Debbie, the whole point of the question is to realise that an airplane does not push against the gound to accelerate like a car does, it pushes against the air.

That's what I meant. The jet engine is the action pushing against the air (the equal & opposite reaction). My previous post was stated very poorly. (See what can happen when you post too quickly! :oops: )

That is all...

...but before the episode airs, I also say no, it will not take off.

I'm tempted to lock this thread preemptively before the arguments start again.

Please Austin?

better hurry up!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62...aplane.jpg.jpg

I'm going to ban anyone that's dumb enough to believe the conveyor belt can stop a plane from taking off. Anyone with that little grasp on reality should go live in a cave and marvel at the wonder of fire.

It's a magic conveyor belt though.

*ducks*

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Or something like that.

I just re-read my comment.

I'm a huge dick.

...but I stand by my statement. :P

FIRE BAD!

But, what about a helicopter on a stairmaster?

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/89/pics/89lsi.jpg
Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein say, "Plane no take off!!!11!1"

If a guy with a rocket pack was on a stairmaster...

If the Earth were spinning at 1040mph surface velocity in the opposite direction of the plane taking off...

That cartoon may have been the single most entertaining thing I've ever seen in my life. :lol:

I fixed it for me...

;)

Thats as stupid as the hovercraft on the wave machine.

hell yes.

Mythbusters did this...
Find the speed needed for the airplane to take off.
Set the treadmill to that speed in the opposite direction.
Will the airplane take off?

Lets say the take off speed of the airplane is 20mph.
Since the wheels are not powered, it doesn't matter if they are sitting at 0mph or spinning at 100mph, once the prop starts thrust, its going to move the plane forward at the 20mph takeoff speed. Which the airplane took flight in every one of their experiments. I feel this is different then the question that we have been debating. Which I agree the question posted online is flawed.

"Imagine a plane is sat on the beginning of a massive conveyor belt/travelator type arrangement, as wide and as long as a runway, and intends to take off. The conveyer belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels at any given time, moving in the opposite direction of rotation.
There is no wind.
Can the plane take off?"

This is where the questions differ. Mythbusters set the conveyor for the takeoff speed on the airplane, they did not set the conveyor to match the speed of the wheels at any given time. So of course the plane did not stay in the same place, enabling it to then reach takeoff speed.

IF there was a MAGICAL conveyor that could speed up to infinite MPH and match the wheel mph keeping the airplane in the same place, then the airplane would not take off. That is why the question online is flawed and could never be proven in a real life application because the airplane would match the conveyor speed and add the takeoff speed causing the conveyor to speed up eventually causing the airplane to look like JC's evo.

What the fuck are you doing.

even better

How about a bottle rocket in an falling elevator?

Or a hoser not in Canada(The Great White North)?