Circular Runways

mscard88

mscard88

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Tried to get the picture on here from this month's 'Professional Pilot' magazine. Over in Europe they're about to begin tests of a circular runway concept. Basically a circular runway around the outside of the airport with parallel circular taxiways inside (circular also), and access to any point of the runway from the ramp, straight out from the ramp. Think of it as a continuous 360 degree runway. Studies show airports would take up less land, allow more takeoffs and landings, and offer shorter taxi times.

Thoughts?
 
I think that the original "airports" were a similar ideas, when they were nothing more than an open field, and pilots would just land into the wind. Seems like it would work at big airports, but not sure how it would save space at smaller ones, where suburbia has crept right up to property edges. Also, at uncontrolled fields it would likely be a nightmare. People already and or take off into one another, add to that a plane could be coming from any direction just seems bad.
 
Something like this?

http://www.endlessrunway-project.eu/

the-endless-runway---01a.jpg
 
That's it exactly! Thanks for putting that up. Pretty interesting huh?
 
At least with the old style airports, your runway was always into the wind and a straight line. In this scenario, the circle would have to be huge to give you a long enough straight runway and if you land long, you have to start turning! I agree about the uncontrolled fields, but even with a tower it would be confusing. I hated trying to figure out which runway was which before Garmin Pilot added extended runway lines... now I would be confused again!

drotto said:
I think that the original "airports" were a similar ideas, when they were nothing more than an open field, and pilots would just land into the wind. Seems like it would work at big airports, but not sure how it would save space at smaller ones, where suburbia has crept right up to property edges. Also, at uncontrolled fields it would likely be a nightmare. People already and or take off into one another, add to that a plane could be coming from any direction just seems bad.
Click to expand...
 
drotto said:
Also, at uncontrolled fields it would likely be a nightmare. People already and or take off into one another, add to that a plane could be coming from any direction just seems bad.
Click to expand...

Roller Derby airport! Cool idea! :D
 
No problem. It's interesting for sure. Got to give them credit for thinking outside of the box!

mscard88 said:
That's it exactly! Thanks for putting that up. Pretty interesting huh?
Click to expand...
 
If you click on the link, you can see an example of planes coming in. Makes it even scarier!!

atm_approach_fully_flexible.gif
 
Lowflynjack said:
At least with the old style airports, your runway was always into the wind and a straight line. In this scenario, the circle would have to be huge to give you a long enough straight runway and if you land long, you have to start turning! I agree about the uncontrolled fields, but even with a tower it would be confusing. I hated trying to figure out which runway was which before Garmin Pilot added extended runway lines... now I would be confused again!
Click to expand...

SpinningHead Airlines Flight 720, give way to cessna departing runways 8 through 15, then clear to land runways 12 through 19
 
...and dont get me started on "maintain runway heading(s)"
 
I did a quick google search but couldn't turn up the references. There was an experiment tried in the late 1940's early 1950's by the Air Force. It used a banked runway so the aircraft was not having to use tire friction to turn. It was abandoned after a few trials but I don't remember why. Essentially you're landing in a constant rate turn and the runway is banked to match the bank required for the turn.

Oops! Navy experiment. See: https://books.google.com.au/books?i...&q=air force experiment banked runway&f=false

John
 
Turning slows you down. Floatplanes can do circular takeoffs, but it doesn't work very well because turning slows them down. Turning also makes the plane want to tip over to the outside.
 
Now, if you start to put the entire circular runway on a turn-table, and move it, and with the boundary lawyer effect, and such, you could launch the aircraft with a much tighter circle. I'll call it my invention and start to fight with anyone on the internet who calls the idea stupid.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean it was animated. I meant you could see this photo. Then I thought, why not just attach it?

rk911 said:
which link? in the photo? did that but no animation.
Click to expand...
 
Not sure it's such a great idea,we might want to go back to the old military training airports,the runways where a large triangle,the cross wind was always in limits. Most of the old military airports in Fla. Only use two crossing runways lately.
 
Why not launch them of a treadmill !! (Ducking )
 
Now where have I heard that before....hmmm.
 
Scrabo said:
Why not launch them of a treadmill !! (Ducking )
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Sure- get the whole circular runway spinning fast enough, say 100 knots, and that should be sufficient speed to take off in almost any aircraft, right? You could take off straight up with sufficient runway speed while you add enough power to stay in place with the runway spinning underneath you. You can rotate as you rotate.
 
I'm surprised anyone thinks that would be a good idea.

Did that graphic come out last April 1st, by any chance?
 
The way drivers around here deal with roundabouts, I'd hate to see it in action with planes!
 
"Cleared for takeoff clockwise, caution wake turbulence at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock"
 
frfly172 said:
Not sure it's such a great idea,we might want to go back to the old military training airports,the runways where a large triangle,the cross wind was always in limits. Most of the old military airports in Fla. Only use two crossing runways lately.
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That's a non-starter for any airport with a decent amount of traffic, particularly large hub air carrier airports.

Runway throughput and safety increases dramatically with a parallel runway configuration. With Converging Runway Operation (CRO) rules implemented in April 2014, throughput of intersecting runways drops significantly.
 
In Texas we don't give a rats about land usage. We have lots of it.
 
vkhosid said:
As a European, I take offence to that...blame the French if you want someone to blame...
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I quote the old saying about airplanes. If its ugly, it British. If its weird, its French. If its both ugly and weird, its Russian.
 
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