The practical answer is “yes”. A 747’s engines produce a quarter of a million pounds of thrust. That is, each engine is powerful enough to launch a brachiosaurus straight up (see diagram). With that kind of force, no matter what’s happening to the treadmill and wheels, the plane is going to move forward and take off.
But there’s a problem. Let’s take a look at the statement “The conveyor belt is designed to exactly match the speed of the wheels”. What does that mean?
>>Anonymous (ID: N4aDZ4f3) 05/11/17(Thu)13:56:12 No.368322 ▶
>>368230 (OP)
yes
>>Anonymous (ID: 49Ft6kJK) 05/11/17(Thu)13:56:24 No.368327 ▶
>>368380File: treadmill_diagram.png (11 KB, 450x186)
11 KB
Well, as I see it, there are three possible interpretations. Let’s consider each one based on this diagram.
1. vB=vC: The belt always moves at the same speed as the bottom of the wheel. This is always true if the wheels aren’t sliding, and could simply describe a treadmill with no motor. I haven’t seen many people subscribe to this interpretation.
2. vC=vW: That is, if the axle is moving forward (relative to the ground, not the treadmill) at 5 m/s, the treadmill moves backward at 5 m/s. This is physically plausible. All it means is that the wheels will spin twice as fast as normal, but that won’t stop the plane from taking off. People who subscribe to this interpretation tend to assume the people who disagree with them think airplanes are powered by their wheels.
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