View Poll Results: Will a plane on a conveyor take off?
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Plane/Conveyor controversy! ver.poll
v-card member alpha
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Assplosion, NE
Without the benefit of reading others posts yet, the first time I heard of this I had to think about it (this was over a year ago) but when you think about it, it's obvious: the plane needs air speed, not ground speed, to get lift and take off.
Being on a conveyor, the engines (jet or prop) might result in some lift as a result of moving the air past the plane, but they'll mainly be fighting the conveyor to keep from moving backwards. Not enough air speed will be possible.
That's assuming the conveyor is moving quickly enough. To not have it motorized or not moving opposite the plane's direction at roughly the same speed that the plane would take off at, just isn't in the spirit of the myth IMO.
Being on a conveyor, the engines (jet or prop) might result in some lift as a result of moving the air past the plane, but they'll mainly be fighting the conveyor to keep from moving backwards. Not enough air speed will be possible.
That's assuming the conveyor is moving quickly enough. To not have it motorized or not moving opposite the plane's direction at roughly the same speed that the plane would take off at, just isn't in the spirit of the myth IMO.
