Classroom Discussion

[Hagar]

On the SPTU concept may I suggest a little electronic castor that extends hydrolically from the bottom of the plane onto the tarmac where it then scoots you along in a nice zig-zag.

What I had in mind is something more simple, more along the lines of the pedalo boats you can hire at holiday resorts. This would incorporate pedals with a series of chains driving a sprocket attached to the nosewheel. It would give a wonderful zig-zag effect if attached to the rudder pedals but I haven't figured out the steering part yet. They could be fitted with a Sturmey Archer 3-speed unit as an extra. This could be used to increase power for short take-offs if required.

Once the idea takes off (pun intended) it could be extended to your charter airlines. The passenger seats would all be fitted with SPTU pedals & the punters could help pay for their cheap tickets by pedalling. A fierce looking chap with a drum & a whip would be there to encourage them, rather like the old Roman galleys. The more I think about it the more I like it.

[Jared]

Sounds like a good plan to me Hagar.. :-)

We could probably have this instituted into experimental associations within a year or so! :-)

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Is there going to be a galley where Fozzer can cook or is it a bring your own brown bag deal?
You have to feed the pedal power you know

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Jared]

You want the price of your ticket to be cheaper right?

Well to make it cheaper you must work as well. ;-)

If we did all of the work and hired Fozzer to cook it would cost us more and in the end cost paying customers more in the long run! ;-)

[Deputy]

Tires spin backwards because of the airflow around them. In landing, there is no benefit of them spinning foreward or reverse, or even being stopped. There is wear on tires no matter how you look at it, considering the extreme speed change. If you were to spin them at exactly the same ground speed as the plane is traveling, there, in theory, would be less wear.