[cody]

Originally Posted by sperry

There's a nice long thread on NASIOC right now over this simple physics question:

"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?"

I know the answer, but won't post it right away. Let's see if there are as many idiots here as there are over there!

(Here's the NASIOC thread if you can stand the bickering... I had to leave, I couldn't take anymore. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...0&page=1&pp=50)

I just watched the Mythbusters episode and was really disapointed. Apparently Mythbuster's didn't get the same version as everyone else or, more likely, just didn't want to hassle with a conveyor belt that senses wheel speed. I can't believe how many people, and even the pilot himself!, who think it wouldn't take off, just because the wheels are being driven backward. :roll: