Circular runways for airports?

This type article (granted 50 years old), gives scientists a bad name.

Ron Lee




Richard Riley wrote:

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:25:06 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote:


Now here's an idea almost as good as underground airports*:


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...936623,00.html

Mar. 21, 1955
Dr. John Gibson Winans, 52, an air-minded professor of physics at the
University of Wisconsin, was demonstrating last week the first part of
a pet theory: that airplanes should take off and land in circles, as
tethered models do.

A straight runway, the professor reasons, is fine if it is long
enough. But often, even on a very long runway, a faltering engine or
iced-up wings can dump an airplane in crack-up territory beyond the
airport fence. A circular runway, on the other hand, is infinitely
long because an airplane, tethered to its center, can fly around it
indefinitely. The pilot need not fear "running out of runway." Even if
his engine dies after the takeoff, his airplane can circle safely to
the ground again.

Professor Winans heard that the circular take-off had been
demonstrated as a stunt by Jean Roche in 1938. In 1950 Winans got from
the Sanders Aviation Co. of Riverdale, Md. the special equipment (a
hub, spindle and release gear) that Roche used, but his attempts at
that time to take off in a circle were not a success.

This year he tried again with his new light airplane, an Ercoupe. At
first he wanted to use frozen Lake Mendota, near Madison, for his
circular runway, but the city council said no. Last fortnight he set
up his apparatus on the ice of Lake Kegonsa, a safe distance from
Madison. The spindle and hub were attached to a steel barrel frozen
into the ice and guyed solidly. A double strand of woven nylon, 400
ft. long, led to a quick-release fixture under a wing of the airplane.
The first four tries were failures. The airplane swept part way round
the circle and left the ground, but the rope always broke before the
professor could make a controlled release. The fifth try was
successful. This week the professor was doing it every time, slinging
himself into the air and flying off with composure.

Professor Winans hopes to get permission to take passengers up on
circular takeoffs, which he considers the utmost in safety, but his
ultimate objective is to land in the circular manner. He has not tried
it yet.