Plane on conveyor... Will it ever take off?

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by thirdgenlxi

It is very basic indeed, just gotta think about what makes an airplane move... but you're still incorrect, lol


And yes, will this thread ever die !!!!

hahaha! You're right! Because the engines pull/push the plane though the air. The wheels will just turn. Ha all of you guys are right, I am a dumbass and don't deserve to live!!! man, I got stuck on forward motion but the wheels don't dictate that on a plane, duh!

[derf]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

hI am a dumbass and don't deserve to live!!!

Quoted

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by derf

Quoted

Hey it's true! That's probably why I'm where I'm at!!!

[Lucky3623]

If the belt and was moving at the exact same speed as the plane, how was the plane able to move forward? If I run at 10 mph on a treadmil that is going 10mph, I don't move forward, I stay stationary... If I speed up my pace to 11 mph while the treadmil is still at the orig 10 mph, I move forward on the belt, if I slow my pace to 9 mph, I fall off the back...

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by Lucky3623

If the belt and was moving at the exact same speed as the plane, how was the plane able to move forward? If I run at 10 mph on a treadmil that is going 10mph, I don't move forward, I stay stationary... If I speed up my pace to 11 mph while the treadmil is still at the orig 10 mph, I move forward on the belt, if I slow my pace to 9 mph, I fall off the back...

Read back a bit.
The movement of the plane has nothing to do with anything touching the conveyor. The thrust from the jet engines will push it forward while the wheels spin free.
We're sort of pre-wired to think only in terms of movement based on pushing against the ground... that's not how planes operate.

[Lucky3623]

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

Read back a bit.
The movement of the plane has nothing to do with anything touching the conveyor. The thrust from the jet engines will push it forward while the wheels spin free.

Ahhh... I didn't even think about the movable wheels not having any affect on the thrust. If the wheels were locked, and the thust was on, yes... the plane would be standing still...

[HurricaneHeather]

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

We're sort of pre-wired to think only in terms of movement based on pushing against the ground... that's not how planes operate.

That says it right there. Planes don't make sense.

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

Read back a bit.
The movement of the plane has nothing to do with anything touching the conveyor. The thrust from the jet engines will push it forward while the wheels spin free.
We're sort of pre-wired to think only in terms of movement based on pushing against the ground... that's not how planes operate.

There's one other factor [er, two].

Because the plane (due to its being essentially temporarily "immobilized" on a treadmill) is not really moving against the ambient air (well, no more air than the thrusters will provide in airflow); the plane is essentially taking off with a matching tailwind, as the ambient air is not aided in differential movement across the plane by any takeoff-speed-provided airflow.

I agree that beyond this factor (and the minor issue of increased wheel speed, and a corresponding increase in bearing losses) the wheels play essentially no part in this.

The plane will still fly, because its true interaction (primary exchange of thrust) is via the air, not the ground via the tires, as they free-spin (as you pointed out).

[fasternyou929]

Originally Posted by Avatard

There's one other factor [er, two].

Because the plane (due to its being essentially temporarily "immobilized" on a treadmill) is not really moving against the ambient air (well, no more air than the thrusters will provide in airflow); the plane is essentially taking off with a matching tailwind, as the ambient air is not aided in differential movement across the plane by any takeoff-speed-provided airflow.

I thought that was the point of the riddle, that the conveyor cannot immobilize the plane since the plane propels itself using air, not the wheels. So if the thrusters are set for 240mph and the treadmill is set for 240mph in the other direction, the plane still moves at 240mph but the wheels spin freely against the conveyor at 480mph. Or no?

[Rider]

Originally Posted by fasternyou929

I thought that was the point of the riddle, that the conveyor cannot immobilize the plane since the plane propels itself using air, not the wheels. So if the thrusters are set for 240mph and the treadmill is set for 240mph in the other direction, the plane still moves at 240mph but the wheels spin freely against the conveyor at 480mph. Or no?

Yes