Mythbusters tonight

[scuba91ta]

to answer the longitude question, it better! otherwise the compass is off!

[westexasrepublic]

OK well just to keep everyone thinking. If a plane landed on a treadmill it would not just stop in mid motion, the wheels that touch down would just spin faster. Object in motion stay in motion, would that theory apply for landing?

[mudyfronty05]

It was all a trick! They just wanted to see how long a bunch of guys would argue about it on the internet!

Still a good show tonight. I would like to try skydiving sometime.

[Mountaineer]

I'm still trying to figure out where the mandatory lift is coming from if the plane is just gonna take off from standstill (and yes it's standing still, just because the wheels are moving doesn't mean the plane is actually moving). I think some people dont completely understand the problem. The plane's wheels are going the exact same speed as the treadmill except in the opposite direction, this means the plane is not moving. How can a plane not moving take off?

[fleaofsc]

The treadmill has nothing to do with it..... It doesn't even know the treadmill is there. If you apply any thrust to the jet engines it will just roll forward off the treadmill.

[mudyfronty05]

You guys are way over my head....I still trying to figure out what kind of treadmill would hold up a fricking plane!

[Mountaineer]

But thats not a part of the problem. The problem is the wheels are traveling the same speed in relation to the treadmill, if you increase thrust and the two speeds are no longer the same, then the point is lost. If you had the treadmill going at 1,000 mph and the plane's wheels going 1,000 mph, the plane won't take off because it can't move to create lift. If the treadmill was going 1,000 mph and the plane was going at 1,001 mph then gradually the plane could take off.

This is one reason why you can't do this myth on mythbusters, it's impossible, the requirements are impossible and anything they do would influence the results.

[fleaofsc]

You are missing the point that the plane does not drive with power to the wheels. Its like the difference of holding a skateboard on a treadmill or driving an rc car on a treadmill. If you are holding a skateboard on a treadmill you are the power to the skateboard and it is very easy to move it forward.

[nebraskafrontier]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

But thats not a part of the problem. The problem is the wheels are traveling the same speed in relation to the treadmill, if you increase thrust and the two speeds are no longer the same, then the point is lost. If you had the treadmill going at 1,000 mph and the plane's wheels going 1,000 mph, the plane won't take off because it can't move to create lift. If the treadmill was going 1,000 mph and the plane was going at 1,001 mph then gradually the plane could take off.

This is one reason why you can't do this myth on mythbusters, it's impossible, the requirements are impossible and anything they do would influence the results.

sit on a skateboard on the treadmill with a rope tied to the front of it. pull your self forward with the rope. that is what the engines on an airplane will due. you are overthinking this and thinking it is like a bike on a treadmill. this is actually very simple. the treadmill will slow down how fast it takes off just due to parasitic drag but not enough to be able to keep it sitting still at full throttle.

[Mainerunr]

I get what you're saying mountaineer, it's all in the wording and the way you're wording it, you are correct.

yes, a plane could take off even if on a moving treadmill.

but no, a plane cannot take off from said treadmill IF the wheels are spinning at the same speed so as to cover the exact same distance as the treadmill (ie wheels spinning at 200mph, treadmill moving 200 mph opposite direction) because if that were the case then the plane would actually NOT be moving (meaning it would be generating only enough thrust to overcome the friction in the wheel bearings.

everyone is looking at the can it take off and yes, it can but given the conditions specified by Mountaineer, no, it cannot.