Mythbusters plan to uncover plane on conveyor belt

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simplified
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12:52p, 10/24/07
AG
Link:http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9801967776/m/5321919039/p/1

quote:
Airplane Hour
(Weds., December 12 at 9 PM ET/PT)
Adam and Jamie find out if either of them can safely land a Boeing 747-400 on a runway in varying weather conditions. Meanwhile, Kari, Tory and Grant risk life and limb to investigate skydiving myths regularly featured in Hollywood action films. Is it possible to catch up with someone in freefall if that person jumps out a plane before you do? Can you really hold a conversation during freefall? And would you survive if you opened your parachute only a few feet off the ground? Finally, Adam and Jamie carefully navigate their way through a myth that has baffled everyone from web bloggers to pilots. If a plane is traveling at takeoff speed on a conveyor belt, and the belt is matching that speed in the opposite direction, can the plane take off? Extensive small-scale testing with a super treadmill and a nearly uncontrollable model airplane don't completely resolve the myth, so our flight cadets supersize the myth with help from a willing pilot and his Ultralight flying machine.

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ac04
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12:53p, 10/24/07
holy crap
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IIIHorn
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12:53p, 10/24/07
The conveyor is moot!
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OneManArmy
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12:53p, 10/24/07
allsome
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Flaith
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12:53p, 10/24/07
TriAg2010
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12:54p, 10/24/07
AG
Is it even possible to create the conditions properly?

And yeah, the conveyor is moot.
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Herbie Hancock
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12:54p, 10/24/07
CDUB98
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12:54p, 10/24/07
AG
argh


The plane will take off.
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OneManArmy
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12:54p, 10/24/07
and yes, the plane will take off.
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Jerzzy
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12:54p, 10/24/07
cool
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Old Style
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12:55p, 10/24/07
RANGER65 TOLD THEM THEY'D BETTER GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
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rtrd
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12:55p, 10/24/07
if the conveyor is long enough, it will take off
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MonkeyKnifeFighter
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12:57p, 10/24/07
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Flaith
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12:57p, 10/24/07
AG
maybe i'm reading this wrong, or maybe i'm just retarded, but they wanna make a plane take off by accelerating the WHEELS on a conveyor belt?

are they serious?
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ac04
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12:57p, 10/24/07
i think you might be retarded
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OneManArmy
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12:57p, 10/24/07
Mythbusters will probably screw this up by not making the conveyor long enough.
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ba05
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12:58p, 10/24/07
AG
great show
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Caliber
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12:58p, 10/24/07
AG
you've got to be kidding me? As amusing as this show is, they are 2 of the most retarded people on TV that are supposed to be serious. I say that despite all the real world physics verifying that the conveyor is moot, they will say its busted and can't take off, or at best "plausible it could take off but not probable".
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Flaith
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12:58p, 10/24/07
AG
the conveyor is moot
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simplified
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1:00p, 10/24/07
AG
Anyone who has any idea how a plane works should know it will take off
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coltjimclemens
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1:01p, 10/24/07
Will it take off in a vacuum?

[This message has been edited by coltjimclemens (edited 10/24/2007 12:01p).]
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OneManArmy
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1:01p, 10/24/07
quote:
They finally listened to the MkF!. I hope I get username-credit on the show.

Now you idiots that doubted me will finally realize how right I have been since the inception of that thread.


That was the most arrogant and self-absorbed post I have read in a while.
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MonkeyKnifeFighter
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1:01p, 10/24/07
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MonkeyKnifeFighter
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1:02p, 10/24/07
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IIIHorn
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1:03p, 10/24/07
THE CONVEYOR IS MOOT!
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simplified
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1:03p, 10/24/07
AG
quote:
Will it take off in a vacuum?


a conventional airplane would be completely worthless in a vacuum.
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Oh Four Five
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1:04p, 10/24/07
AG
Sweet! I finally have a reason to use the popcorn.
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millertyme
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1:05p, 10/24/07
AG
If the conveyor is moot, why does it matter what the length is?
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Ag with kids
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1:05p, 10/24/07
AG
Just how fast will the freestream air be moving over the wings when the conveyor belt is moving the wheels?

That will give you a little hint about whether it will be able to lift off...

(HINT: The V^2 in the lift equation has to do with the air velocity over the wings, not the velocity of the tires on the plane)

quote:
if you are going to blow the chronic you shouldn't post afterward
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coltjimclemens
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1:05p, 10/24/07
quote:
simplified
posted 12:03p, 10/24/07




quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will it take off in a vacuum?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



a conventional airplane would be completely worthless in a vacuum.


Exactly, I think this is where people think that the plane will not take off. It would not in a vacuum. People think of everything in science experiment terms and think of everything in very controled environments (educated people at least) and so I think that both people who say it will take off and will not take off have a pretty good argument.
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NeuroticAg
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1:07p, 10/24/07
AG
quote:
and the belt is matching that speed in the opposite direction, can the plane take off?


The key question here is: Will the conveyor match the speed of the rotating wheels, or the plane itself? This makes all the difference.
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oldyeller
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1:07p, 10/24/07
AG
The issue with the plane and conveyor is whether or not the conveyor belt's matching the plane's speed will nullify the wind speed at the wing, and the "myth" is probably based on wheel based speed calculations. If I had my car on a conveyor that matched my wheel speed, and I stuck my hand outside the window, I doubt I'll feel any resistance since I am not actually moving anywhere. Now if we are talking about wind speed at the wing, then yeah, the conveyor is gonna be moot since wind speed will be based upon air movement over the wing which is gonna give you the lift you need.
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IIIHorn
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1:07p, 10/24/07
The plane will take off.

The conveyor is moot.
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OneManArmy
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1:07p, 10/24/07
quote:

you've got to be kidding me? As amusing as this show is, they are 2 of the most retarded people on TV that are supposed to be serious. I say that despite all the real world physics verifying that the conveyor is moot, they will say its busted and can't take off, or at best "plausible it could take off but not probable".


I was thinking the same thing. I frequently get pissed off at that show because they are always jumping to conclusions based on half-arsed "experiments." They must know this guy:

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IIIHorn
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1:08p, 10/24/07
The wheels do not provide the propulsion for the airplane.
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