View Full Version : Can someone answer this question?
wlhump
11-28-2005, 05:05 PM
I do not doubt the power of the conveyor belt. However, it can only act upon the airplane up to the rolling resistance of the tires/wheels. Any power beyond that point, and the tires will just spin.
wlhump
11-28-2005, 05:07 PM
Oops, hit enter too soon.
Afterall, a Saleen S7 has awesume power in comparison to a Yugo, but on ice (very low resistance) I`ll bet all that power is basically wasted.
Black240SX
11-28-2005, 05:08 PM
The conveyor belt can`t stop the plane from moving because the planes wheels are free-wheeling.
SpoiledMan
11-28-2005, 05:17 PM
Maybe this will help. Look at the conveyer belt as a loss of traction at the wheels BUT the traction isn`t essential to the planes forward movement.
wlhump
11-28-2005, 05:20 PM
Exactly! Airplane propulsion essentially has nothing to do with the wheels.
White95Max
11-28-2005, 06:21 PM
While I understand the loss of traction scenario, I thought the original question assumed that the tires would grip the same regardless of the conveyor speed. There`s too many details left out of the question.
SpoiledMan
11-28-2005, 06:27 PM
Well that`s just it. The plane doesn`t need grip/traction so it doesn`t matter.
Scottwax
11-28-2005, 08:34 PM
I had a feeling this would generate a lot of debate....
:LOLOL
GlossyTundra
11-29-2005, 04:31 AM
wouldnt this be the same as a sea plane taking off in water with the current going against the plane. Think, current going -> at 4mph. Plane going <- at 50mph, needs to get to 60 to take off, wouldent the plane just need to get to 64 to overcome the water? Think about it, seaplanes do not take off with the current all the time.
kompressornsc
11-29-2005, 05:52 AM
Eliminate the conveyor belt part of it-all that does is counter act what would be the forward motion (obviously causing flight). For me then, the question is- Do the engines alone have enough thrust to propel the plane into flight-no wings involved. Think of it this way-if you had a 1 hp engine on the plane, creating `x` amount of thrust, it probably wound`t fly. But, if you had a 10,000 hp engine creating 10,000 times `x` thrust, the engines alone would `fly` irrelevent of the wings.
imported_Sullybob
11-29-2005, 01:04 PM
I think that it dependes on the type of plane. A plane with a propellor like a KC-130 that can generate its own airflow under and over the wings to create its own lift might be able to do it. Watch a plane take off and notice what happens to the wings as the wheels leave the ground. They flex as they take the load of the plane. The plane needs lift from air moving under the wings to take off.
A jet that creats so much thrust that it doesn`t need lift to take of should be able to do it also.
I really think that kompressornsc hit the nail partially on the head. Its about thrust and lift.
Scottwax
11-29-2005, 03:23 PM
I was able to get on Mark Davis` national talk show today with the question.
http://abcradio.go.com/show?id=97
Unfortunately, only the first 40 minutes of his national show is carried locally because of Paul Harvey News followed by Rush.
theeloved1
12-06-2005, 10:45 AM
I missed this as my computer was down....just read the question this morning on a different board and reposted it here awhile..haha. I did just find a "professional" answer to it though. Thought I`d share.
http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/191034-1.html
Scottwax
12-06-2005, 10:49 AM
I missed this as my computer was down....just read the question this morning on a different board and reposted it here awhile..haha. I did just find a "professional" answer to it though. Thought I`d share.
http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/191034-1.html
Yeah, I read that but I also talked to two friends who are both pilots and they don`t think the thrust would be enough to overcome the effects of the conveyor. :nixweiss
theeloved1
12-06-2005, 10:58 AM
hahaha...who knows...I`m on the side that says the plane WILL take off, but I`m nothing close to a physicist or a pilot, so...