Plane on a treadmill! 9pm, Discovery Channel!!

[jonesy]

What I found interesting was the the pilot of the plane was convinced that he wouldn't take off.

Maybe it was Joe24's friend with 'a btec in avionics'

 

[Noodley]

Yes it does. (where's the smug smilie?)

If only everybody had listened to me all those months ago!

 

[col]

What I found interesting was the the pilot of the plane was convinced that he wouldn't take off.

He wouldnt if he wasnt moving forward.

 

[Night Train]

Planes can even take off if they have no forward movement given a high enough head wind. This is why they are chained down if there is a risk of hurricanes.

 

[Joe24]

Maybe it was Joe24's friend with 'a btec in avionics'

No you would have fallen asleep just after he started talking and woke back up when he finished. I told him he was lieing and he knew nothing.

 

[Night Train]

If it was a light plane the treadmill would help it take off sooner as there would be a lamina flow of air close to the treadmill belt that would help to increase the airflow over the wings.

 

[Keith Oates]

It's obvious, why the discussion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Crackle]

So could you make really short runways from treadmills then?

 

[Keith Oates]

Airspeed, nothing to add!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Night Train]

So could you make really short runways from treadmills then?

No, not really, tread mill would need to be so big and run so fast that it wouldn't be worth it. Also the plane would need its wings really close to the ground.

As keith Oates said it is all down to airspeed. With a treadmill there would be lamina flow of air close to the treadmill belt going in the same direction.

This is why wind tunnels for cars have a moving floor so that the speed of the air attached to the floor is the same speed as the air.

Stick a plane in a wind tunnel and it will take off without any forward velocity relative to the ground. It is also why planes take off and land into the wind to maximise the airspeed over the wings.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

RT - there was great debate on C+ about what a plane would do if the runway were a treadmill - would it take off or not? i cannot recall the conclusion - I think there wasn't one
As for the ducks, I assume it was the how many ducks riddle - variations on There are 2 ducks in front of 2 other ducks. There are 2 ducks behind 2 other ducks. There are 2 ducks beside 2 other ducks. How many ducks are there? I missed this though, so I may be talking through my neck

Cheers Radger. This is all I wanted, I honestly didn't mean to start the whole thing all over again.

 

[Dayvo]

An express train is travelling along at 120 mph into a strong head wind, which is blowing at the same speed! Which way is the smoke blowing?
Let's see Adam and Jamie sort that one out!

 

[cisamcgu]

Assuming it is a steam train and therefore producing smoke, it will go backward .... can't see where else it would go; train is moving at 120mph wind blowing against direction of the train at 120mph.. so smoke goes backward ...

 

[papercorn2000]

The trajectory of the smoke particles would be slightly different to if there were no wind speed, they do after all have a forward momentum. However, as the smoke particles are so light, in practice, it would be very difficult to notice any difference.

However, if the wind was blowing from behind the train, that would be a different kettle of fish. To an observer travelling at the same velocity as the train, the smoke would appear to stay largely stationary relative to the train.
There, hat thrown into ring!

 

[Smeggers]

Frictionless Bearings.