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Originally posted by GrayHam:
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Originally posted by porsche996:
[b]No. The people that say it takes off understand that an airplane moves due to engines pushing air, NOT wheels being forced to turn. Relative location of the observer doesn't matter.
I'm almost tempted to call the treadmill-and-wheels part of the ENTIRE argument a red herring.

Do whatever the fuck you want to the wheels with the treadmill. Forward. Backward. Faster. Slower. Whatever.

None of that will affect the airframe and the force of thrust being enacted upon the airframe.[/b]
Exactly. The tires spinning do not effect the motion of the plane.

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For those that say it will take off, then it will take a very long treadmill, about the length of a runway, perhaps?
Not "about" as long as a typically runway. EXACTLY as long as a typical runway. Take off distance of the plane will be the exact same as if it was a solid, non-moving surface underneath it. Again, the rotation of the tires do not effect the motion of the plane. There is no connection between the tires and the airframe, except a pin that allows the tires to rotate freely around it.