Proving that there's nothing new in this world, the FRL Falconet target drone could use a circular runway, albeit tethered in the middle. It ran round and round until getting up to launch speed, then being released and hopefully heading off in the right direction (i.e. out to sea). I think both Aberporth and Benbecula had these facilities, certainly up to the 90s.
One for the Google Earth fiends amongst you to investigate.....
Proving that there's nothing new in this world, the FRL Falconet target drone could use a circular runway, albeit tethered in the middle. It ran round and round until getting up to launch speed, then being released and hopefully heading off in the right direction (i.e. out to sea). I think both Aberporth and Benbecula had these facilities, certainly up to the 90s.
One for the Google Earth fiends amongst you to investigate.....
There is one in Norfolk too, near Stiffkey.
TF 95622 43881
With a reasonable circle diameter of 3.5 miles that would give a runway some 58000 feet long (circumference) It would need to be at least twice the width of a straight runway to cater for emergency landings so the cost of materials and labour alone would be prohibitive.
But, being banked it would have excellent drainage.........
Can't see what's wrong with a number of short 100yd-wide conveyor belts running at variable speeds. They could be turntable mounted to face into the wind and the speed would vary automatically, accelerating or retarding to be equal to that of the aircraft when taking off or landing.
Time to get my patent applied for.
Plan A is always more effective when the problem you are working on understands that Plan B will involve the use of dynamite
Can't see what's wrong with a number of short 100yd-wide conveyor belts running at variable speeds. They could be turntable mounted to face into the wind and the speed would vary automatically, accelerating or retarding to be equal to that of the aircraft when taking off or landing.
Time to get my patent applied for.
I seem to recall they had an experimental version of a similar concept running at RAF Robinson Heath.
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