(We originally posted this in 2020. You can read more of our original ideas in our archive.)
Problem: Planes need more than 1,000 meters of runway in order to take off and land.
Solution: This business would build high-powered machine that essentially is like a giant treadmill to facilitate the flying and landing of planes at airports. Of course this device would have to be large, powerful, and reliable. Of course, the immediate question would be “is this even possible?”
The short answer is yes: Mythbusters tested the hypothesis and demonstrated a plan can in fact take off from a stationary position.
Moreover, scientifically this checks out. Here are some different explanations of the phenomenon.
First, from the Aviation Stack Exchange:
…Aircraft rely on airflow over the airfoil (wings/tail etc) to produce lift - which is independent of the movement of the tires. This means that with enough air going over the wing, the aircraft will fly even if it isn't moving forward at all relative to the ground. This is why aircraft on ramps at airports need to be tethered to the ground. This isn't only to prevent them from rolling around, but from taking off should the air flow get fast enough over the wing.
Second is an article from Wired magazine:
Yes, it takes off. A plane can take off from a runway moving in the opposite direction? But why? It's because the wheels on a plane don't really do anything. The only function for the wheels is to produce low friction between the aircraft and the ground. They don't even push the plane forward—that is done by the propeller. The only difference when launching a plane on a moving runway is that the wheels will spin at twice the normal speed—but that shouldn't matter.
So the plane on a treadmill works, but how about a case where the plane wouldn't take off? What if the plane was more like a glider with motorized wheels? On a normal runway, these motorized wheels would increase the speed of the glider until it reached takeoff speed. But if you put this on a moving runway, the wheels would spin at the right speed and cancel the motion of the treadmill so that the plane would remain motionless and never reach the proper speed for a launch.
Of course, after taking off every plane has to land. Many argue that it would be nearly impossible for a large plane (often with a maximum landing weight of 650,000 LBS) to land on a treadmill and disperse all its kinetic energy reasonably. However, this business would focus on the first part of the equation which is scientifically proven and build on the second system as it grows.
Monetization: Selling this treadmill system to governments, airports, and naval carriers that have planes. Ideally the product would be sold to size-sensitive customers.
Contributed by: Michael Bervell (Billion Dollar Startup Ideas)