So I finally got over to xkcd’s what if page today, only to find that the question was “What sort of rope would you need to tie a jet airliner down?” I couldn’t help but thinking that this was eerily similar to a certain question we had around here one time. Unfortunately, he never addressed whether the plane, tied to the ground, would generate lift or not…
If it’s not moving, it can’t generate lift.
Well, it’ll still generate some lift, from the air it’s moving across the wings, but on most planes that won’t be nearly enough.
Curses, air foiled again.
Who would be on said treadmill, the plane or the whale?
If said jet is tied down, what air is moving across the wings (unless it’s a very windy day)? Were you thinking of the air blown back over the wings by the propellers? Your typical jet-propelled airplanes don’t usually have a whole lot of propellers.
OK, let me rephrase my comment - if there’s not enough air moving across the wing, the wings can’t generate lift. Better?
Is that actually lift or just the wind pushing down on the horizontal stabilizer?
CMC fnord!
As Senegoid notes, the engines of most jet airliners move approximately zero air across the wings.