Originally Posted by
Core Shot
34 pages debating a poorly worded question
The answer depends on the assumptions you make.
You can’t keep the plane stationary without applying brakes.
Frictionless brakeless wheels make the treadmill irrelavent. In such a case, with the engines off, the treadmill can run forward or reverse 10,000mph and the plane does not move. It also does not take off since the engines are off, it’s not moving, and hence no lift.
When you add the condition that the treadmill keeps the plane from moving through space, you necessarily assume brakes are being applied to counteract the engine thrust. Whether the treadmill moves or not, the brakes keep the plane from taking off.
ASS U ME