Originally posted by ddebenedThe plane will be able to stay in the same position and wont take off. No way to fly. The reason a plane can lift from the ground is the air that move faster above the wings then below. On a treadmill the air is fixed on the wings.
Consider a small airplane during take-off on a concrete runway. Just at take-off, it is traveling at 100 mph. That is the speed required to obtain sufficient lift for it to leave the ground.
Now, imagine this same plane is not on a concrete runway. Instead it is on a giant long treatmill. The surface of the treadmill is traveling at 100 mph in the opposi ...[text shortened]... way.
What will you observe in this case? Will the plane be able to take off? Why or why not.
The purpose of the wheel on a jet engine isn't to provide thrust for forward movement, but to reduce the friction which counters thrust.
The thrust of a plane on the runway (moving or not) comes from the propeller or turbines which draw air in and propel it behind the plane, and being on a moving runway does not affect this at all. Hence the plane will move forward as before, and all aerodynamic forces normally in effect remain in effect, and the plane takes off.
Mythbusters has looked into this and busted the myth.
If the plane requires it's engines to be flat out to reach 100mph
for take off, as in the scenario of the concrete tarmac, it can be
said that any less than this speed will result in the plane not taking
off.
The net difference in speed between the plane and the treadmill
will be just under 200 mph. Surely, since you have not stated that this is a
frictionless surface. This increase in negative pressure will not allow
the plane to take off.