PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - The "Aeroplane on treadmill" conundrum...
Old 11th Feb 2006, 07:33
  #78 (permalink)  
Tarq57
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Wellington,NZ
Age: 66
Posts: 1,679
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UNBELIEVEABLE!

Yet strangely irresistable.
Friction on axles/bearings is a tiny percentage of the net force trying to prevent an aircraft accelerating. (Which is, mainly, mass)
True, on many light singles, you need a burst of power to start moving, then ground idle will usually suffice. This is due more to the tyres, which are slightly flat at the bottoms, and is called rolling resistance. Once they've started turning, rolling resistance rapidly decreases. A lot.
For the conveyer to respond to the aircraft movement (which of course, it will, at pretty much normal acceleration) it would have to rapidly spin up to close to infinity. Some conveyor! I suggest most structures wouldn't be up to the challenge. But, hypothetically (gee, you think?) if one could, tyre resistance might just be caused to increase sufficiently to prevent the engine thrust from accelerating the aircraft to takeoff speed. This would be accompanied by startling noises of tyres blowing out in overspeed, and chunks of rubber scattering like missiles. Best viewed from afar.
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