Will the plane take off?

[Outdoors]

Wow I have only just seen this thread today!!

Thanks Jarrell for this intriguing lesson in human behavior! When I first read the question I felt it wouldn't fly but one of the early threads mentioned the free wheel nature of the airplane's wheels and I started to see the solution.

Aside from the question which I believe requires a counter intuitive response; I feel it can easily help us understand how we as humans can get so locked into our own way of seeing things and figuring out the world; some can not get beyond this and understand other's perspectives.

 

[Rob]

Bob Walters please clear a space in your inbox. :smile: The system says it's full. :smile:

 

[Vernon t]

Wow I have only just seen this thread today!!

Thanks Jarrell for this intriguing lesson in human behavior! .

Just curious, did you read all 545 posts?

 

[Rob]

Here's Vernon's image of a microlight, which is what I think Mythbusters are going to use in their replication of the original task.

Please look at the aircraft, and imagine it trundling left to right over the grass at 10 mph.
No controls are moved in the microlight, the throttle remains set at that 10 mph mark.
Suddenly the grass beneath the wheels moves from right to left at 10 mph and keeps on moving as a continuous strip.

Does the microlight remain stationary, with the engine providing 10 mph of thrust through the propeller?

Or does the microlight ignore the moving ground and wander off into the sunset?

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[haze2]

Rob, if the grass suddenly began to move right to left the free-wheeling tires would increase to 20 mph and the propeller would continue to move the aircraft forward at 10 mph. (There may actually be a loss of 1 mph or so from friction)

 

[the_traveler]

Here's Vernon's image of a microlight, which is what I think Mythbusters are going to use in their replication of the original task.

Please look at the aircraft, and imagine it trundling left to right over the grass at 10 mph.
No controls are moved in the microlight, the throttle remains set at that 10 mph mark.
Suddenly the grass beneath the wheels moves from right to left at 10 mph and keeps on moving as a continuous strip.

Does the microlight remain stationary, with the engine providing 10 mph of thrust through the propeller?

Or does the microlight ignore the moving ground and wander off into the sunset?

It may slow some because of the friction between the wheels and the axles but it will trundle off.

 

[spyder57]

*Sigh* How are you not getting this still?

Do you have a treadmill at home? Please just test how little force it takes to hold a toy car/roller skates in place even if the treadmill is set to full speed. You can easily hold it in place with one finger. Then even if you push just a fraction more, the car/skates goes forward.

*************Free spinning wheels*

 

[Knightrider]

wow cool thread,

it flies because it's driven through the air the ground is immaterial

 

[Vernon t]

wow cool thread,

it flies because it's driven through the air the ground is immaterial

Gary

Gary,Gary,Gary.....

The joy of this thread is that we, as discussants, passionately introduce absurd levels of complexity and obtuse inconsequential contrived conditions.

You have distilled it down to it's joyless (albeit absolutely correct) physical simplicity.

You have stolen it's mojo.

You could at least give us a lecture on relative motion or something!!!:biggrin:

 

[edmudama]

Here's Vernon's image of a microlight, which is what I think Mythbusters are going to use in their replication of the original task.

Please look at the aircraft, and imagine it trundling left to right over the grass at 10 mph.
No controls are moved in the microlight, the throttle remains set at that 10 mph mark.
Suddenly the grass beneath the wheels moves from right to left at 10 mph and keeps on moving as a continuous strip.

Does the microlight remain stationary, with the engine providing 10 mph of thrust through the propeller?

Or does the microlight ignore the moving ground and wander off into the sunset?

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

As long as the pilot isn't standing on any possible wheel brakes, it ignores the moving ground.

 

[Phyer Phyter]

It is painfully obvious that after 554 posts the Will Fly side is not going to convince the Will Not Fly side. SO after so much bicckering and refusal of each side to see the others, AS I proposed PUT YOUR MONEY WERE YOUR MOUTH IS!!! If you are so darn sure buck up and place a wager. Losers wager is paid in the form of a donatation to Nikon Cafe. As I proposed the conclusion that MYTH BUSTERS arrives at will be taken as the correct answer. If they fail to come to a definitive conclusion then each person who placed a wager, thats everyone for or against, will donate half of their wager to the Nikon Cafe. I will start a wager thread where only wagers can be posted. Arguments for or against will not be permitted. Only wagers so that they can be easliy tracked.

 

[Hyper-Performance]

Another ponderance to consider - last chance for you naysayers - can a seaplane take off in a river heading upstream?

 

[spyder57]

Actually that's a little more difficult. There's significantly more drag on the pods of the seaplane than on wheels of a conventional plane.

 

[RustyC]

If the earth spins at 1000 miles per hour at the equator, isn't the earth acting as a giant treadmill? To match the speed of the plane move towards the poles. Will the plane fly?

Forgive me, I just had to add something to this painfully long thread:biggrin:

 

[Vernon t]

If the earth spins at 1000 miles per hour at the equator, isn't the earth acting as a giant treadmill? To match the speed of the plane move toward the poles. Will the plane fly?

:

Well, Rusty....it depends on whether the plane is going east or west, doesn't it??? You need to specify.

Also, the earth couldn't be spinning that fast......just think how windy it would be at the equator.

Vernon Coriolis-man T

 

[Stef]

This thread gives me a headache from laughing! :biggrin:

 

[spyder57]

I like how no one is betting that it won't fly in the other thread

=D

 

[RustyC]

Well, Rusty....it depends on whether the plane is going east or west, doesn't it???

Also, the earth couldn't be spinning that fast......just think how windy it would be at the equator.

Vernon Coriolis-man T

Are you suggesting that the direction of travel will matter in the outcome? :smile:


http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970401c.html

 

[Vernon t]

I've just re-read a chapter in Deepak Chopra's book "Chakra Balancing: Mind, Body and Soul".
My newfound understanding of quantum decoherance has caused me to reverse my opinion.

It will not fly.

 

[Pete]

This thread has been a lot of fun for many people. So where will you be watching MythBusters?? Here is my thought. Lets set up with our local Applebee's or other watering hole with a big screen and the Cafe members can get together and watch the final result. We will need to make reservations and make sure the management is willing to dedicate the big screen. Could be a fun get together in locations all over and a good meeting. Maybe even someone could collect all the $10 from the losers ( and winners ) and forward the money to the cafe. Just a thought...
Pete

PS: Somebody bring a camera...