Airspeed vs Groundspeed

Theoretically, yes, with a strong enough headwind.
Here is the next closest thing, Piper Super Cub STOL, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPSElw8qEsI

 

What if the aircraft was on a treadmill in this circumstance.....?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

If I was a moderator you would be BANNED IMMEDIATELY!!

 

In 1947 I worked at an airport where a co-worker owned and flew a 40HP Taylorcraft. He was a very skilled lightplane pilot and went up one day in a strong steady wind. He stayed over the airport flying into the wind and slowly retarded the throttle and hovered for a long time and gradually began to go backwards. I often flew with him and it was nothing more than a powered kite. With just him in it at a weight of 130 pounds, the airplane was hardly loaded. I have flown a 65HP T-Craft and they are real floaters.
Switches

 

Sure it's possible. Happens every time a tornado or really strong t-storm hits an airport. I have also seen a Helio Courier fly backwards in a strong headwind so taking off while standing still should work.

 

I've seen one do that too...

 

So, if jet engines could be made light enough and strong enough, could you mount them in front of the leading edge of the wing and take-off vertically using only the airflow from the jet blast over the airfoil? Curious minds want to know.

 

Yes, it's called powered lift and there have been aircraft built that used the theory to result in STOL capability. If you google Ball-Bartoe JetWing you will see how the theory was applied. All it takes is enough airflow and pressure to do the work.

 

Years ago when I lived near Seattle I flew a PT-22 with a friend on what was called the "Puget Sound Antique Aircraft Association's Washington Air Tour. We flew around about half the state with 50 other oldies but goodies. We were near Ellensberg and decided we needed fuel. It burns 14 GPH at cruise (105 mph) so it seemed like a wise idea given our location and present fuel load.

We went over the airport and the runway with the wind blowing right down it was closed for construction and in fact had trucks parked on it working. We landed on the crosswind runway and that wind sock was sticking straight out and pointed right at our right wingtip. I was in the front on this leg so I grabbed my seat bottom ready to duck if we flipped over on rollout as I have little faith in that headache bar sticking up there in front of the windscreen.

He got her on the ground, tire smoking and then the wind picked up that right wing and the left tip scraped the runway a while. We were luckily nearly stopped so it just skinned up the fabric on the tip bow and took a little meat off the aileron.

We took a Greyhound back to Seattle and got a ride back to the house. A week later we went to pick it up and patch the wing due to weather, and bring it home. We flew the PA-11 and he flew the Ryan home with me to follow in the Cub Special.

On my way from the tarmack to the runway, the wind was still blowing like a banshee at least 30 knots steady! I ground looped that plane intentionally at least 4 times trying to get it to the runway. I'd throttle up and taxi until the wind would weather vane me so I just let it go on around in a controlled fashion with the brake and crosswind correction and go a little ways forward and repeat the procedure just barely moving along until I reached the runway.

When I took off, the wind was on my nose and that PA-11 leapt into the air and climbed just like an elevator! It didn't seem to make hardly any forward movement along the ground but in a nearly level pitch attitude rose like a casino elevator. Twas a strange feeling indeed, and an uneventful flight followed back to Buckley.

 

Many of the WW-I aircraft had take-of speeds of 25-30 knots. The airfields were usually square or rectangular so you never had to make a crosswind take-off or landing. Take-off roll on some of the aircraft with light winds was as little as 20-50 yards.With a good wind, there was essentially no take-off roll. Run up the engine, the tail came up, back pressure on the stick and you were flying.

The first really successful ship/carrier-type landings were made with Sopwith Pups with skids and big grab handles on the wings. The pilot essentially flew formation with the towed landing deck and crewmembers reached up and grabbed the wing-tip handles and pulled the aircraft down to the deck. Engine was yanked to idle at or just before touchdown. Worked fine as long as both guys got a grip on the handles. One attempt went awry, the aircraft went over the side and the pilot died. Different from carriers now where the pilot goes to mil at touchdown in case he misses the wires and does a bolter.

Incidentally, Ron, the large 9-12' props back then provided lots of lift blowing over the wing. Blown wings and control surfaces have been used for years and McD was known for boundary layer control using bleed air over control surfaces. That was the rumbling whine you heard on F-4s when on approach.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

In the 50's there was an airplane called the Custer Channel Wing that used prop wash over the wings that wrapped around the lower half of the prop arc. It was twin engined and when one engine quit guess what happened. The Boeing YC-14 used upper surface blowing via engine exhaust.

 

The F-104 used boundary layer blowing over the flaps when landing. Power was something like 80 per cent or better to maintain lift on approach.
Switches

 

Yes, I remember the Channel wing quite well and I think it was a good idea, but probably needed cross shafting to be safe if you lost one engine. You can debate the additional drag in forward flight versus the ability to take off in really short distances, and that's a design compromise. If you look at all the claptrap that it takes to make a tiltrotor fly, or compare the cost of a helicopter and the cost of beating the air into submission, then maybe a super stol capability of a channel wing isn't a bad compromise. I'd like to see what an aircraft like that could do with turbines on it, since the Channelwing had recips, A couple of 1,000 hp turines would have made that a real hot rod.

All powered lift systems (and that includes helicopters) are dangerous in the post takeoff regime. Until they gain enough speed and ailtitude to establish and maintain a glide, a powered lift system without power has no visible means of support...

 

theoretically yes ... but u may not wanna be around when that wind whips up ...