Plane on conveyer: Will it ever take off?
Originally Posted by Tedow,Mar 30 2010, 08:40 AM
Not exactly. A wind tunnel blowing in the opposite direction as the plane's would actually make the plane take off sooner since you have more velocity over the plane's wings. A wind tunnel blowing in the same direction will prevent the plane from taking off, since the relative air speed over the wings would be zero, but the plane will still move...it will just roll along the ground.
I should've explained better.I meant that a wind tunnel to a plane would potentially be equivalent from the perspective of keeping the plane in the same geographical position while enabling the propulsion system to be running full-steam. In the case of a plane, it would be in flight, but in the same spot - provided the tunnel could blow the air fast enough.
Originally Posted by Saki GT,Mar 30 2010, 10:08 AM
Here's a real question - if a plane is trying to take off and is going 100mph, and there is a 100 mph tail wind, will the plane be able to take off?

I'm going to say no!
Originally Posted by Saki GT,Mar 30 2010, 11:08 AM
Here's a real question - if a plane is trying to take off and is going 100mph, and there is a 100 mph tail wind, will the plane be able to take off?
Originally Posted by Saki GT,Mar 30 2010, 11:22 AM
If a plane is anchored by the nose to the ground ahead of it, but on a treadmill, and the treadmill is moving at 100 mph so the wheels are spinning at 100 mph, will the plane take off?
Originally Posted by Saki GT,Mar 30 2010, 12:22 PM
If a plane is anchored by the nose to the ground ahead of it, but on a treadmill, and the treadmill is moving at 100 mph so the wheels are spinning at 100 mph, will the plane take off?
Originally Posted by Saki GT,Mar 30 2010, 05:59 PM
And if the plane is anchored to the ground, and the treadmill isn't moving at all, but there's a 100 mph headwind, will the plane take off?
EDIT: Nope, anchored to the ground keeps it on the ground...unless the plane isn't insured.







