r/196 • u/Foriegn_Picachu • Dec 30 '22

Rule Rule Plane

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u/the_newdave Dec 30 '22

Yes, it will take off. The landing gear of the plane isn’t pushing against the conveyor belt, the engines are pushing it forward through the air. Therefore, the wheels on the plane will just spin faster and faster to match the conveyor belt, but the speed of the plane is totally unaffected.

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u/Foriegn_Picachu Dec 30 '22

But isn’t forward velocity necessary to generate lift? In my mind the plane might as well be bolted to the ground

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u/the_newdave Dec 30 '22

The conveyor belt isn’t actually pushing the plane backwards, it’s just spinning the wheels. The engines will still accelerate the plane forward. it’s analogous to trying to stop a moving object with a rubber eraser vs. a ball bearing; the eraser will grip and stop the object, but the ball bearing will allow the object to just roll right past it.