Airplane and wind speed problem I can't figure out

[Zauce]

Homework Statement

Ok, an airplane weighs 6,000 (think of the airplane as a triangle) and one of the back two wheels is stationary and acts as a pivot. The airplane is on the ground. How fast does the wind need to be blowing to push the front wheel 90 degrees from the original location? Keep in mind the wheel is just dragged and provides no rolling support.

 

[Pengwuino]

You need way more information then that. 6000 what? Is there a time duration this takes place in? How is the wind pushing on the airplane? More details...

 

[Zauce]

Sorry, it weighs 6,000 lbs. The wind is blowing directly into the side of the plane with no angle. Also, no time duration was given. If the problem needs a time, use, say, 5 minutes.

 

[Zauce]

Wind speed vs. an airplane problem

Homework Statement

An airplane weighs 6,000 lbs. It is parked on the ground and one of it's back wheels acts as a pivot and can't move (the other back wheel and front wheel can move). Assuming that the wind is blowing directly into side the plane and not at any angle, what is the wind speed required to spin the plane so that the front wheel is 90 degrees from where it started? Don't consider time constraints, just one big gush of wind.

 

[tiny-tim]

If the wheel bearings are frictionless enough, you could do it just by blowing on it.

 

[djeitnstine]

Zauce just relate the moment created by the wind to the plane's weight at the CG about the pivoting point

 

[berkeman]

(two threads merged into one...)

 

[PhanthomJay]

I like tiny-tim's answer; give it a quick breath on its nose and the darn thing, in absence of friction and air drag, will spin forever...