Originally Posted By: tfabris
Originally Posted By: canuckInOR
Quite simply, if you forget (or never knew in the first place) that a plane's engine doesn't power the wheels to make it move, you're going to be stumped.


I suppose the people who make this mistake assume that the plane puts power to its wheels until the moment it needs to get airborne?

Yeah, why not? If you don't know how the mechanics work, then it's a reasonable assumption to make. A wheeled vehicle moves forward by having the engine turn the wheels. A plane is a wheeled vehicle with wings. Therefore...

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In other words, vroom drive down the runway really fast and then LEAP into the air at which point you start flapping your wings? smile

I'd flap my wings as I vroomed down the runway -- like a duck taking off from a lake!