Poll: Mythbusters - Will the plane take off?

[caliginousface]

I know. Do you think the plane is going to take off here on the West coast too??? OMG I can't wait!

Now what really sucks is that I (think) I have pink eye and I got a doctor's appointment at 08:40P tonight. I dunno how I'm going to leave without knowing the results of the "experiment" (again)

Seriously I really (think) have pink eye. And that sucks monkey b@lls.

Time to go see the Doc.

I don't know why you quoted me, but it could very well be the extra two "no" poll results came from a part of the country where the episode hasn't aired yet, and those people who voted no felt the airplane wouldn't take off.

But hey man, thanks for the sarcasm. :*

 

[darrenf]

I really think you guys that are scolding the non-believing pilots should take a moment to realize that no one is misunderstanding the concept of generating lift. We all know that it takes air moving over and airfoil to create a pressure differential. The misunderstanding comes from the free-spinning wheels that allow the treadmill to move at any random speed and have zero groundspeed.

So someone understands the physics of lift, but does not understand the physics of a wheel???

 

[triplec76]

The truck would have been dragging the airplane around backwards. In what way do you feel that this would have better explained the concept?

Well, I think there would be some backwards motion due to friction, but the backwards motion would not equal the speed of Jamie's truck.

 

[Berkut]

The misunderstanding comes from the free-spinning wheels that allow the treadmill to move at any random speed and have zero groundspeed.

I agree that was the misunderstanding. What I want to know is, do we still have a misunderstanding? Does everyone understand why the plane flew? If not, in what way was the test flawed that allowed the aircraft to fly when you believe it wasn't supposed to?

 

[SoCalAprch]

Im in a crash pad with some other pilots we saw this mythbusters and we thought that the plane was going to remain stationary and lift off. We all said no because there is no airflow. We were all misunderstanding what the myth was. I don't understand what it matters if there is a treadmill or not. The plane will take off in the same distance no matter if there is a treadmill or not. The prop will pull the plane the wheels just spin at a faster rate.

 

[triplec76]

So someone understands the physics of lift, but does not understand the physics of a wheel???

Listen, I see your point, but the question as it has been stated on the internet, on these boards and on the show is terribly misleading. The question as stated would lead most to initially think that the aircraft is stationary because -25+25=0, but after realizing the elements of the experiment it makes more sense. However, I don't think the show did a very good job of explaining WHY it works.

 

[darrenf]

Im in a crash pad with some other pilots we saw this mythbusters and we thought that the plane was going to remain stationary and lift off. We all said no because there is no airflow. We were all misunderstanding what the myth was. I don't understand what it matters if there is a treadmill or not. The plane will take off in the same distance no matter if there is a treadmill or not. The prop will pull the plane the wheels just spin at a faster rate.

What did you understand the myth to be??

 

[SoCalAprch]

What did you understand the myth to be??

We thought that they were going to spin the treadmill up to its rotation speed while keeping the plane stationary, as in not moving but the treadmill spinning underneath it and it would somehow lift off.

 

[WalterSobchak]

For those that thought no and now claim to not understand the question I throw the BS red flag. If you can't understand the question then you aren't understanding the basic(very) physics. Complete cop out. Sad that any pilot got this wrong.

 

[triplec76]

I agree that was the misunderstanding. What I want to know is, do we still have a misunderstanding? Does everyone understand why the plane flew? If not, in what way was the test flawed that allowed the aircraft to fly when you believe it wasn't supposed to?

As I said before, if more effort was put into showing why it worked, things would be much clearer for everyone that doesn't understand. I am probably with 99% of the "no" category for the simple fact that I misunderstood how the experiment was conducted. The question would leave everyone to believe that the airplane is not moving because they are matching the speed of the treadmill, which would mean no airflow.

Anyways, after all of this, it reminds me of a question that you might see on an IQ test or something. It's a trick question in the way it is stated and requires a little more thought and understanding than what is on the surface. Most people, obviously like myself, require seeing the experiment to understand the mechanics.

