Circular Runways ?

[lefty]

Food for thought.....(and no, I checked - it's not April 1st yet...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39284294

[Ganter]

Indeed.
There's something quite intriguing about the concept.

I consider there are too many variables at play in TO and LDG to make this viable, such as THAT headwind isn't going to stay a headwind for very long on the rollout. Each aircraft will vector differently along the ground around the runway according to gear wheel base and speeds. How about the dead wings behaviour?

Like I say, it's intriguing and I certainly never dismiss the "extraordinary" on first sight - it's how we evolved by being immensely open minded - but I think far too many variables RW that would make it too ambiguous to operate with any degree of safety and practicality.

Thanks for posting.

Ganter

[aeromed202]

I've been nudging this idea for a long time and even tossed the idea to the folks over at the Ford-Trimotor-Project with their new way of creating sloped scenery objects. I was intrigued by the positive comments from the first pilots testing such a runway though they were quick to point out the obvious logistic drawbacks. I found this comprehensive report some time ago, interesting reading.

http://cordis.europa.eu/docs/results/308292/final1-d5-4-the-endless-runway-final-report.pdf

This is virtual aviation so why not explore these kinds of ideas?

[aeromed202]

This was in the news today

http://mashable.com/2017/04/06/circular-runways-propose-redefinition-of-airports/#1QxJQ80T8iqR

[Curtis P40]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=48949&stc=1
Similar idea from the 1940's. This is Converse Airport, Indiana. There is another one at Galveston, IN, though the concrete has been removed. They were built around 1944 as satellite airfields of the near by Bunker Hill AF base, now Grissom AFB...and on a side note, I believe sometime this month they are having a B-58 reunion at Grissom.