Will it take off?

Originally posted by DaddyBare
The conveyor would never work...but if you place one bigass fan in front of the plane!

You're right; a conveyor wouldn't stop it. Unfortunately, a big fan would generate the needed airflow over, and under, the wings allowing for a psuedo VTOL situation. That's why I chose to mention a vacuum chamber earlier.

Originally posted by mungodave
You mean to say the wheels will be travelling at the speed of the conveyor PLUS the ground speed of the aircraft right?

Yeap, exactly.

Yes, it will be able to take off.

The big thing you have to realize here is that an airplane doesn't get it's power from rotating wheels on the ground, like a car, but from pushing the air, with either a propeller, jet, or rocket. So, the conveyor belt will have no affect on the airplane other than spinning it's free-spinning wheels twice as fast as normal. The airplane will still be able to move and accelerate normally, as if the conveyor was stationary.

The wheels on the plane DO NOT PROVIDE THRUST. If it was a car, then the car would sit in place and not move, because the wheels provide the thrust for the car. The wheels turn, and push against the ground, causing forward motion. The engines of a plane either pull or push against the AIR to provide motion. The wheels are there to provide a medium for the plane to move across the ground, that's all.

reply to post by redmage


redmage,

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was stuck on the assumption that the plane would not move relative to a casual observer. It's the old pull the table-cloth from under the dinnerware trick. You can move the conveyor at any speed and the tendency of the plane is to stay put relative to the observer due to inertia vs friction. This allows the plane's propeller to exert the force necessary to have the plane move forward and take off.

Cheers,

Obsidience

no its wont create any lift for the wings to hold the plane up.

reply to post by jkm1864


Yes it will. The plane will still move on the belt, as has been stated and proven several times.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by jkm1864

 

Yes it will. The plane will still move on the belt, as has been stated and proven several times.

Who knew this would be so hotly debated eh? You explanation 4 or so posts up was perfect to explain relative to the wheels what's happening so make me wonder how many ways one can say this. If we come up with a good way it may be worth putting on the debunked thread.

I can't believe that people are still not getting this! Even funnier was a post a couple of days ago that called those who DO get it dumb

It has already been explained excellently several times over so my effort is doomed to failure but I can't help myself.

1 The wheels are rolling freely

2 the belt can move as fast as it likes, it makes no difference to the plane what the wheels are doing.

3 the propeller on the front of the plane pulls it forwards, the belt is going the other way so the wheels turn faster but the plane keeps accelerating until it takes off. Thats all there is to it.


If the friction of the wheel bearings or the weight of the plane was enough to counter the thrust of the engine and keep the plane stationary then the the egine is shagged and the plane not airworthy anyway, it would not even take off from a normal runway.