Will it Fly??

[Chet18013]

I Tivo'd the show and they went t great lengths to prove the the plane will or wiill not fly. They first got a model plane, determined it's take of speed  and then laid down a 12' wide piece of butcher paper and that was 3 times as long as the take off run of the plane. They pulled the big sheet of paper to simulate the tread mill and the plane took off with no sweat. They then took  a st'd trad mill and tried it and the plane moved forward and off the tread mill, but couldn't attain enough speed to get airborne.

They then got a 12' wide by 3000' long piece of canvas and went to a local airport. Found a pilot who had a real nice enclosed ultra lite and enlisted him to do the test. These crazzy guys  first ran all kinds of tests to determine acceleration,  takeoff distance and speed. They then streached out the 3000' length of canvas on the runway. The plane was positioned on one end of the canvas and they hooked up a truck to the canvas behind the plane and proceed to pull the canvas at the speed of the planes wheels, up to take off speed.

The pilot of the plane was firmly convinced that the plane would not take off and fully expected to just sit there as the canvas was pulled from behind the plane.

Everything was co-ordinated and they started the plane and the truck started pulling the canvas. SURPRISE!! The plane took off normally and the canvas moving in the opposite direction under the wheels had absolutely no effect on it's take off.

Chet18013

 

[Ron]

We watched it too Chet.

 

[John From Detroit]

I feel strangely vindicated and confirmed

Thanks for the report  As I said, the plane does not move by pushing on the ground, it moves by pushing on air or rather pulling on it or by pushing exhaust gas (Action/Reaction) if a jet

 

[edjunior]

Yeah, it sure was a good show, and sure put to rest this myth.  Oh, and the cockaroach will not inherit the Earth, the flour beetle will!

 

[Ned]

Busted!  As many of us said.