AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (Full Version)

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Big_Bird -> AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 8:08:43 PM)

Hooray! We got our runway put down this weekend. At this point it's 300' long and 43' wide. We used 3 rolls of ProPex 2019.

Saturday, we had a crew who spread 10 cu yards of fill sand into 4 gullies that had developed. Then, we put the first 300' by 15' piece of ProPex down.

Sunday we put down two 300' by 15' pieces of ProPex completely stretched in 3 1/2 hours with 8 people. We developed a new technique of stretching the fabric. As you will see in the photos, after anchoring the fabric at one end, we used a pickup truck to stretch the fabric. We did about 80 feet at a time. While the fabric is in tension one edge is completely stapled down. After that, a team of four people kicked the fabric to the other side while another team of four people staple that side down. This is repeated. When we got to the end of a roll, the ProPex was lapped over a 2 by 4 and another 2 by 4 was used along with C clamps to clamp the ProPex. The pickup was again used to stretch the fabric, this time only one edge. After stapling the edge down the 2 by 4 assembly was moved over to the other edge to stretch it. The over laps were about 1' and we used 8"staples. We did the last 1/3 of the last piece in the rain. As soon as the rain slacked a bit, one of our members made a test flight.

All of us are now certified in ProPex kicking, sore toes and all.

Ken

Hawk Field Flyers of Texas



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 8:17:31 PM)

more photos....



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 8:29:31 PM)

more photos....

Here is a link to our club web site with a map to the field: www.hawkfield.org

Come fly with us.

Ken



Kellermann -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 9:13:37 PM)

Ken, it sure looks good. Congrats, boys, well done.

Marcus



FLYBOY -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 10:51:56 PM)

looks great. Ours is looking good too. One guy (the first to fly on it), had a prop strike and it made a tiny hole. A guy just called me and said it turned into a big hole, but I really hope he is just messing with me. I will drive down later in the week to make sure. Everyone says it patches easy.



tonyc -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 10:52:07 PM)

This looks like something the club in my area would be interested in. What was the cost of the Propex? A few years back the club spent some where close to $15,000 for a runway. Big bucks. When the city closed it down the city didn't offer to pay for a new runway so the club is on grass now.

tonyc



daveopam -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 11:27:28 PM)

Big Bird the runway looks great. For others getting ready to do this. The stretching isn't needed. The sun will stretch all the wrinkles out in a day.


David



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/25/2005 11:47:31 PM)

tonyc, the ProPex (2019) that we used was $605/300' by 15' roll delivered plus tax. We were able to order it locally from Texas Steel Culvert company. It was delivered in about 5 days. The 2019 is a heavy gauge fabric. Each roll weighs over 200 lbs. If it sits on the ground a few days like ours did, mice will set up house keeping in the tube. We had to evict them.

David I believe you but we wanted to get most of the wrinkles out. Kinda like Monokote and let the heat do the rest.

Flyboy, another club that I belong to has Petromat and patching is not a problem. They usually use a piece of fabric and a few staples. I read on your thread that a small piece with contact glue works well.

Thanks Marcus, we had a good crew.

Ken



rc-sport -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 12:19:25 AM)

I bet there was alot of Tylenol consumed when that project was done. Looks great.



heartbeat -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 12:31:42 AM)

Ken my feet and toes still hurt -but man was it worth it, cant wait for a rain free day the pictures turn out good (MACK) a HAWK FIELD FLYER[:D]



nibs -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 3:14:13 AM)

Tylenol? Heck no - corn plasters and a cold beer! [8|] I had the privilege of the "first flight" on a crash-repaired H9 Twister ARF. First flight after major fuselage destruction - smooth as silk and a lot of fun!

You ever in North Texas - stop on by and try out our new field.




Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 4:03:14 AM)

nibs, welcome to RCU. I did get that good flight on video tape. I'll show it to you sometime.

Ken



Dig it -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 2:51:27 PM)

Whats the life span of this stuff?



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 6:08:28 PM)

Just a guess, but at least 5 years.



MerlinL14 -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 8:17:00 PM)

$605 a roll x 3 rolls = $1815.00 divided by (say)100 members = £18.15 with a life span of 5 years = $3.63 a year to each member. I would say not only have you got a good runway you have a great deal on the materials used :D. Even if you add £30 of "light" refreshment for the initial workers it is still about £15,000 cheaper than getting ground workers in to lay tarmac.
Don't forget to paint the X's at the end of the runways or you might get some Ultralights thinking they can use it ;).



FLYBOY -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 9:25:23 PM)

I have heard people that have had it down for over 7 years and they still have a good surface. We used 2006. Was $240 a roll for a 15 X 300 foot roll. Figure if we have to use the heavier stuff later, we will. They are so close. I looked at many different expamples. This stuff is awsome. Goes down really easy and fast if you have a good base.



daveopam -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/26/2005 11:50:49 PM)

Ours will be down 5 years this July. It is still as good as new. The color has gone to a dull gray instead of a shiny black. We used the heavy grade for the runway and the lighter for the taxi way and ramp. There is difference in them as of today. The heavier does come on a wider roll(15' vs 12') so there is an advantage there.



david



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/27/2005 1:15:16 AM)

Here is a web site for data sheets on ProPex.

http://www.geotextile.com/products/product.htm#woven



Dig it -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (4/27/2005 8:09:12 PM)

Wow, impressive. Guess what I'll be bringing up at the next club meeting. :)



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/2/2005 7:15:20 PM)

Here are new photos made 4/30.



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/2/2005 7:24:54 PM)

Here are new photos made 4/30 and 5/1.



FLYBOY -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/2/2005 11:00:28 PM)

looks good, did you lay it right over the grass or do something to get rid of it?



Big_Bird -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/3/2005 12:43:07 AM)

Yes, It was put directly over what grass was left after I pulled a home made drag over the area for about 30 minutes. I'll try to think to get a photo of the drag. It's a work of art made of chain link fence, big rope, timbers, and an old tire. Our club President engineered it.

Someone earlier said that you don't have to stretch the ProPex very much. He is right. When we put the pit area down we did not kick it out near as much as the runway. In about 2 hours on a 72 degree sunshiny day the wrinkles were gone. We even put down another piece over a wash area and took less care with the wrinkles. It was wrinkle free by the next day.

My 1/3 scale Super Decathlon loves the stuff.

Ken



FLYBOY -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/3/2005 4:33:13 PM)

My huge PT-19 loves it too.

How often did you put down the spikes? Looks like your edges are up a bit more than ours. I had them putting spikes in about every 4 to 6 inches from info I was given by others. We had a huge wind the other day and didn't loose any which was good.



DaveJohansen -> RE: AT LAST!!! Our new ProPex Runway is down (5/3/2005 4:49:41 PM)

When you say huge wind, how much is huge. One concern I've heard is wind tearing it up. We can get winds gusting to 60mph.



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