Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

Tell us about the modifications that you employ to make flying from a rough field gentler and safer for the aircraft and more fun for you. If you have discovered a new trick...share it with us here.
Larger, lightweight wheels are always popular, using small nylon bolts, instead of steel bolts, as "shear pins" for your landing gear is a good ploy. Shock absorbing landing gear...lets see how creative you can be. As an alternative, what has been successful in smoothing out the old rough field? Thanks for your ideas and comments.

JIMESTES

My Feedback: (8)

Gradder, Road base, Roller and magnesium chloride.

vinnie

My Feedback: (1)

2000 lb roller on a soft, but not muddy field.

Kaos Rulz

What does the mag. chl. do?

OnTheEdge

We roll our field EVERY year. It's not so cut and dry either. As mentioned above, the conditions must be right and the operator of the roller needs to know what he/she is doing or you could end up with groves in the field.

Also, spray for weeds. The weeds grow faster than the grass so they can cause quite an uneven (bumpy) runway.

If possible have your field cut with a gang mower (what they use on golf courses) as they cut much lower and usually have small rollers that follow the mower to help keep things level.

........Mark

JIMESTES

My Feedback: (8)

It is kinda like applying a layer of glue.
The Mag water hardens the surface after it cures and kinda glues all the gravel and sand down it works well.
later Jim

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

4000lb roller, have to make sure the field is just right or you'll make it worse. We plan on weed and feed at the end of this month.

Kaos Rulz

Jim,
Thanks. I had no idea.

jak_kkaall

What does it mean: "have to make sure the field is just right or you'll make it worse"? Would the rollers in the photos be to heavy? What does a 2000-4000lb roller look like?

topspin

Our field is grass so iti is a little rough if you have small wheeled planes. I have fitted some of my planes with larger wheels and some I just do a very slow takeoff and pray i don't make any prop divots.

init4fun

Hi Jak , Let me start by telling you not to think any of the rest of the respondents to this thread are being rude by ignoring you , it's just that this thread is 11 years old and not many of em may still be posting . Now , as to your question , what the gent was saying was that if the field is too muddy all you'll do is make the ruts worse and if it's too dry no amount of rolling will fix any real deep ruts . That's it , no real "Zen and the art of the flying field" or anything like that , just that there IS a too wet or too dry for rolling .

Or , we could just go with topper's suggestion of bigger wheels . Which hopefully come with bigger planes . Making the size of any ruts kinda relative , yes ?

Oh , and , one more thought if the machines you showed aren't big enough , well then your problem likely goes far beyond ruts , and your now into serious earth mover territory .

Good Luck

jak_kkaall

Thank you for your kind answer. I didn't wait long at all until these two answers so I'm pleased that they came that fast. And It was kind of weird to revive this very old thread indead. I'm the only one in a small town doing this hobby, at least at this level of giant scale, and using random grass fields only when the owners cut the grass and dealing with mouse holes I am always stressed at landings and taxi and those things I like to do. So I want to rent a parcel, and make it smooth so I will enjoy my planes and be able to dear to fly ones with retractable gears that are more sensible to ground bumps. Now I know when to call for a roller hop I find one. Then I want to buy a manual mower machine. dreams, dreams.. Thank you!

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

We fly off dirt....and in AZ dust is a problem; nonetheless watch this video (Turbine) and see all the rocks, dirt and whathave you thrown back by the nose wheel during the landing. We need some rain
http://amcrc.us/videos1.htm

init4fun

I understand completely the pitfalls of flying from "borrowed" land in that we have no real control over it's condition . That's why your mention of renting a parcel would be so great is that with the right rental agreement you could develop the parcel (runway) in any way you choose . Maybe even pavement instead of grass if the situation allows . yea , there are plenty of people comfortable with flying from either , myself included , but I will opt for a paved vs grass landing any time one's available .

jak_kkaall

After finding a tractor and plough the field I roll it with a 3,5 tons roller, then I've made myself a manual roller to flatten the soil from time to time, and made it from the biggest PVC pipe that I've found, the 50cm diameter one and 50cm long, with removable caps made from wood and a handle. I thought that it has to be filled with something that I have at the field...dirt. So empty has 15kg and filled with dirt I think it's over 100kg. After winter, the dirt field has much roughness so when I throw the roller in..it shows!

init4fun

Hello Jak , it's good to hear from you again . You Sir have my utmost respect , to see what you'll do to have a nice runway shows your devotion to the RC hobby and I really like the idea of filling the roller with dirt , something that's in plentiful supply at most flying fields . So tell me , is this a rented parcel of land like you spoke of in 2014 ? And have you met any fellow flyers since then or are you still alone in the hobby where you live ?

jak_kkaall

Uau! It's nice to see an old forum friend remembering your intentions a few years back. Thank you for your apreciation! I thought a lot at how to do a manual roller, the ones on the market are pretty expensive and only take water or sand heaving a small hole. I thought that if I attach the sides with bolts then I can remove them and take advantage of the abundant dirt. Although I've worked a lot on it, this is a rented parcel because first the old man doesn't want to sell it, and second I don't think I want to buy it because I've read threads here about how buildings appeared besides the field and now they have problems. If that happends, I only have to relocate further, rent another field and flatten it. Now I have numbers from tractor and roller guys so it would be much faster then the first time. I don't want to build anything on it anyway so no need to buy it for now. Although I thought about a wood hut placed there I wouldn't dare to let my airplanes in it because people are curious about what the heck could someone keep in a hut in the middle of nowere..besides that I like to look at my gas planes in my room before going to bed and after wake up, it's a powerfull fulfillment exercise to see your dream every day. As for the "club" part, I'm still the only one in it and maybe that's just fine. But I do ask myself at times how hundreds of people see me and saw me during the years and none is really interested..is this hobby that strange or this people are not that openminded, I don't know. I do know that to see my first rc model I took the train at 19 years old and traveled for hours to another province at someone that I knew has rc planes. After holding a transmitter for the first time he let me fly and land his powered glider and didn't believe me I didn't fly before, that many hours on FMS with the KEYBOARD I had! Then I remember that other big countries have thousands rc plane enthusiasts so I don't feel that weird anymore being alone..I feel pretty good. If you like my creativity check out other photos with more aspects regarding my field maintenance on the link below on rcuniverse. I'm grateful to have had the idea of renting a field and making it as I want and as I could make it, after years of struggling and breaking landing gears on bad pastures. Thanks again!

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/ques...l#post12306826

moparbob498

That is just outstanding....Ive recently gotten back into it, the electronic age has really advanced our hobby so much, I love it awesome info on the field set up! Have you tried setting up a website to draw any new fliers to your field by chance?