Quote:
Originally posted by NY Madman:
The forward motion of moving through the fluid of air must be removed from your thinking regarding this hypothetical.

In the hypothetical the plane is stationary to it's relative position on the ground.

There is no air being forced through the turbines as there would be if it was moving forward through fluid air. The fuel from the plane at this point is what is moving the turbines of the jet.

There is no forward motion of this plane in the hypothetical.
So......how does the air interact with the turbines? The only way your scenario makes sense is if there is a mechanical bond between the conveyor and airplane.....interlocking the rearward motion of the conveyor to rearward travel by the airplane.

I think the plane will initially react as a ball will on a treadmill.....It will counter-roll to the treadmill's direction, until laws of inertia play into the equation and pull the ball back with the treadmill.....until the friction between the ball and mill overrule the law of inertia, the ball will stay in its original spot and roll backwards.

I suppose the questions are......How quickly does the conveyor get up to speed? Does it accelerate at the same rate as the plane's turbines? What is the coeficiant of friction between the wheels and conveyor (and likewise, internally in the wheels' structuring)?

I still believe the turbines' thrust will overpower the inertial and friction related actions between the wheels and conveyor.
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Brad & RedX

http://www.metzgardesign.com