4*60

My Feedback: (41)

I was getting used to great takeoffs and good landings at our field. Lately the takeoffs have become erratic, losing directional control often but getting off OK. I'm not the only one and some experienced people wind up taking off across the runway. The runway is grass and this year we could not roll it in the early spring when it was soft, so I'm wondering if it's rougher than usual.

Anyway, started out straight but wound up going slightly diagonally across and continued the roll and wound up in the weeds. The 4*60 broke in half behind the wing (not the first bay behind the wings because someone warned me they were weak there, strengthen it and the 2nd bay breaks ) Seems like a lot of damage for hitting weeds on the edge of the runway.

Have you ever heard of not clearing the whole area of weeds if you can on a field. We have an area available of about 180 by 650 and we choose to keep 80 by 450 mowed and the rest varies from tall weeds to 1-15 foot spruce trees. This ticks me off because we seem to be damaging or losing two planes per weekend on average and there are only 12-15 of us out on a weekend. Seems like a high amount of damage and I'm beginning to think this isn't the hobby for me!


Any thoughts??

Gdolboy3

Dang, I wouldn't want to fly either if my field was rough and full of weeds. Course it seems to me all the clubs I've been privy to have either had contracted grass cutters, or we had an all members field maintaince day to take care of whatever was ruining the fun at a club

Rforce1

I just lost my plane due to weeds also. I normaly don't fly at this field, but its so close to my house I decieded to give it a go. The runway is only 25 feet wide, and maybe 75 feet long, anyway Its surrounded by 3 feet of weeds and ruts, I came in too far right and lost my plane to the weeds, did major damage. dont think i'll be flying there again. Im sure more experianced piolts would not have had a problem, but Im still learning, maybe when my skills grow Ill return to that field, untill then ill stick to the wide open areas.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

That's what I hate about grass runways. Hell, I don't even like the fact that I have to mow MY yard. At least if my lawn isn't mowed, it doesn't effect how you, can use it. But, if the grass is just a little too high on the field, it's tough on these little planes.

MANFRED

My Feedback: (27)

Grass is for hippies.

bradders

CUT GRASS IS FOR SISSIES

John B

My Feedback: (1)

I like the grass, but it must be well maintained or planes will be lost. we have some sort of a vine growing on our runway this year. Grabbed a tail wheel on a 40 size cub and kept it , pilot got the plane in the air and back down but now we are trying to figure out what it is so we can kill it off.

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

The runway is mostly weeds, cut short most of the time, surrounded by some sort of weed that grows about 1.5 feet high and is like rope. When a 8ft span spitfire hit the weeds at the end it poked holes in the fabric all along the wing from the "whiplash" effect. But what do you do when the older members think it's fine. I would like to see us water it a bit, encourage some grass and smooth it out a bit. It's a little harder on the 40-60 size models us "newcomers" fly compared to the "giants" the older boys are flying.

I was told it was 100' wide. After pacing it off I found it was 80' and when I said something the response was, "Oh yeah we decided not to mow as much a few years ago".