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?

 

They actually did this on episode of Mythbusters, can't remember the outcome though!

 

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

 

Doh!

 

Indeed, as the wheels aren't driven I don't see how the conveyor makes any difference. 85 pages on one of the Vauxhall forums.

 

On a forum of users familiar with rolling roads, i'm sure everybody knows the answer

 

Yes, with a remap and a dump value it will take off.

 

A dump value

 

This ^^^

 

Hmmm fat finger and and iPad don't mix.






Or maybe it was autocorrect.

 

the plane wont take off if its standing still.

a plane needs wind/air going over/under the wings to give it lift.


aw someone beat me to it

 

Why doesn't it surprise me that it took a Vauxhall forum 85 pages to see sense

 

More importantly, why was I on a Vauxhall forum

 

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.

 

If only somebody had suggested that before, Miniman

 

The Bernoulli effect.

 

No it won't take off.................84 pages to go........

 

The groundspeed in this case would not influence the airspeed which is what enables the aircraft's wings to produce lift.

It would not fly.

Les

 

will the engine be running? if it is, wont that make air flow over the wings etc?

 

Ian if this gets even to page 3 i'm holding you personally responsible

 

What cave have you been living in ? or was it prison? ph many moons years ago

 

;-)

 

<<<< look at where I live. We've only just got electricity.

 

Does this question apply to VTOL planes?

 

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.

 

Have you missed out a smiley? As it clearly won't in the scenario in post 1

 

Did you not read what i posted ?
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.

 

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.

 

The OP said " A PLANE" not specific in any way so see my above post and it will take off, point taken about huge aircraft ratings ect but a plane will indeed take of under the circumstances