Plane on conveyer: Will it ever take off?
Joined: Jul 2004
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what happened in that one episode of Airwolf where he couldn't get enough power to take off vertically so he had to jet forward fast enough to take off like a plane? I never understood that. 
BTW, it took all of half a second to remember that planes don't move forward by the power of their wheels.
BTW, it took all of half a second to remember that planes don't move forward by the power of their wheels.
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From: City
Originally Posted by Austblue,Dec 1 2005, 08:35 PM
Wow that pot's a racist mofo 
Go get laid pal
I could have just said I thought you were stupid, but that seemed lame We all sometimes fail at noticing the obvious, including myself. I don't really think anyone who fails to grasp the obvious in this "riddle" is stupid, but one does wonder what they could be thinking.
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Doh!!
Originally Posted by dcak,Dec 1 2005, 03:54 PM
That "riddle" was retarded. If anyone thought about it for more than 9 seconds, call your mom and yell at her for not having aborted you long ago.
(don't worry, I'll change mine too)
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From: Erock is da shizzle
The wording is a little off though, I mean an argument could be made that the conveyer is matching the planes speed, and therefor counteracting the plane's movement by moving fast enough for the drag of the wheels to hold it in place.
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From: Newtown,PA
Originally Posted by Tedow,Dec 1 2005, 06:02 PM
Actually, yes it will. The trick is that the plane's engines are not pushing against the ground, as a car would. The force comes from the air, so the plane moves forward as usual...the presence of the moving ground plane is completely irrelevant. Well, okay, the plane's wheels will spin twice as fast as usual, but that's all. Plane takes off.
To add, there are two major forces on the plane. One gravity pushing down and two the thrust from the engines which is horizontal. The conveyer belt doesnt add a force to the plane in the opposite direction(which is the trick) The only force presented to the plane from the conveyer belt is the force of friction between the wheel and conveyer surface. Now the plane would not take off if the wheels were lets say glued(not the best example but you get the idea), this would increase the friction enough to keep the plane from moving.