Let's say you had a giant treadmill with an airplane on it

[BankAccount=0$]

Is it possible to get the MythBusters to do a full scale model of this with a Cessna or something. Maybe they could go back to the boneyard and buy another one of AMF's Lances. I for one would love to see Kari build the rig all by herself just because more Kari=more gooder. Make it a 2 hour special so there is enough time to talk to all of the TV "aviation experts" like Dr. Bob Arnot, and (insert retired airline pilot's name here)........

 

[COOPERVANE]

The reason I like this riddle is because the first time it was posted, I could not believe ANYONE in their right mind would think it would fly. The whole relative wind thing.

I and several others argued till we were blue in the face.........And then it clicked......And I got it. I came slinking back to the computer and admitted that I was wrong. One by one some of the most well respected members saw the light and sheepishly agreed that it would fly.

It is a flawed question in that the plane WILL move forward eventually. The treadmill will TRY to keep up but it wont.

 

[Flyer1015]

Can someone please answer my question... can I log airplane treadmill time as PIC ?

 

[30West]

Which one do you think is correct?

The treadmill starts moving. Unless I want to slide off of the back, I must add power.
The faster the treadmill moves, the more power I must add to hold my position on the treadmill.

As the treadmill speeds up, I will have to keep adding power until one of three things happens-

1. I run out of power and can no longer maintain relative position, and slide off the rear of the treadmill.

2. Eventually my maximum tire groundspeed is reached and my tires blow, and I go sailing off the rear of the treadmill.

3. Thrust finally exceeds the rearward velocity of the treadmill and I run off the leading edge. If this happens, I am now free of the rearward motion of the treadmill and will now begin to pick up forward speed very rapidly due to being at full throttle and after an undetermined ground roll will then become airborne.

 

[runwayjockey]

What force is acting to oppose the airplane's engine thrust and thereby hold the airplane stationary with respect to the earth?

In the original post it was stated that forward velocity would be zero because treadmill speed would match the forward velocity for a given thrust setting.

Look at this way. Would an aircraft takeoff with the parking brake set and full thrust?

 

[runwayjockey]

The treadmill starts moving. Unless I want to slide off of the back, I must add power.
The faster the treadmill moves, the more power I must add to hold my position on the treadmill.

As the treadmill speeds up, I will have to keep adding power until one of three things happens-

1. I run out of power and can no longer maintain relative position, and slide off the rear of the treadmill.

2. Eventually my maximum tire groundspeed is reached and my tires blow, and I go sailing off the rear of the treadmill.

3. Thrust finally exceeds the rearward velocity of the treadmill and I run off the leading edge. If this happens, I am now free of the rearward motion of the treadmill and will now begin to pick up forward speed very rapidly due to being at full throttle and after an undetermined ground roll will then become airborne.

That about sums it up!

 

[Blucher]

What if it was a giant stationary bike? Or perhaps an elliptical machine? How about that "Gazelle" Tony Little is always trying to sell me late at night?

-Blucher:laugh:

 

[Flyer1015]

I bet ya Longhorn is sitting in the crew lounge munchin on blue-colored Jetblue chips, laughing his a$$ off reading this thread...

 

[The_Russian]

The only way either side can win is if assumtions are made. If I ended up in an airplane that was on a treadmill..........well........then I was most likely drunk and missed the turn at Bravo.

Darn tequeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllaaaaaa!!!!

 

[Sawmill]

For those of you who say the airplane will fly...prove it.
For those of you who say the airplane will not fly...prove it.