Will circular runways ever take off?

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Burleysway
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Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Burleysway »

Interesting presentation by Henk Hesselink.

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

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G-CVIX
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by G-CVIX »

Well, no.

That dramatic turn to camera at 00:24 is brilliant though.

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Brevet Cable
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Brevet Cable »

Errr.....no !

Looks pretty, but I presume he's not a mechanical engineer, as his concept appears to ignore the concept of componant shock-loading resulting from landing +100ton aircraft on a 'banked circuit' ( maybe he should ask the NASCAR designers about it )
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Seahornet
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Seahornet »

Where would they put the ILS localiser, etc...?
And as the smart ship grew,
In stature, grace and hue,
In shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too....

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AlexC
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by AlexC »

It can't be April 1st yet, can it?
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aceyone
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by aceyone »

Gives a whole new meaning to " Go Around " :wink:
Don't know about those jets ,they spoil a very nice place

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DerekF
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by DerekF »

Interesting idea. Aircraft landing gear design cases should be able to withstand the loads and ILS approaches will be replaced by GPS approaches anyway.
The downsides I see are that the departure heading will depend on your take-off dsitance which are likely to greater as bank increases drag. The banked runway angle will depend on speed - some aircraft it will suit, others not so much. For a given wind direction, the crosswind component will change continually making control tricky.

A better solution , but one less environmentally friendly would be tarmac in circular area allowing take-offs in any direction - like old grass airfields.

It's easier to be sceptical about these things but it's good to see people thinking "outside the box" This one might not work but other ideas will.

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speedbird2639
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by speedbird2639 »

Not the 'best objection' but as I neither work in aviation nor have any training in matters such as stress loadings etc I thought those would be better left to more qualified people to comment on.

I think the main obvious point is that most towns/ cities big enough to need an airport already have one and they are not going to spend hundreds of billions of £ ripping it up just so the planes can guarantee to land into the wind or to save a bit of noise in the environment. If they were discussing this when air travel started to be come popular in the 1950's he may have a point but its 60+ years too late and all the infrastructure is in place now.

Stagger2
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Stagger2 »

Can't see why it wouldn't be perfect. Just a tad too early for April.
Every pilot knows how to fly an offset horizon approach, as do the landing-aids.
ATC..."Continue to the end & exit towards the middle, which is left today. If you find the end please update the tower before contacting ground. Caution tail-strike joining taxiway!"
The variable touchdown point is just as obvious as other traffic's enter & take-off point...NOT!
The wind shear over the rim is worse than a crosswind.
On both t/o & landing when crossing the 'rim' at an angle it won't have any effect on lift & stability, well not if they do Carrier landings & 'plant-it'.
All take-offs & landings will require Red or White Eco-smoke generators to make the 360 degree wake turbulence visible.
Designer's quote... "3, possibly 4 a/c could use the runway at the same time"....my quote...especially on days when the wind is in 4 directions??
Departure instructions..."Fly straight ahead at whatever heading your on at lift-off, Caution multiple other aircraft coming from every where. Confirm 20km good visibility today. Stay lucky mate!"
Emergency escape slide-chutes will be nearly horizontal on the up-slope & correspondingly more like Kitzbühel on the down-slope?
Let's hope all tyre-bursts or u/c failures are always on the 'inside of the circle' That way the stricken aircraft, debris & burning fuel will be on the flat bit & easier to clean-up! Wouldn't want a burning jet flopping over the 'rim' onto the affordable housing jammed around Carousel Airport.
The list is endless! I'm not a Airport designer...but I'm not on drugs either!!
It's not a well known fact that for a fixed major axis dimension the length of the sides of a rotated square are longer than the circumference of a same sized circle! Please donate to my "Just-wasting page" to fund next weeks project where I intend to re-invent the wheel.

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Wissam24
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Wissam24 »

speedbird2639 wrote::clap: Another bite - just can't resist can they!


Says the person who threw in an irrelevant comment in the first place.

But since you're admitting to baiting for the sake of it...moderator action required? :question:

Keep it to Off Topic
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paullangford
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by paullangford »

Snow............just saying :cuppa:

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Brevet Cable
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Brevet Cable »

paullangford wrote:Snow............just saying :cuppa:

As in..."You know nothing, Jon..." ? :lol:

Nah!...snow's been factored in, hence the bank -- it'll just slide down & coalesce on the inner area. :biggrin:
Ice, on the other hand, could be really interesting.
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paullangford
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by paullangford »

Brevet Cable wrote:
paullangford wrote:Snow............just saying :cuppa:

As in..."You know nothing, Jon..." ? :lol:

Nah!...snow's been factored in, hence the bank -- it'll just slide down & coalesce on the inner area. :biggrin:
Ice, on the other hand, could be really interesting.


Ha ! Brevet :lol:

I was just thinking if it snowed or was icy, the aircraft would surely slide over the top lip.............centrifugal force and everything.
I mean they shut Heathrow these days if there's 1cm of the white stuff.....or cancel flights on the threat of it snowing, and that's on a flat and straight runway..................which is soon to be a ramp.

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Burleysway
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Burleysway »

His research was funded by the EU, I wonder if they are going to take it any further.

TIGER TIM
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by TIGER TIM »

In a round about way............................No :dizzy:

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starbuck
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by starbuck »


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paullangford
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by paullangford »

starbuck wrote:He's back again..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39643292


That story is going round in circles :cuppa:

borismorris
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by borismorris »

starbuck wrote:He's back again..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39643292


You've got to admit though, its a revolutionary idea.... ;-)

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Burleysway
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Re: Will circular runways ever take off?

Post by Burleysway »

Circular runways: Engineer wants to use design for drones.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-42443334

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