The Toy Helicopter Experiment

[Dalton]

Something I've been thinking of on and off over the years...the product of an insomnia-addled mind? Maybe...

OK, take, say, a flatbed truck and one of those little toy blimps mentioned in another thread. Assume it stands still. Now move the truck forward. The blimp would stay where it was, right?

OK, so now make it an enclosed trailer with the blimp inside. What happens when the truck moves??

I've pondered this for a while. The first iteration involved a toy chopper in a car

[phongn]

Something I've been thinking of on and off over the years...the product of an insomnia-addled mind? Maybe...

OK, take, say, a flatbed truck and one of those little toy blimps mentioned in another thread. Assume it stands still. Now move the truck forward. The blimp would stay where it was, right?

Ignoring the air currents generated by the truck, yes.

OK, so now make it an enclosed trailer with the blimp inside. What happens when the truck moves??

I've pondered this for a while. The first iteration involved a toy chopper in a car

The blimp hits the back of the truck.

[kojikun]

is the truck accelerating? if thats the case, the blimp should actually hit the FRONT of the truck, because the air pressure generated by acceleration would produce virtual gravity, and thus the air is "heavier" then the balloon.

Its the same type of experiment as putting a helium filled ballon in a car and turning. Counter intuitive as it is, the balloon moves in the opposite direct as you do when centrifugal forces act upon you.

[General G]

Something I've been thinking of on and off over the years...the product of an insomnia-addled mind? Maybe...

OK, take, say, a flatbed truck and one of those little toy blimps mentioned in another thread. Assume it stands still. Now move the truck forward. The blimp would stay where it was, right?

OK, so now make it an enclosed trailer with the blimp inside. What happens when the truck moves??

Ignoring the air currents generated by the truck, yes.

Well thats one annoying problem I can stop thinking about.

[Colonel Olrik]

Something I've been thinking of on and off over the years...the product of an insomnia-addled mind? Maybe...

OK, take, say, a flatbed truck and one of those little toy blimps mentioned in another thread. Assume it stands still. Now move the truck forward. The blimp would stay where it was, right?

OK, so now make it an enclosed trailer with the blimp inside. What happens when the truck moves??

I've pondered this for a while. The first iteration involved a toy chopper in a car

Think of a fly in your car, while you're doing 50 mph. Does the fly hit the car structure in its first attempt of flying, or does it start effortlessly doing circles around your head? The principle is the same.

The sorrounding air is moving at the same speed as the vehicle. That means that, if the speed is constant, no force is applied on the blimp or the fly. If the trailer suffers an acceleration, then the blimp will be projected against the walls.