Can the Plane Take-Off?

[EddieMcD]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

The plane would not be able to move the runway in the opposite direction unless the wheels were driven (like an automobile).

Ah, but the plane still has to deal with gravity, which the plane's engines aren't going to overcome automatically. So the plane is still putting the same force against the ground as the ground is putting on it, and if the wheels are touching the ground, they'll move.

My next question would be if there's a limit to the plane's engine output.