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

[The_Russian]

It doesn't matter how fast the treadmill is moving. The aircraft thrust comes from the engines, and it will roll. Just go back 10 pages in this thread and see the "correct" answer posted. PCL_128 is right, btw.

He is right as long as the treadmill is at a limited, constant speed. Due to the variable, unlimited speed of the conveyer, he is not correct.

Like I said before:

RTFQ x 2

 

[Flyer1015]

He is right as long as the treadmill is at a limited, constant speed. Due to the variable, unlimited speed of the conveyer, he is not correct.

Like I said before:

RTFQ x 2

It doesn't matter what the speed of the conveyer belt is. This isn't a car we're talking about... this is an airplane. With a car, since the engine power is transmission through axel (to the wheels), the car would be a different story. But the airplanes wheels are not "powered" by the jet engine. There is no linkage from the engine to the airplane wheels for power, as you have in a car. The engine will push the aircraft forward, regardless of what speed you run the treadmill at. Sure, the aircraft wheels will grind their way across but the bottomline is that movement happens, and the jet will not remain still.

 

[Flyer1015]

Not the same situation. The river is producing immense drag upon the fuselage of the boat. In the case of the airplane, the only drag that the propeller has to overcome is the drag from the wheel bearings. This drag is virtually nothing, and increasing the speed of the treadmill won't really affect it. Once the airplane's propeller overcomes the drag from the bearings (almost immediately), then the airplane will begin to accelerate without regard for the speed of the treadmill.

Bingo to PCL_128.

 

[Nindiri]

Chuck Norris does it by applying the force of a roundhouse kick.

 

[uscpilot]

Russian,
I read the first few thrn last few pages, so if this point has already been made then feel free to hurl the insults.
Lets flip this question around and have an airplane landing on this treadmill/runway. The plane is touching down at 130 KTS so the treadmill is spinning at 130 in the opposite direction. Will it bring the plane to an immediate stop? If so, then why havent these treadmills been incorperated this into modern airports? That would really cut down on all the land thats used for 12K foot runways. Hey by the same logic they could spin the treadmill in the same direction as the aircraft and launch the planes using the same principal. We could just install a treadmill at every gate and never need a runway again.
Now come on would it really reduce the landing distance that much if it spun in the opposite direction? Also would it really have much of effect on takeoff distance if it spun in the same direction as the aircraft?

 

[WhiteKnight]

Thanks Russian you're my hero!!

 

[Crossky]

The original question was worded poorly, but after thinking about it I'm starting to wonder whether it would takeoff . . . .

After 18 pages it's time to contact The MYTHBUSTERS! (Has anyone already?)

Happy Easter! (If you celebrate it)

 

[COOPERVANE]

Those who think it won't take off, almost always eventually come to the realization that it in fact will. But to cover up their earlier embarrassing tirades swearing it won't, they ALWAYS attack the question, saying it wasn't worded fairly. I suspect these are the same quys that blame a bad landing on the airplane or that sudden wind gust.

This is called splitting hares or arguing over semantics

I originally posted this to draw attention away from the idiotic "I can legally log PIC in the right seat" thread. I didn't think it would live so long

 

[The_Russian]

Those who think it won't take off, almost always eventually come to the realization that it in fact will. But to cover up their earlier embarrassing tirades swearing it won't, they ALWAYS attack the question, saying it wasn't worded fairly. I suspect these are the same quys that blame a bad landing on the airplane or that sudden wind gust.

This is called splitting hares or arguing over semantics

I originally posted this to draw attention away from the idiotic "I can legally log PIC in the right seat" thread. I didn't think it would live so long

No one ever said anything about it being worded fairly. We did correct people on their poor interpretation of the wording within the question.

What makes you think the plane won't take off anyway?

uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:uke:

 

[Nindiri]

This is called splitting hares...

Splitting hares on Easter.