QUOTE(bgeh @ Jun 20 2009, 06:35 AM)
No, because the treadmill analogy fails to compensate for the fact that we're no longer talking about cuboid like objects, which experience massive friction that literally causes us to stop, but wheels instead, where the friction instead speeds up the wheel's velocity. Try this question then. Take a roller skater moving at say 5km/h. Let him skate to a walkalator moving in the opposite direction, at also 5km/h. Guess what will happen when he reaches the walkalator? [You could also substitute the walkalator with a treadmill, as long it's perfectly horizontal and stuff]
Solution in the form of an edit, after you reply (will take a while though)
Edit: 2nd analogy I just thought of: (True story)
When I was a kid, I always wanted to do roller skating/roller blading, and spent quite some time admiring and looking at my neighbour and cousin's skates. Naturally with my itchy hands I liked to roll the wheels using my hands by running my palm across the wheels. I hope you've done this too, but I noticed that the faster you move your hand across the wheels, the faster they rotate. Why? Same principle applies to the walkalator question, and same principle applies to the 'free spinning wheels' on the plane
after putting some thought of what you mentioned, i think i finally understood your point.
so assuming i get your point right, we're talking about..........
conveyor belt moving backwards at X speed. Free wheel also will spin at that speed to counter belt's backward movement. that effectively nullifies the speed, while the propeller is still giving the thrust.

if that's the case, then it's clear that in the end as long as the thrust provides forward movement, the plane will take off when the air pressure generates sufficient lift.
short version - the free wheel spins to the speed of the conveyor belt, reducing the total effect of the conveyor belt on the plane's forward motion.