A "TRANSPORTABLE RUNWAY" which is (almost) as good as asphalt or concrete with better drainage!!

This material is used at several flying sites in other sections of the USA. It is the woven underlayment which is placed under some types of pavement and crushed rock paving to hold the subsoil and roadbed stable...it is analogous to the glass fiber portion of molded fiberglass..but this material is a tightly woven plastic. Rather than putting it under the runway surface it is placed upon the well prepared ground and base of the runway. At the stage that other fields would be lastly PAVED with asphalt or concrete....this 12 ft wide rolled up material is then rolled out like a carpet over the surface of the runway. It is then nailed (and stapled) down to the prepared subsurface..with large galvanized nails (and staples). This material is porous to water - water will run through it and vanish. It is sun resistant and UV protected and will hold up well (other clubs have used it continuously for five to six years) ( it is designed to hold road subsurface together where cars and trucks will run on) It is black in color and several photos of a model field surfaced with this system are shown... It can be patched if needed...and in a worst case situation it could be removed and relocated to another site if needed. It seems ideal for a field which is not considered as long term or where the expense of permament pavement would not be justified. Once the subsurface was prepared... and this preparation is a must...because it is like painting or monokoteing over a rough surface..(the flying field surface would be no smoother than its subsurface)....the rolls of material (in widths 12 feet wide in lengths from 300 feet was purchased for $300 each) is then laid out and positioned. The cost per roll of material is $300 per roll... You could create a nice surfaced flying field for well under $ 1,000 (for surface material plus attachment hardware).

I have seen this type of material used throughout Dist.VIII by paving companies..but prior to this time never seen it used to create a surfaced model flying field!

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The FUN BUNCH model club located in Burleson, Texas were among the first in the area to experiment with the above referenced material used to surface their model aircraft flying field. (It has been reported that the Amarillo Texas club is considered the surface also. Additionally there are several in far south Texas considering this material)

(Click on any photo to see a full-sized image.)

These photos show application of three each rolls of this earth covering material.

The earth work preparation required renting equipment and two days preparation. The three rolls of material covering cost approximately 900 dollars and the spikes and staples added to the expense.

Total expenditure, sweat equity, rental in equipment and surface material covering purchase equaled $1,700.

These photos were taken during extremely windy conditions approaching 40 mph. Soon this covering will naturally adhere to subsurface.

Continued status and progress reports on this type of field covering and runway surface will be reported throughout the upcoming year.

Sandy Frank -- AMA DISTRICT No. 8 -- Vice President

(Please reference the November 1998 issue of Model Aviation magazine. Additionally you may contact the club officers of the FUN BUNCH:

BURLESON FUN BUNCH RC CLUB
WAYNE BAZE
112 TEN OAKS DR
ALVARADO, TX 76009-8423
(817)783-8232
FAX:(817)783-8782
Newsletter Editor: Paul Wellendorf
e-mail: Frosty & Wayne Baze
e-mail: Paul Wellendorf