Would it go Backwards if the Engine Wasn’t On?
Posted by alexahentay on January 6, 2007
If you’ve been on the internet anytime during the past year, I’m sure you’ve seen it. The plane on a treadmill question. If a plane on a conveyor belt has Goodyear tires but a 6g72 Mitsubishi engine will it take off? Or something like that. Here is the question as I first saw it:
Imagine a plane is sitting on a massive conveyor belt, as wide and as long as a runway, and intends to take off. The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels at any given time, moving in the opposite direction of rotation.
Can the plane take off?
I was reminded of the question by the recent Patrick Smith article in Salon. Lots of people with opinions on this one. From newest to oldest.
- Patrick Smith of Salon.com reignites the issue
- David Pogue blogs in the Dec. 11 issue of the NY Times
- kottke.org blogged about a year ago
- Cecil Adams of the Straight Dope Forums Answers
- Straight Dope Forums
What do you think? Got any other interesting links? Let me know in the comments.
Gary said
The plane could definitely take off and probably even sooner . The treadmill going in the opposite direction as the wheels rotating would increase the speed of the plane to enable it to take off sooner, I.m not sure if it would stay up however.