Airplane on a Treadmill
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
They could have saved some effort by going to NASA. They could have watched the space shuttle being moved on the crawler and asked "if we had a big treadmill that moved really really really really slow so it could match the speed of the crawler, and the engines on the shuttle were lit, would the shuttle fly?"
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
In an idealized setting where the plane and conveyor have maximum traction between them [for the sake of argument consider a cogged conveyor and matching gears for the planes' wheels]......then take this scenario a step further and imagine a conveyor drive that can instantaneously and infinitely match whatever the plane is trying to do. In this idealized setting, I can not see how the plane can attain any airspeed for lift off.
#29
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
The topic of this thread as described in the initial post is the TV show MYTHBUSTERS.
Posts in this thread should be on the topic of the show, not the myth. Off topic posts are often deleted.
Posts in this thread should be on the topic of the show, not the myth. Off topic posts are often deleted.
#30
RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
ORIGINAL: da Rock
The topic of this thread as described in the initial post is the TV show MYTHBUSTERS.
Posts in this thread should be on the topic of the show, not the myth. Off topic posts are often deleted.
The topic of this thread as described in the initial post is the TV show MYTHBUSTERS.
Posts in this thread should be on the topic of the show, not the myth. Off topic posts are often deleted.
If you put a treadmill in an airplane -and you run as fast as you can - will it make the plane take off faster?
Seems to me the energy expended will do something
But what?
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
[/quote]
I have dun thot this over carefully--
If you put a treadmill in an airplane -and you run as fast as you can - will it make the plane take off faster?
Seems to me the energy expended will do something
But what?
[/quote]
Why it tires the runner of course.[8D]
You can tell it's going to be a long winter when ye olde treadmill comes to the fore ------yet again
#34
RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
I saw the preview of the show, not impressed with the RC POC at all!
They should have gotten someone with a nice model who knows how to fly.
Interested to see how long the plane stays on the tarp they are dragging hope it doesn't get sucked up in the prop!
They should have gotten someone with a nice model who knows how to fly.
Interested to see how long the plane stays on the tarp they are dragging hope it doesn't get sucked up in the prop!
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
ORIGINAL: dick Hanson
AHa! what about the friction from the runner's tires??
AHa! what about the friction from the runner's tires??
The retracts use NO zero, zip energy!!!
While you may initially feel that is impossible -------Oh ye of little faith------- we have, minus a few nagging plumbing problems, harnessed a power source of astounding energy output (or is that throughput).
The secret power source is utilizing the force of BS from right here on good old RCU.
We can't find a unit large enough to express it! A billion Tetraflop-power??? ---perhaps.
Talk of limitless-------just use your imagination!
For the politicians it is "green" ---------- or at least can be if we add the right seed-----.
Besides the "nagging plumbing problem" ----- it can be handled!! -------
Right now the one big 'one' we still can't quite grasp is the ---- shall we say "smell" this system produces.
Absolutely unfathomable!
But then we all knew that beforehand didn't we?
#37
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
ORIGINAL: Tall Paul
Watching what happens to that flapping end when the plane gets to it will be interesting.
Watching what happens to that flapping end when the plane gets to it will be interesting.
I figure the plane will be quite a bit above the end of the tarp when it flies over it.
BTW, consider the problem of that truck dragging that tarp relative to the airplane. The tarp didn't look a lot wider than the spread of the tires. The airplane might not take off straight straight down the runway. And the tarp might not drag straight back. That ought to cause the airplane no problems from roll resistance but might cause the truck problems or affect the way the tarp is staying under the tires until they lift off. Unless the truck's drawbar is at ground level, it'll be pulling the tarp up from where the weight of the plane is on it. And the part that will come up will be under the tailwheel. The tarp will try to draw a straight line from where the mains pin it to the ground back to the drawbar. The problem will lessen as the truck moves away from the plane. But if the tarp tries to lift between the mains and the truck it's going to be lifting the tailwheel.
I'm betting the airplane is a STOL. And the pilot is an idiot. Rolling forward off a treadmill that's setup at ground level would pose no problems. The MYTHBOOSTERS tarp deal is ridiculous and nothing but a problem.
I wonder if they even know to take off into the wind?
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
I wonder:
If a harrier jet is sitting on the runway, and the ruway exactly matches the speed of the wheels (lets say zero for now), can the harrier jet still take off?
If a harrier jet is sitting on the runway, and the ruway exactly matches the speed of the wheels (lets say zero for now), can the harrier jet still take off?
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
ORIGINAL: P-51B
I wonder:
If a harrier jet is sitting on the runway, and the ruway exactly matches the speed of the wheels (lets say zero for now), can the harrier jet still take off?
I wonder:
If a harrier jet is sitting on the runway, and the ruway exactly matches the speed of the wheels (lets say zero for now), can the harrier jet still take off?
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
I dont understand. The plane DOES take off? How is that possible. All they're doing is spinning wheels... with no air on the wing.... I dont see how it would take off? Can someone answer this in less than 10 sentances...
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
ORIGINAL: SFMMcoasters
I dont understand. The plane DOES take off? How is that possible. All they're doing is spinning wheels... with no air on the wing.... I dont see how it would take off? Can someone answer this in less than 10 sentances...
I dont understand. The plane DOES take off? How is that possible. All they're doing is spinning wheels... with no air on the wing.... I dont see how it would take off? Can someone answer this in less than 10 sentances...
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
Aeronautics is BS. Planes fly becasue the people on the plane "believe" the plane will fly.
Crashes happen when doubt creeps into enough people to outweigh the positive lift from thought..
Crashes happen when doubt creeps into enough people to outweigh the positive lift from thought..
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RE: Airplane on a Treadmill
Hi Tall Paul
Did you notice that the full scale plane shown on your post, http://community.discovery.com/eve/f...6/m/9621938849 , has a pusher prop on a tractor engine? That plane is strange looking. I'm surprised the wing ribs are visible thru the covering like on some of our models.
Did you notice that the full scale plane shown on your post, http://community.discovery.com/eve/f...6/m/9621938849 , has a pusher prop on a tractor engine? That plane is strange looking. I'm surprised the wing ribs are visible thru the covering like on some of our models.