747 on a treadmill conundrum..

[Jenny A]

Yep. But I want to go back to the original thought experiment. The forward thrust of the jet or propeller would move the plane forward relative to the air. The moving runway is probably a red herring. That plane will be moving forward through the air and relative to fixed objects on the ground regardless of what the conveyor belt runway is doing. But I find it hard to imagine just what effect the moving runway would have. Perhaps it would create a drag along the ground in which case I could imagine the plane nosing into the ground as a result. But perhaps the moving runway accommodates the forward motion while eliminating the need of the tires to rotate. Not sure.

I can't see what effect a moving runway would have at all. It shouldn't affect the plane's speed in any significant way. I don't see how it would affect air movement either. I really can't see what the speed of the tires has to do with anything.