Quote:
Originally posted by porsche996:
The plane takes off in approximately the same distance necessary on a conveyor belt as it does on a regular runway.

Since Blue-Sky is mentioning his 20 years "aviation" experience, I guess I'll throw mine into the hat, even though it too has no bearing on the problem... I'm an airport designer. Civil Engineer. I design Runways, Taxiways, Aprons, and all things associated except the electrical & navigational equipment. I've been doing this for 6 years, now.
Interestingly enough, my brother is a civil engineer (with about the 20 years experience).

His take was that there would be no wind over the wings. BUT...he also made it a point to say it's a trick question.

Edit to add - if the plane is going 20 mph, does the conveyor think it's going 20mph to the ground or to itself?

If the conveyor thinks it's to itself, shouldn't it be impossible for the conveyor belt to match it? That is, if the conveyor think's the plane is going 20 mph to the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt goes to 20mph...but then the plane is going 40 mph to the belt - and so on and so on?

Which brings back the question - what's the speed in relation to?

If it's to the ground away from the plane - then the plane should take off. If it's to the ground underneath - the conveyor - it's an impossible scenario.
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"Nature has constituted utility to man the standard and test of virtue. Men living in different countries, under different circumstances, different habits and regimens, may have different utilities; the same act, therefore, may be useful and consequently virtuous in one country which is injurious and vicious in another differently circumstanced" - Thomas Jefferson, moral relativist