This is a question going on the RC car forum I belong to, causes you to think and people to disagree about the answer. i dont know if there is a real "yes/no" answer to this. here it is

A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of band conveyer). The plane moves in one direction, while the conveyer moves in the opposite direction. This conveyer has a control system that tracks the plane speed and tunes the speed of the conveyer to be exactly the same (but in opposite direction).

The question is:

Will the plane take off or not?

 

i have no idea if this is true, but here is my two cents... if you are talking like its supposed to be a dyno for a plane then i would assume that the plane is being strapped down so it cannot move, but if it was not strapped down i would assume that it would take off just like a car would on regular dyno.

 

great brain teaser...


the plane wouldnt take off...if the plane is staying completely stationary it will be unable to take off since there is no lift created, it needs resistance from the wind to have the wings pick it up. speed alone will not lift the plane.

 

There is no way for the plane to take off as stated before. Actual wheel speed will not cause lift on the wings. If the plane is sitting still and just the wheels are moving, it can not go anywhere.

I do have a better question though...What if you could drive at the speed of light, (186.000 feet/sec) then turn the headlights on, would you see anything?

 

Ah my young Jedi's. You are thinking in "car terms" of movement where the wheels propel the car. on an airplane, all the wheels do is spin in proportion the movement created by the plane, or in this car the conveyer belt. it is not like a dyno, where it is locked in place, but on a flat, rolling plane, moving at the same speed as the wheels. the wheels are in no way related to the thrust provided by the engine, therefore, once the plane hits a certain speed, which is its determined take off speed, it would actually be able to take off. all the wheels do is create a small amount of drag, which hinders the plane on takeoff, but helps the plane on landings, by slowing it down. at least that is my theory. but please, keep talking about it, it is a brain teaser.

As for the speed of light thing, i dont think you would be able to see anything in front of you, because you would be moving at the same speed of your headlamp beams.

 

i was just making a guess i was half awake in school

 

agreed, as long as the plane if battling some sort of resistance, the flaps on the wings will be able to cut into the air thus causing the plane to take off. but now to extend this question into a little bit more of a spin... how much will the airplane weigh and how fast is it going? if it is heavy and traveling slow, then that could be a "no go" for flying.

 

easy one , no lift as mentioned

picture this : the plane is going nowhere ! forward momentum is compensated by backward momentum ; both at equal speeds .... so no momentum = no lift ... no matter the speed of the wheels cause they are only compensating for the conveyor

 

if light travels at x speed , then

when you're traveling at the speed of light , you turn on your lights ... now that means the light is reaching out at twice the speed of light !

 

i dunno about that light question... light cannot travel faster just because the you are traveling at the speed of light. chances are that you are going to be driving with the absolute minimum amount of light.