Plane on a Conveyor Belt

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01-29-2008 | 06:08 PM

Falconone

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From: A-320 First Officer

Plane on a Conveyor Belt

Don't know if anyone has been watching mythbusters lately, but they're going to test the myth of a plane trying to take off on a conveyor belt tomorrow night at 9pm est.

http://mythbusters-wiki.discovery.co...otos%21?t=anon

01-30-2008 | 04:29 AM

Ewfflyer

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From: Turbo-props' and John Deere's

Oye, this topic is everywhere I look!!!! I don't have cable/dish anymore though

I love that show

01-31-2008 | 01:09 AM

LineTroll

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Twenty bucks says the plane propels itself off the conveyor belt.

01-31-2008 | 02:55 AM

usmc-sgt

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test 1: model airplane on treadmill and it propelled forward
test 2: model airplane on large sheet of some material being pulled opposite direction (make shift conveyor) and airplane took off
test 3: experimental on 2000' strip of burlap or whatever it was being pulled by truck in opposite direction (make shift conveyor) airplane took off.

worth mentioning: quote from experimental pilot with ten years experience when asked what he thought would happen "I think im going to just sit here like a brick"

01-31-2008 | 04:47 AM

shackone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by usmc-sgt

worth mentioning: quote from experimental pilot with ten years experience when asked what he thought would happen "I think im going to just sit here like a brick"

But the thing is that he didn't 'sit there like a brick'. The aircraft accelerated from its original position down the 'belt' and reached flying speed. All I saw being demonstrated was that the plane had enough thrust to overcome the rearward 'belt' movement and then move forward fast enough to reach flying speed.

This subject is being debated on numerous aviation forums right now with widely divergent views.

For me, the idea was pretty simple. If sufficient airflow over the wing wasn't there, then the plane wasn't going to fly. With no movement of the plane and therefore no airflow, how was this thing supposed to lift off?

01-31-2008 | 05:33 AM

mcartier713

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From: Learjet 45 & G-IV

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackone

but see the test is flawed than... the question is whether the plane would fly off if it and the belt were going the SAME speed... obvious the plane had excess thrust or had faster acceleration than the belt did.

i dont think the first two tests work either because its a trust/weight ratio.. that little plane was like a rocket...

but as im writing this and remembering the episode, i'm starting to think im a re re and am just going to shut up now

01-31-2008 | 07:12 AM

LeoSV

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mcartier713

but see the test is flawed than... the question is whether the plane would fly off if it and the belt were going the SAME speed... obvious the plane had excess thrust or had faster acceleration than the belt did.

i dont think the first two tests work either because its a trust/weight ratio.. that little plane was like a rocket...

but as im writing this and remembering the episode, i'm starting to think im a re re and am just going to shut up now

This is impossible to achieve. the ground has nothing to do with being propelled by thrust. The only way the ground would matter is if was stuck in mud or tied down, something actually holding it down. I can't believe they actually made an episode about this. This isn't some complicated myth that has to be physically tested to be proven. It's an obvious answer.