeepFreak21]

this is where you're going wrong. re-read the original wording of the question...

it matches the speed of the wheels. it doesn't counteract the forward motion of the plane

.

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

 

[JeepFreak21]

HERE, this guy and his kid made it very simple

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EopVDgSPAk

Simple-ized
Billy

 

[Captain Ron]

Simple-ized
Billy

For third graders.



--ron

 

[woody]

I'd like to STOL their treadmill just for fookin with fisichs n shiz

 

[impetus-93xj]

Simple-ized
Billy

I didn't realize that this was a question about wether or not a plane could out run a treadmill or not?

 

[impetus-93xj]

I think someone should outline the peramiters of the experiment before we go any ferther.

 

[goodburbon]

HERE, this guy and his kid made it very simple

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EopVDgSPAk

make that check payable to

Brandon Ory please

 

[goodburbon]

If an air plane flys 100MPH ground speed into a 50MPH headwind, the airplanes air speed is only 50MPH.
If the plane flys with a 50 MPH tail wind, it's airspeed will be 150 MPH.

BTW sean your explination is ass backwards.

100 mph groundspeed into a 50 mph headwind is 150 airspeed
100 mph groundspeed with a 50 mph tailwind is 50 airspeed

 

[woody]

yes... Thats why planes can lift off from a carrier easier upwind.

I think if the AC had enough thrust... it could even take off on SKIS! which puts that whole treadmill thing to fookin bed.

And I think if an aircraft carrier had beefy masts, sails & rigging, (and a strong following wind) one could sail it cross-country without a Panama Canal

 

[Captain Ron]

...
And I think if an aircraft carrier had beefy masts, sails & rigging, (and a strong following wind) one could sail it cross-country without a Panama Canal

That's retarded Woody. Without a treadmill, no VMG downwind.



--ron

 

[JeepFreak21]

I didn't realize that this was a question about wether or not a plane could out run a treadmill or not?

Well, most are saying, "If can move, it will fly". Did anybody think the plane would be able to move forward, but not fly?
Billy

 

[98XJSport]

No argument here! "There are few personal problems that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives..."

 

[woody]

That's retarded Woody. Without a treadmill, no VMG downwind.



--ron

Well, :blush: I may have been drinking... but I'll stand by my synopsis.

 

[Waterhammer]

this is where you're going wrong. re-read the original wording of the question...

it matches the speed of the wheels. it doesn't counteract the forward motion of the plane

Yeah, I had to re-read the original question. When put like that it'll totally take off.

 

[woody]

Since I seem to be hung up on odd stuff lately... recall that Soviet land vehicle that used two rotating screw-like pontoons for locomotion?

Imagine rigging a nuclear carrier with those! Tread Lightly! :wave:

 

[Beej]

It will fly. Period.

 

[1985xjlaredo]

Unless it's in a wind tunnel, a plane needs the lift dif from the top & bottom of the wing to fly.

X2 Case closed. Whoever thought that a plane takes of by how fast its wheels spins need to go back to 1st grade physics