NAS North Island c. 1930:

https://goo.gl/images/Mc2t9j

As aircraft got larger and faster, conventional runways were built, but you can still see traces of the circular runway there today.

Apparently no terrorists were abused by the researchers..:hmm:

"...Research having the potential for terrorist abuse..."

http://www.endlessrunway-project.eu/...-report-v2.pdf

I can't see how this could result in an increase in traffic or spread the noise around much. The only useable part of the circle is the into wind part, the rest is crosswind or downwind to varying degrees meaning that most movements will inevitably be from the same into wind sector, as will the approaches and departures. Then there's tyre wear, stress on the gear, the practical problem of landing in a turn, designing a whole new instrument landing system that can cope with a 360' runway...
Anyway straight runways aren't a faulty concept so why try to fix them?

Someone's on a nice little gravy train I fear.

No. The lift/drag ratio is all wrong.

circular runway anyone?
 

Think again: Will circular runways ever take off? - BBC News

Seems to me it introduces a whole bag of extra issues / dangers. I imagine lining up on approach would be tricky, landing on a curved and banked runway not easy and spotting an incursion not so obvious...

Heathrow in 1955 - it didn't last long in this configuration:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...port,_1955.jpg

I am surprised this comes up again . It is a very old idea from the 1920's that only worked with the very slow aircraft of the time.New tests were made in the 60s and were abandoned because, if I recall well, of the centrifugal forces forcing the fast aircraft out of the runway and gear load asymmetry. That said , the NLR ( Dutch research laboratory ) are no fools so they must have done the maths correctly . Curious to hear how they solved that on current modern aircraft that are not designed to have constant excessive loads on one set of wheels ( as the MD11 recent accidents demonstrate )

They do use them in the Congo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6iLHhq_V5c

...why not make the circular runway spin like a turntable? That way you have the best of both worlds: runway and conveyor belt.

Circular Runways?
 

What do you think? http:///www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39284294

From the BBC clip about the researcher:

"He was inspired by watching scary crosswind landings on YouTube."

Hmmm.

Yeah I kinda understand where he's coming from, but it'll never take off.

It's a no from me.

xx 123 cleared takeoff runway errrrr...

The approach plates would be interesting, I guess!

Great, no crosswind.

Ah, bit of a crosswind.

Aaaaaagh, crosswind is out of limits.

Well, take off again then!!

Can't, we've got a tailwind!!!

Just watched this. Apparently it was funded by the European Union.

I can't see any benefit from it, and dozens of issues.

Primarily, the cost of building what amounts to an enlarged and reinforced Nascar circuit and being able to land on it in reduced visibility.

In fact, landing safely on it under ideal conditions could prove deadly.

He says it would eliminate issues with crosswind landings, but the angle an aircraft was taking relative to the wind would constantly be changing (due to the curve) and the wind direction at the beginning of a take off would be different when rotating and climbing out - unless the diameter of the circle was absolutely enormous, but then an airport would consume hundreds of sq km.

And how can it be used simultaneously by 4 aircraft?

One into wind, 2 crosswind and 1 tailwind is the solution?

Interesting the video does not show any take offs....

The only thing to be amazed by this is that someone has let it get so far and spent money on it

Build it as a turntable and spin it :E

A 747 pilot writes.....

Pod strike :eek:

The inventor has clearly never tried to wrestle a big jet onto the ground in real weather :ugh:

The clip reckons that "the military" tried it in the 1960s - anyone know more?