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.

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

It reminded me that old ideas do have a way of coming around again,
though.

For example, I read they're considering airplane-parachutes for
airliners again, a la the CAPS setup for Cirrus/Cessna/whatever,
because of an old concept:

It's always been considered impossible to have airliner parachutes
because of the weight, but 70 years ago the chute idea was first
proposed, and back then they had a possible solution: jettison any
extra weight, by blowing off the wings, engines, tail, etc.

Now, I'm thinking about this while driving the other day, and it comes
to mind that the sequence of events is important. For instance, if
you hit the "Save Us" button and the wings are jettisoned *before* the
parachutes are deployed, this requires an immense leap of faith in the
system big grin

Kev

On 26 Dec 2006 08:47:26 -0800, "Kev" wrote in
. com:

It reminded me that old ideas do have a way of coming around again,
though.

For example, I read they're considering airplane-parachutes for
airliners again, a la the CAPS setup for Cirrus/Cessna/whatever,
because of an old concept:

It's an old concept alright:


http://mlsandy.home.tsixroads.com/Co...NDY/rt044.html

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, April 16, 1929:

MEMPHIS PILOT FLIES AIRPLANE IN 'CHUTE TEST ON WEST COAST

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SHIP FLOATS SAFELY DOWN FROM 5,000-FOOT ALTITUDE
MOTOR DEAD, WHEN 60-FOOT PARACHUTE OPENS.
CAPTAIN TURNER NOW STUNT FLIER

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Capt. Roscoe Turner, once an automobile salesman in Memphis,
later a member of the army air corps in France and after that a
stunt flier headquartering in Memphis, yesterday proved that a
parachute, attached to an airplane, can become the greatest safety
device yet offered to aviation, in a test at Los Angeles.

An inventor, working for more than two years, has at last
designed a 60-foot parachute which can be attached to an airplane
and controlled from the pilot's cockpit. Recently, his plans
perfected and his model 'chute constructed, he went in search of a
pilot who would risk life and limb to test the appliance and
demonstrate its practicability, or its fallibility.

Captain Turner, now a stunt flier at Hollywood, Cal., was
approached. He agreed to make the test and yesterday was set as the
date.

Captain Turner took an airplane which weighs 2,800 pounds,
dead weight, up 5,000 feet. At that altitude he killed his motor,
and as the ship slipped into a spin, pulled the cord that released
the parachute which was attached to the upper wing.

The great spring, holding the chute cords to the plane wind,
took up the snap of the opening of the chute. The plunging ship
righted and floated softly to earth in a field three miles from the
Martin Airport [now KSNA] from which the plane had taken off.

The 'chute. for the first time, had proved its
practicability as a safety factor.

Captain Turner is a native of Corinth, Miss., where his
parents now live. When the United States entered the World War,
Captain Turner enlisted in the aviation section of the army signal
corps and was assigned to the old Driving Park squadron. From there
he went to Park Field and learned to fly.

Soon after he had won his wings and his commission as a
second lieutenant he was ordered to France. He flew in the aviation
schools there and later served with a pursuit squadron at the front.

After the war he returned to Memphis. But selling
automobiles held no attraction for him and he went into aviation as
a business. There were no transport lines for him to turn to in
those days and he started "barnstorming."

As a stunt flier he visited most of the fairs and carnivals
in the south. Then he moved to the west coast and entered the
movies as a stunt flier.

PICTURE- captioned "Pilots Plane in Test"

Capt. Roscoe Turner, former Memphis flier, yesterday piloted a
plane at Los Angeles in a demonstration of practicability of a
parachute for airplanes as a safety device. Since moving from
Memphis Captain Turner has been a stunt flier at Hollywood.

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