# Mythbusters this wed. Plane on conveyor belt myth. **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\ **Created:** [December 11, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227 "2007-12-11T07:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/1 "2007-12-11T07:02:03Z")
> The episode, which airs in December, finds Savage and Hyneman tackling a question baffling everyone from bloggers to pilots: If a plane is traveling at takeoff speed on a conveyor belt, and that conveyor belt is matching the speed in reverse, > can the plane take off? > `We put the plane on a quarter-mile conveyor belt and tested it out,'' says Savage about the experiment using a pilot and his Ultralight plane. `I won’t tell you what the outcome was, but the pilot and his entire flight club got it wrong.‘’ Don’t miss it, this myth has been argued about forever. :ponder ---
**Author:** ![91teg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/91teg/32/6304_2.png) [@91teg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/91teg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/2 "2007-12-11T11:31:02Z")
the air moving over the wings isnt travling at the speed needed for lift…so i dont think it will ---
**Author:** ![Oleg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/oleg/32/6276_2.png) [@Oleg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Oleg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/3 "2007-12-11T12:50:15Z")
the idea that people have trouble with is that it’s not sitting on a short conveyer, its a long-ass strip. so, in theory, if the props are making it go fast enough, it will move forward on the conveyer, and at certain speed will generate enough lift to take off. question is, how long is the conveyer, how fast is it moving, and how powerful is the plane. ---
**Author:** ![Sully93vr4](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sully93vr4/32/6278_2.png) [@Sully93vr4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sully93vr4)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/4 "2007-12-11T13:29:52Z")
OK, If the plane doesn’t move with respect to its original position, IT WILL NOT FLY. There isn’t going to be any lift because the plane isn’t acually moving. Its like putiing your car on a dyno… There isnt any “moving air (hense, thats why you need a big ass fan)”, but your car is still “driving” at XXmph. I find it funny that people dont underdtand that concept… ---
**Author:** ![Oleg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/oleg/32/6276_2.png) [@Oleg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Oleg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/5 "2007-12-11T14:02:59Z")
I had the same misconception about it initially. i imagined a short conveyer on top of which the plane sits, and somehow is supposed to take off. as i understand it now, this is not the case. the conveyer is long, as in long enough to be a runway. they want to see if the prop will push it forward and get enough speed to take off. wheels won’t put up much resistance, think of them as bearings. ---
**Author:** ![duesmandella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@duesmandella](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/duesmandella)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/6 "2007-12-11T14:58:46Z")
i hope there are no “motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane” hahha ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/7 "2007-12-11T19:48:10Z")
Oleg… A runway is A LOT further than 1/4mi. ---
**Author:** ![Oleg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/oleg/32/6276_2.png) [@Oleg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Oleg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/8 "2007-12-11T20:31:59Z")
true. but maybe they’re using a turboprop, jet or vtol ;D i wanna see the actual episode. ---
**Author:** ![91teg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/91teg/32/6304_2.png) [@91teg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/91teg)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/9 "2007-12-12T10:21:08Z")
When dose it air??? ---
**Author:** ![GranMassaX](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/granmassax/32/6299_2.png) [@GranMassaX](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GranMassaX)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/10 "2007-12-12T10:57:27Z")
> [@91 teg b16a1](#): > > When dose it air??? well the title of this thread is “Mythbusters this wed”… and it was started yesterday, so I would assume it airs tonight, right? ---
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/11 "2007-12-12T12:19:23Z")
Yep this wednesday it is. ---
**Author:** ![CustomLowz](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/customlowz/32/6279_2.png) [@CustomLowz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/CustomLowz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/12 "2007-12-12T18:12:46Z")
> [@Vovchandr](#): > > Yep this wednesday it is. watching it now… ---
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 11:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/13 "2007-12-13T11:54:06Z")
It would seem the discovery messed up and failed to air the myth on this episode. I think they post poned it 'till January something. ---
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 8:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/14 "2008-02-18T08:39:48Z")
Damn, pretty sure it aired, but have yet to catch it. Anybody seen it? ---
**Author:** ![Mafdark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mafdark/32/6322_2.png) [@Mafdark](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mafdark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/15 "2008-02-18T09:19:04Z")
as I thought. [youtube=425,350]XDVz0UKOQPc&rel[/youtube] ---
**Author:** ![K20power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@K20power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K20power)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/16 "2008-02-18T09:19:30Z")
Yeah it was on last week or something, i remember watching it… ---
**Author:** ![91teg](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/91teg/32/6304_2.png) [@91teg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/91teg)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/mythbusters-this-wed-plane-on-conveyor-belt-myth/235227/17 "2008-02-18T15:57:10Z")
thats not how i thought they were goin to do it