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Circular Runways: Engineer Defends His Proposal
World Hacks, the British Broadcasting Company ^ | 04/21/2017 | Dougal Shaw

Posted on 04/25/2017 2:09:26 PM PDT by DoughtyOne

Last month we published a video arguing the case for circular runways at airports, as part of a series called World Hacks. It took off and went viral.

The video has had more than 36 million views on Facebook and generated heated debate on social media - including within the aviation community. Many people are sceptical about the concept.

So we decided to hand-pick some of the top concerns and put them straight to the man proposing the idea: Dutch engineer Henk Hesselink.

This is what he had to say.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: circular; runway
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To: TexasGator; DoughtyOne

On a circular and properly banked track, one can take their hands off the wheel (i.e. nose wheel centered for a plane) and the vehicle will continue to follow the circular path.


61 posted on 04/25/2017 3:10:01 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: Vinnie

They wave a checkered flag when you hit flight speed...


62 posted on 04/25/2017 3:10:13 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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To: SamAdams76

I’ll join you. “:^)


63 posted on 04/25/2017 3:10:34 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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To: DoughtyOne

Do planes land clockwise south of the equator, counter-clockwise in the north?


64 posted on 04/25/2017 3:11:32 PM PDT by ReaganGeneration2
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To: TexasGator

Which you are clearly not.


65 posted on 04/25/2017 3:11:55 PM PDT by linear (The truth brooks no arbiters.)
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To: VTenigma

LOL, we have Asian drivers out here and some of them I wouldn’t put behind the wheel of a tricycle.


66 posted on 04/25/2017 3:12:50 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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To: ReaganGeneration2

...and what happens when you have a strip on the equator?

Dang!


67 posted on 04/25/2017 3:13:53 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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To: DoughtyOne

Oh goody round about a for airliners


68 posted on 04/25/2017 3:15:55 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: DoughtyOne

They don’t have anything on the line. They’re “proposing” something that will never be built. They’re not even looking at anything happening for 20 years. So on the off chance it happens they’ll all be retired. No rep on the line for anybody.


69 posted on 04/25/2017 3:18:17 PM PDT by discostu (Stand up and be counted, for what you are about to receive.)
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To: DoughtyOne
Well, if a circular runway is flat out... can't we at least have rooftop runways?


70 posted on 04/25/2017 3:19:32 PM PDT by C210N
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To: pfflier

IF future planes have a different configuration then we can look at how airports should be configured


71 posted on 04/25/2017 3:20:44 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: TexasGator

But then you still have to go around the circle, so eventually you will be perpendicular to the wind. And because the plane is tilted it’ll have more surface exposed to the wind, and with less ground clearance for the wing tips there’s less forgiveness for any tilt that wind causes.


72 posted on 04/25/2017 3:21:08 PM PDT by discostu (Stand up and be counted, for what you are about to receive.)
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To: DoughtyOne

Sounds like something only a Democrat could support.


73 posted on 04/25/2017 3:21:14 PM PDT by libertylover (In 2016 small-town America got tired of being governed by people who don't know a boy from a girl.)
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To: TexasGator

Ice on a buggy was the least bad idea available to solve that problem. When all other options are terrible the merely crappy idea is king. We have a runway solution that actually works.


74 posted on 04/25/2017 3:23:20 PM PDT by discostu (Stand up and be counted, for what you are about to receive.)
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To: linear

“Which you are clearly not.”

Your comment was stupid. You can’t engage nose-wheel steering at high speeds.


75 posted on 04/25/2017 3:30:16 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: linear

“As a former AF pilot, this idea horrifies me. “

As a former passenger of an AF pilot, this idea horrified me too.

5.56mm


76 posted on 04/25/2017 3:32:59 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: linear

We can return to taildraggers, like the ME 262 prototypes. Oh, wait...


77 posted on 04/25/2017 3:36:22 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - JRRT)
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To: Ace's Dad

Physics is so pre-Common Core.


78 posted on 04/25/2017 3:37:58 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - JRRT)
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To: Nifster

“:^)


79 posted on 04/25/2017 3:38:58 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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To: discostu

Thanks for the response.


80 posted on 04/25/2017 3:39:28 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Happy days are here again!)
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