Imagine a plane is sitting on a conveyor belt, can it take off?

[Mikey]

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

This is actually going to be proven on Myth Busters lols

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/28...s-tackles.html

[RichieGB]

You mean, it's actually going to be experimented on under the budget of The Discovery Channel.

[Grapist]

yes it can

[Mikey]

Originally Posted by RichieGB

You mean, it's actually going to be experimented on under the budget of The Discovery Channel.

They are going to make a huge ass conveyor belt and put a plane on it.

[Grapist]

Originally Posted by Mikey

They are going to make a huge ass conveyor belt and put a plane on it.

And it will take off.

[Rye]

i tink it will.

[DWarrior]

It's kinda weird to think about it. If the conveyor belt matches the plane exactly, I don't see why it would take off. Doesn't plane fly on air resistance? How would it move up if its net displacement is 0 (thus its wings don't actually move through the air)?

There could be some odd effect created by the belt moving and the wheels creating some sort of weirdo air current, but I don't know enough Physics for that.

My prediction: no, it can't.

[Rye]

ummm plane needs the lift which needs the forward momentum etc... now i think the plane will move forward regardless of belt speed.

[Grapist]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

My prediction: no, it can't.

I will grant you this as a possibility based on ideal versus realistic circumstances. But an airplane doesn't achieve lift due to it's speed, as much as it achieves lift due to the speed of the wind moving over the wings.

Propellers, jet engines, etc are designed to move air across wings and the wings are designed in such a way that lift is achieved if you move enough air over the wing. It doesn't matter if the wheels of the plane are actually causing the plane to move forward. If the jet engines/propellers pull enough air over the wing, lift will be created and the plane will take flight.

[phooey]

I am going to have to say that no, it can't take off. a plane takes off because the wind is being pushed over the wings.. no wind will be pushed over a wing.. if.. the plane's wheels just spin and spin, if anything the plane will be pushed off the back of the treadmill because there is bound to be some sort of resistance.

Now, if they find a way to remove the backwards resistance, the plane will stay put.


it's because it is a plane... imagine if you put a kite on a treadmill? would it fly?

uh... nope

and I have never taken flight on my treadmill or my elliptical machine.. not even once.