Can the plane take off?

[Uridium]

NaiLed you have started a geek fest, loving it, especially fluffz diagrams.

And Sam your an idiot. Go draw a picture of yourself in paint again.

[Fluffz]

oh shit, some stranger called me a geek over the internet, my heart just broke

[ConcreteSchlyrd]

I didn't really follow the whole discussion, but neither do I think you bring up a valid arguement. if the wheels of the plane really start sliding, and the plane CAN take off, there's still no reason for the US(or any other) millitary to use this method, because it comes with alot of risks and i ouldn't like to see a plane landing with heathburned tires.

So you're saying that there's much less risk involved in catapulting planes off a short runway? How much less? How do you know? If you're worried about tires, I'm sure the arrestor cables (and the incredible stopping force associated with them) that planes deal with on landing is just as bad, if not worse, on tires.

There's risks associated with any type of launch platform. Harriers, which can takeoff vertically natively, have HUGE risks of failure. I'm just saying that we've had MORE than enough time for a development/testing/redesign cycle to make it just as safe (if it were feasible, which it's not). You'd see it in use somewhere, because somewhere would NEED it's capabilities. There are lots of smart people in the world, and lots of aerospace engineers.

[Saturn V]

I have settled this shit once and for all.

The simple answer is no the aircraft will not take off.

By default, the answer is opposite what he says. Even if it wasn't possible before, it is now.