Plane vs. Treadmill Solved II

Ok, since some people were confused by the tape to stop it the plane from falling off, I run the plane at a low throttle to match rolling friction w/ thrust. I then accelerate the treadmill to almost 10 MPH w/o changing the throttle position. Then I throttle it up to prove that the plane can move at the high treadmill speed.

The treadmill does not affect the airplane's performance; this shows that no matter what the treadmill does (accelerate the same as the plane, faster than the plane, or less than the plane) the plane will still move forward.

ORIGINAL QUESTION:
A plane is on a runway that is a giant conveyor belt. As the plane moves, the conveyor will exactly match that speed but in the reverse direction.
Can the plane take off?
Again, the plane will take off.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• plane
• treadmill
• conveyor
• poat
• poac
• mythbusters

[onpahanvaan]

It's like this: You are standing on a skateboard on a long treadmill. It has long handrail next to it. You start pulling yourself forward with the handrail (like plane "pulls" itself forward with air). The treadmill starts moving at same speed at the opposite direction but it doesn't have any affect in your forward movement because you are UNCOUPLED from the treadmill by the wheels of the skateboard (just as a plane is by its wheels).

[onpahanvaan]

You walk on treadmill and your "speed" is matched by the treadmill you will of course stay stationary relative to the surroundings. If planes speed is matched by treadmill it means the plane is actually moving forward (relative to surroundings) at certain speed and the treadmill with same speed at opposite direction. (Meaning planes speed relative to treadmill surface is double its speed relative to surroundings.) Plane can only regulate its speed relative to air and is UNCOUPLED from treadmill

[onpahanvaan]

1.

I see why people have a problem with this. It's sort of a trick question because the real core question of it is: WILL THE PLANE MOVE FORWARD OR NOT? Most people intuition says NO because we are used to transportation like walking and cars which "push" from ground to move forward. Then people think the problem of the question is will the plane fly if it's stationary relative to air and then the answer would of course be NO. But it WILL move forward because it pushes the AIR to move.

[shyheim101]

Yes you are

[egroegcimorg]

Umm taking off a running treadmill is impossible due to the lack of currents that the wings create lift on... Am i right nerds?

[motals]

skip the chat to 2:00

[rickrollification]

@mikecamp6969 I cant see why people have a problem with this.. its good to see somone else understands it. the planes lift is developed from its speed RELATIVE TO SURROUNDING AIR, this is why real aircraft always land into wind, because if they fly with constant airspeed, but downwind they will have greater groundspeed, making it harder to land, if an aircraft were on a treadmill with a headwind equal to the take off speed, it would take off without moving, as it would from stationary ground.

[11cookeaw1]

@TheIceychill2 blog.xkcd.com/2008/09/09/the-g­oddamn-airplane-on-the-goddamn­-treadmill The plane WILL move forward. It WILL tale off.

[tonyspazfur]

sounds like its wheels are going to explode



[AJSTho]

Well done, you've proved that bad wheel bearings have high friction. Do this with a real plane with real wheels and you'd have to move the belt at hundreds of miles an hour to stop it. In fact the tires would probably burst from overheating before drag from the wheel bearings became significant.