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Originally Posted by AnarChrist
I don't see why the plane would fly. Say the plane weighs 10 tonnes. Gravity still acts on that 10 tonne object, pulling it straight down. You fire up the engines and produce some thrust, the plane tries to move forward, but gravity still holds the 10 tonnes where it is.
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This is true treadmill or no treadmill; by this argument no airplane should fly.
Gravity doesn't hold the 10 tonnes where it is, inertia and friction do.
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The only thing that could allow the plane to develop any forward momentum is if the rollers on the conveyor were not well lubricated and the plane was allowed to gain traction. This would be the same for any sort of propulsion system.
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The airplane doesn't use traction on the conveyor to propel itself forward. Float planes don't use traction with the pontoons and the water, and ski planes don't use traction with snow. The plane throws air backwards to propel itself forward.