Question.
27 November 2012, 02:03 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Deepest Darkest Kernow
Posts: 4,404
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Question.
Stolen from another forum.....
A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyer). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyer moves in the opposite direction. This conveyer has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyer to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the plane take off?
So can it, or can't it?
A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyer). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyer moves in the opposite direction. This conveyer has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyer to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the plane take off?
So can it, or can't it?
27 November 2012, 02:17 PM
#3
Scooby Regular
Whether or not a plane takes off has nothing to do with it's speed over the ground, it's airspeed over (and under) the wings that matters. So if you've got that, yes the plane will take off, if you haven't, no it won't. Simples 
27 November 2012, 02:19 PM
#5
Trending Topics
27 November 2012, 02:37 PM
#14
Surely it's the air moving over the wings that creates the lift (pressure differences etc etc). So unless the conveyor is moving the air a few feet above it, then no lift will be generated and no the plane won't take off.
27 November 2012, 05:04 PM
#21
Super Muppet
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Inside out
Posts: 33,364
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stolen from another forum.....
A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyer). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyer moves in the opposite direction. This conveyer has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyer to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the plane take off?
So can it, or can't it?
A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyer). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyer moves in the opposite direction. This conveyer has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyer to be exactly the same (but in the opposite direction). Can the plane take off?
So can it, or can't it?
Last edited by Jamie; 27 November 2012 at 05:06 PM.
27 November 2012, 06:39 PM
#25
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: north of the south border
Posts: 4,510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The plane will take off simples, the plane builds up speed from the propeller ect pulling it through the air not from wheels pushing it accross the ground so no matter whether its on a treadmill or not the propellor will pull it up to speed and take off.
27 November 2012, 07:01 PM
#27
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: north of the south border
Posts: 4,510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The wheels do not play a part in the take off (no drive at all) so even if the conveyor was doing 10 million mph the plane would still move forward.
Last edited by addi monster; 27 November 2012 at 07:03 PM.
27 November 2012, 07:04 PM
#28
The plane wont take off. If the planes like 747 jumbo have a take off speed of 200mph, the conveyor belt runway would also move in the opposite direction, thus the wheels would be rolling at 400mph which far exceeds the design spec of the wheels, tyres and bearings. Therefore these wheels will explode rupturing the fuselage and wings and the plane will explode into massive ball of fire along with all the passengers. Therefore nobody should ever try this to prove me wrong.
27 November 2012, 07:15 PM
#29
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: north of the south border
Posts: 4,510
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The plane wont take off. If the planes like 747 jumbo have a take off speed of 200mph, the conveyor belt runway would also move in the opposite direction, thus the wheels would be rolling at 400mph which far exceeds the design spec of the wheels, tyres and bearings. Therefore these wheels will explode rupturing the fuselage and wings and the plane will explode into massive ball of fire along with all the passengers. Therefore nobody should ever try this to prove me wrong.
