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.