 

[triplec76]

For those that thought no and now claim to not understand the question I throw the BS red flag. If you can't understand the question then you aren't understanding the basic(very) physics. Complete cop out. Sad that any pilot got this wrong.

I throw the BS flag that you are able to see more than one side of a story.

 

[darrenf]

We thought that they were going to spin the treadmill up to its rotation speed while keeping the plane stationary, as in not moving but the treadmill spinning underneath it and it would somehow lift off.

I don't understand how you would interpret it that way. But since you did, no would have been the correct answer.

 

[SoCalAprch]

For those that thought no and now claim to not understand the question I throw the BS red flag. If you can't understand the question then you aren't understanding the basic(very) physics. Complete cop out. Sad that any pilot got this wrong.

Take it easy man, everything is so negative.

 

[triplec76]

I don't understand how you would interpret it that way. But since you did, no would have been the correct answer.

That's the exact reason I thought no as well. I think the whole debate and arguing boils down to the question and how it is stated. It seems extremely simple now that I saw the test performed.

 

[Berkut]

The question would leave everyone to believe that the airplane is not moving because they are matching the speed of the treadmill, which would mean no airflow.

Most people, obviously like myself, require seeing the experiment to understand the mechanics.

I'm glad that you understand now, having seen the experiment. But I disagree with your assessment that the question would leave "everyone" to believe the airplane is not moving, or that "most" people require seeing the experiment. The people who thought the aircraft wouldn't fly were the minority. Is it really a trick question if most people get it?

At any rate, it would be interesting to see a "post-mythbusters" version of this poll.

 

[Stone Cold]

Ya'll are all GEEKS...shut up already!!!:bandit:

Yes, I'm sure I have a colored flag coming my way, but it had to be said...

Seriously, how many pages has this been discussed on??????

Ahhh, the beer is flowing nicely...

 

[KC Jake]

Can I just say that I love this topic. It has to be one of the most entertaining threads. It's even better on the Mythbusters board. They have a bunch of numb skulls over there. "Hey Adam and Jaime, YOU MESSED UP!!! Blah, blah, blah" I love it.

 

[Berkut]

It's even better on the Mythbusters board. They have a bunch of numb skulls over there. "Hey Adam and Jaime, YOU MESSED UP!!! Blah, blah, blah" I love it.

You see the guy who keeps saying over and over how he's a "degreed aerospace engineer" and the airplane won't fly? It's crazy over there.

 

[darrenf]

You see the guy who keeps saying over and over how he's a "degreed aerospace engineer" and the airplane won't fly? It's crazy over there.

Too funny.

Here is one from Brasilia25

That was a terrible experiment. The whole basis for the myth was that the airplane could take off from a treadmill traveling at the same speed as the aircraft. Unfortunetly during their testing they failed to keep the aircraft and the treadmill at the same speed. It is clearly evident from the video that the aircraft is accelerating faster than the treadmill is being pulled. If they were moving at the same speed the aircraft would not be passing all the cones while on the treadmill...it would remain in a stationary position relative to the cones.

The physics are totally wrong, an aircraft doesn't fly because of a propeller, ie a glider. It flys because of the air flow over the wings creating lift. If you were to run 20 mph down a road your hair would blow in the wind stream being created. If you run 20 mph on a treadmill your hair will look just as pretty as when your standing in place. Its the same principle with a wing.

The myth is a scam. They need to retry the myth with a pilot that can keep the plane at the same speed as the treadmill.

 

[KC Jake]

You see the guy who keeps saying over and over how he's a "degreed aerospace engineer" and the airplane won't fly? It's crazy over there.

My favorite are the people that keep saying "the propeller doesn't make the plane fly, the wings do." I also like how they have over 20 pages of arguing in 3 different threads.

People are also saying they should have put a rope on the plane to keep it from moving. Then there would be absolutely no reason for the treadmill. You might as well put a plane on the end of a runway and turn it off to see if it will fly. :banghead: