Quote:
The problem is really a lot simpler than what we've made it out to be in this thread. Its only goal was to make you go "Oh, duh, right, the propeller thrusts against the air, not the ground."


I think itīs a little more complicated then that, because the problem states an impossible premise - that the conveyor belt can match the speed of the wheels.

In order for the belt speed to match the wheel speed, the plane must remain stationary (Imagine running on a tread mill). But the thrust is applied to the air and so the plane moves forward, forcing the wheels to turn faster than the conveyor belt.

So the conveyor belt will never even move. The only possible speeds it can match the wheel speed at are 0 and infinity.