Discussion: "busted" Umm i think NO

"This whole 'myth' is silly.
And the 'stunned' pilot they had should be ashamed of the loss of all of his 'book knowledge' he demonstrated to get his license.

What's really at issue is the engine power setting being used and whether plane is allowed to accelerate through the air.

If the airplane wings are moving THROUGH THE AIR above it's minimum ground effect flight speed it can easily fly. All the conveyor belt presence does is make the freespinning wheels spin faster. Which has minimal extra drag on the airframe.

If plane sits in place in still air of COURSE it won't fly - regardless of whether it's sitting on a moving conveyor belt (or tarp) or not. To actually demonstrate this means the pilot MUST ONLY applying sufficient IDLE/TAXI power to the engine to conteract the minor backwards force imparted from the tarp moving backwards under the wheels. This will be a relatively low power setting to 'hold' the plane in place, typically only 10-20% throttle. And duh -- the plane won't fly as the wings generate zero lift.

What you saw in the show was the pilot do a normal takeoff routine. Which meant engine at FULL POWER (used during takeoffs) -- and that WILL accerate the plane THROUGH THE AIR (cause that IS what the propeller is acting on) and fact that the tarp has made the wheels spin faster is a negligible effect.

This was all obvious as I saw that setup of the show... outcome was no surprise.
Is a non-myth myth.

But I LIKED the bugs-inherit the earth part of the show! ;-)
"

"for me they need to take this myth back to scale size, put a remote plane on a treadmill set up a couple of sensors one in front and one behind the plane to adjust the speed of the treadmill to keep the plane on the spot. to me this myth will only be busted if i see the plane take off from the same point that it started form AND NOT the end of the treadmill. "

"Its simple. A plane can NOT take off without having lift. Lift is caused by wind currents/pressure over and under the wings. The prop does nothing to offer lift to the plane, only thrust. It is simple and I cant believe their is actually a controversy over this. so with thrust and Moving Forward creates pressure on the wings, the pressure creates lift. Its the only way. Their has to be MOVEMENT of air over the wings in order for a plane to take off..its is simple aerodynamics and physics. "