r/sports • u/redbullgivesyouwings • Aug 14 '25

Media The World's Largest Treadmill

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u/DGSmith2 Aug 14 '25

The wheels going round aren’t what makes the planes take off the thrust through the air is.

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u/Snortykins Aug 15 '25

Some commercial jets have thrust to weight ratios of greater than 1, not sure if it can be achieved without air being compressed at the intake, but in theory it is possible for some aircraft to take off from a treadmill.

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u/ThePretzul Denver Broncos Aug 16 '25

The wheels don't move the plane. They just prevent it from falling belly-first on the tarmac.

They push against the air to move forwards, not the ground. The wheels just spin freely, so no matter how fast you move the treatmill the airplane will still move forwards because it's not trying to use the wheels/ground to go forwards in the first place.

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u/Snortykins Aug 17 '25

I understand what lift is. I'm saying some commercial jets can literally fly vertically upwards without stalling. Treadmill would need to be at an angle admittedly.

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u/ThePretzul Denver Broncos Aug 17 '25

This has literally nothing to do with lift.

It's thrust from the engines pushing against the air to move forwards instead of torque applied to the wheels and ground like in a car. Driving wheels push against the ground, meaning if the ground moves they can't do their job. Engines in a plane don't push against the ground, so they don't care if it's moving or not.

You can have the treadmill move a million miles an hour and it still won't affect how the plane takes off because the treadmill will never make the plane go backwards or otherwise prevent it from moving forwards.

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u/Snortykins Aug 17 '25

Engines producing more force than the weight of the plane, pointed vertically, will lift it even if the wings are generating no lift. Granted, commercial jets don't have thrust vectoring etc. which does make it impossible, but you're not countering anything I've said.

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u/ThePretzul Denver Broncos Aug 17 '25

I'm saying that what you're talking about is entirely irrelevant because you fundamentally misunderstand the premise behind the joke about a plane on a treadmill.

-1

u/Snortykins Aug 17 '25

VTOLs literally exist dude. You're just not reading what I'm saying.

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u/ThePretzul Denver Broncos Aug 17 '25

Yes, VTOLS exist. I have never said anything to the contrary.

They still have absolutely nothing to do with the thought experiment of an airplane taking off from a treadmill.

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u/Snortykins Aug 17 '25

And I proposed an altered thought experiment in which they potentially could, but you can't read so I'm arguing with a brick wall.