Poll: I was wondering....
- Thread starter Kodlak
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I believe the Mythbusters did something like this, but I really can't remember what happened. I think it was a "no" because the reason it takes off is the movement of air under the wings, and being stationary on a treadmill doesn't create that movement.
No, there would be no air resistance to provide the necessary lift under the wings in order to lift the airplane off the ground.
VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft can do it, but it requires too much fuel to be a practical means of air travel.
VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft can do it, but it requires too much fuel to be a practical means of air travel.
Of course it would be able to take off, assuming that the pilot WANTED to take off. A plane gets it's thrust from the ENGINES which are not attached to the treadmill.
Please see HERE [http://www.airplaneonatreadmill.com/] which explains the ambiguity that leads to the confusion.
@the OP'er, why did you decide to start a topic that is well known for only ever ending in a flame war?
Please see HERE [http://www.airplaneonatreadmill.com/] which explains the ambiguity that leads to the confusion.
@the OP'er, why did you decide to start a topic that is well known for only ever ending in a flame war?
Yes. Because the wheels are not what provide the propulsion, and are in fact free moving. They have no affect on the plane. It is still able to move forward, while the wheels continue to spin in the opposite direction. A plane gets propulsion from the propeller or turbines pushing air backwards, propelling the plane forwards while it merely rests on the wheels.
Think of it like this. Take a skateboard, which has the same sort of free moving wheels. Attach a string around it and put it on a treadmill. Pull the skateboard at exactly the same speed as the treadmill, in the opposite direction. The skateboard will move towards the way you are pulling, not remain stationary.
Think of it like this. Take a skateboard, which has the same sort of free moving wheels. Attach a string around it and put it on a treadmill. Pull the skateboard at exactly the same speed as the treadmill, in the opposite direction. The skateboard will move towards the way you are pulling, not remain stationary.
I would've thought no because unless the plane is exerting a foward motion of its own then the only motion will be the treadmill moving it backwards. If the plane was exerting foward motion equal to the treadmills backwards motion then I'm not sure, sounds like that could work. But I know nothing of aviation and or treadmills 
haha!
lmao just wrote all that then followed the links to the video, left thinking - whats Rick Astley got to do with planes on treadmills? haha
haha!lmao just wrote all that then followed the links to the video, left thinking - whats Rick Astley got to do with planes on treadmills? haha
I am 100% sure that It is a yes it will take off due to the fact that while a car requires forward propulsion on the group to move, the wheels on an airplane do not require an engin but the propulsion from an airplane comes from the engins in the wings pulling the air through the wheels just roll along with the rest of the plane.
Obviously the man who invented a treadmill big enough to launch a plane off of would win a Nobel Prize for "Stupidest Idea Ever".
I couldn't think of anything better than what was said above.
I couldn't think of anything better than what was said above.
No, air has to move under the wings to create lift, engines provide thrust to move forward to create lift.Lukeje said:
I retract, I forgot the way the engines work. But if it wasn't using engines then no it wouldn't get off the ground.Hunde Des Krieg said: