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Can A Plane Take Off On A Treadmill?

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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 10:46 AM
  #51  
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The riddle is not open to interpretation. I can't believe this is still being debated. The plane will take off. Any plane will take off. A car with wings and a jet engine will take off. A guy wearing a jet pack and roller blades with wings taped to his arms even has a chance to take off.
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 10:53 AM
  #52  
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The answer is yes because the jets will push the plane forward and no matter what the treadmill does to counter it the plane will still be able to move forward.
Not if the treadmill can match the exact acceleration of the plane in opposite direction.
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 10:58 AM
  #53  
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Wrong man, wrong.
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:02 AM
  #54  
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wait a minute, let me understand here.

Basically, the treadmill will not hold the plane in one place, and the plane will just advance forward, almost as normal and take off into the air. It won't stay stationary on the treadmill then all of a sudden lift off. Yes?
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:09 AM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by MikeyCB,Jan 28 2008, 12:02 PM
wait a minute, let me understand here.

Basically, the treadmill will not hold the plane in one place, and the plane will just advance forward, almost as normal and take off into the air. It won't stay stationary on the treadmill then all of a sudden lift off. Yes?
You've got it champ.

I can't believe people are still debating this.
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:24 AM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by vtec9,Jan 28 2008, 02:58 PM
Wrong man, wrong.
In order for the wings to do their work, you need sufficient airflow over them. If there is no relative motion between the wings and the air the wings will not produce lift. If the treadmill
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:31 AM
  #57  
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[QUOTE=Gymkata,Jan 28 2008, 12:24 PM] In order for the wings to do their work, you need sufficient airflow over them. If there is no relative motion between the wings and the air the wings will not produce lift. If the treadmill
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:33 AM
  #58  
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The treadmill does not stop the plane from moving forward. The wheels on the plane spin independently. The wheels will think the plane is moving twice as fast, but the plane will still move forward as if all were normal.

The rollerblade example is a good one. Put someone wearing rollerblades on a treadmill, and hold them in place with your arms. Now, give them a push forward, and they will move forward. The wheels will be moving with speed equal to the treadmill + the new forward motion. This push is equivalent to the trust an airplane receives from the engines and combusted gas.

No matter how fast the treadmill is moving, you will be able to push the man rollerblading on it forward since the wheels spin independently from the mechanism that moves the man forward. Similarly, no matter how fast the treadmill is moving under an airplan, the engines will propel it forward.
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:35 AM
  #59  
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Can a BMW M5 take off on a treadmill?
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Old Jan 28, 2008 | 11:39 AM
  #60  
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zing.
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