Will this airplane fly?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Susquehanna Valley, pa.
heres what i posted last time.
It will take off.
As the thrust pushes the plane down the conveyor at 1mph the conveyor goes in the other direction at 1mph so the wheels on the plane are moving at 2mph but the plane is moving forward. when it reaches 100mph or so it will take off. The wheels will be doing 200 mph though. Its simple when you think about it.
It will take off.
As the thrust pushes the plane down the conveyor at 1mph the conveyor goes in the other direction at 1mph so the wheels on the plane are moving at 2mph but the plane is moving forward. when it reaches 100mph or so it will take off. The wheels will be doing 200 mph though. Its simple when you think about it.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: The Internet
Lets say the plane requires a half a mile on a regular runway to get up to the speed required to get airborne.
With the treadmill scenario, the treadmill would have to be at least half a mile long.
With the treadmill scenario, the treadmill would have to be at least half a mile long.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: The Internet
I guess the point I am trying to make is that the airplane is not "stationary" on the treadmill/conveyor, like a car on a dyno is "stationary", or a human walking on a teadmill is "stationary".
In the case of the airplane, the airplane is actually moving forward relative to the ground.
In the case of the airplane, the airplane is actually moving forward relative to the ground.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Bryant, AL
OK...It took me forever but I have come to a conclusion that the plane WILL take off. I read pages after pages of post here and other forums (I googled it). I too could not see the plane taking off in that scenario, then it just clicked.
A test could be done with a RC plane and a fancy conveyor system. The airplane's/jet's prop/turbine pulls the air thru the system and turns it into thrust, pushing it out the back creating forward motion as mentioned.
For those who can't get it yet... Picture this...Plane is sitting on conveyor/runway, conveyor is running backwards and there is somemeans of holding the plane in place, no air is moving around the plane and the wheels are moving at 100mph. The pilot gives the plane throttle, engines begin sucking air thru the prop/turbines. What happens when dead air is sucked thru something and forced out the back? Forward motion. Full throttle, the plane takes off just as if the conveyor was not moving at all. This is how I had to see it.
A test could be done with a RC plane and a fancy conveyor system. The airplane's/jet's prop/turbine pulls the air thru the system and turns it into thrust, pushing it out the back creating forward motion as mentioned.
For those who can't get it yet... Picture this...Plane is sitting on conveyor/runway, conveyor is running backwards and there is somemeans of holding the plane in place, no air is moving around the plane and the wheels are moving at 100mph. The pilot gives the plane throttle, engines begin sucking air thru the prop/turbines. What happens when dead air is sucked thru something and forced out the back? Forward motion. Full throttle, the plane takes off just as if the conveyor was not moving at all. This is how I had to see it.