Bigpower

A plane is standing on a runway that can move (some sort of conveyer belt). 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 the opposite direction).

Can the plane take off?

Nope.

Its airpseed over the wing that generates lift. Wheelspeed over the ground is totally irrelevent.

J.

As above, quite an easy one really!

What came first..... the chicken or the egg?

Thats almost exactly the answer i gave when i first saw the question, but i reckon it could take off

Maybe it could take off if the pilot suddenly dumped the clutch and did a J turn? :lol:

lol god i post some rubbish sometimes

The wheels would rotate as they are undriven - so nothing would happen - and it would look pretty silly

the wheels are undriven but the engines produce thrust so the conveyer would replicate the speed of the aircraft but since the wheels are freewheeling they'd spin at x rpm till the bearings exploded still letting the aircraft gain speed and take off 8)

well that's how i read it, i would link to the original thread i found this but its in a members area :lol:

Bloody hell Paul, you need another project mate

lol i know, i've got way to much free time..