MOTORWAYS AS RUNWAYS

[Rheged]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13048131

Having watched the above, I seem to remember hearing from one of the M1 motorway bridge designers (he lived beside my parents in Carlisle) that one of the parameters for bridge clearance was the height of R A F aircraft tailplanes. From the 1950's onwards, UK motorways were all designed as emergency runways.  Sweden does this too.

Given that a Harrier can land in a tennis court, how many hardened pads are thus made available?

[Weaver]

Jaguar taking off from the M55 near Blackpool. They took the opportunity to test the capability in the gap between the road beingbuilt and being opened:



http://www.ciht.org.uk/motorway/m55pnb.htm

This clip has some footage of the M55 trials at about the 2 min mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-uqMUA7U-k

[rickshaw]

I remember those occurring back in the early 1980s.

The Swedes have a different idea.  IIRC They design their roads to have a 1 km straight stretch ever 50 km.  Off that straight stretch they have dispersal areas and taxiways.   They can move in quickly and set up an airbase and operate aircraft off it.  The road is designed to accept the loads.

I note that there is a youtube video which I can't find at the moment which shows Warsaw Pact airforces doing similar things with MiG-21s.  So, its not completely uncommon as a way of basing aircraft.

Interestingly, one of the major airbases in Australia's "Top End" - RAAF Tindal - near Katherine in the Northern Territory was built on top of a section of the Stuart Highway.  The road was diverted around the airstrip.  It was quicker, cheaper and easier to build a new road and than to try and build a well compacted runway.

[Mossie]

Finland operate their Hornets from roads too.  Not necessarily motorways/highways either, they're often small stretches of road.

Have a look at the bottom two videos on this thread at militaryphotos.net:
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?122378-Finnish-Air-Force-F-18-videos

[scooter]

I recall an article on BBC from a few years ago about the ROCAF using one of their highways as a dispersal field for exercises.  Granted, they went in and added more asphalt before it kicked off. 

[ChernayaAkula]

A part of Autobahn A44, running east-west from Kassel into the Ruhrgebiet, also had a stretch earmarked for use as a runway. Perfectly straight, with the barrier in the middle demountable and with a lay-by at either end to serve as re-arming and re-fuelling points.
HERE'S a satellite view from Google Maps of the stretch of A44 in question.
Note the proximity of Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport. Wonder whether they intended to use this as a forward operating base in wartime and, in case the Soviets disabled the runways, use the Autobahn for a runway. The intra-German border was only a short hop away from Paderborn. Around 120km, with the closest part only about 90km away.

This wasn't the only case of Autobahnen for runways in Germany. German Wikipedia has a list (CLICKY).

The Singaporeans also practice this. There was an article in AFM some time ago. They basically towed the aircraft out the front gate of the Air Base and launched from the highway.   Even with Hawkeyes!  
Think I've seen a video of the Pakistanis flying their F-16s off a highway as well.

[Captain Canada]

Sweet.....that Mirage is tres cool. Neat to see the Kiowa and Chinook in there as well.

[dragon]

As I understand it, the Highways built during the Eisenhower Administration in the US, had to have a straight portion every so many miles expressly for that purpose.

[rallymodeller]

As I understand it, the Highways built during the Eisenhower Administration in the US, had to have a straight portion every so many miles expressly for that purpose.

Nope, that's a myth: they debunked it at Snopes.com.

[PR19_Kit]

A part of Autobahn A44, running east-west from Kassel into the Ruhrgebiet, also had a stretch earmarked for use as a runway. Perfectly straight, with the barrier in the middle demountable and with a lay-by at either end to serve as re-arming and re-fuelling points.
HERE'S a satellite view from Google Maps of the stretch of A44 in question.

Cor, I've driven along that length of the A44 a few times, but I never noticed its similarity to a runway. I did think it was a nice stretch to exceed the UK's 70 mph limit on though. 

[raafif]

In 1981 I was on a train in central Switzerland which stopped for some reason -- in the apple orchard beside the track there were wrecks of their modded Hetzers & a road a short distance away on which a Mirage fighter landed then taxied off into a "hill" which swallowed it up !!

[ChernayaAkula]

Cor, I've driven along that length of the A44 a few times, but I never noticed its similarity to a runway. I did think it was a nice stretch to exceed the UK's 70 mph limit on though. 

Know what you're talkin' 'bout, Kit. Nice part to put the pedal to the metal, but often haunted by a nasty crosswind, spoiling things somewhat. Living just north of Kassel and with Dad being from Dortmund and many relatives living there, we use A44 a lot.
Also, crossing the Hesse border into North Rhine-Westphalia has the benefit of being able to pick up BFBS Germany on the car stereo.  

[anthonyp]

As I understand it, the Highways built during the Eisenhower Administration in the US, had to have a straight portion every so many miles expressly for that purpose.

Nope, that's a myth: they debunked it at Snopes.com.

You should note, however, that that article was last updated on 4/1/2011 



Kidding, kidding, I know it's bunk.  No, NOT IN THE FACE!!!

[Old Wombat]

A part of Autobahn A44, running east-west from Kassel into the Ruhrgebiet, also had a stretch earmarked for use as a runway. Perfectly straight, with the barrier in the middle demountable and with a lay-by at either end to serve as re-arming and re-fuelling points.
HERE'S a satellite view from Google Maps of the stretch of A44 in question.
Note the proximity of Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport. Wonder whether they intended to use this as a forward operating base in wartime and, in case the Soviets disabled the runways, use the Autobahn for a runway. The intra-German border was only a short hop away from Paderborn. Around 120km, with the closest part only about 90km away.

I note the proximity of the woodlands, too; ideal for camouflaged aircraft dispersal.

[starship1]

Most of South Korea's are the same.