Happy New year for 2025

[Moneybox]

1 minute ago, Blueadventures said:

That will work, 500m, good to have releases in the fences so if you clip them with wheels the wire will let go easily and weak posts that will fold over.  Also can have side bits at each end so you can do a rolling start when ever needed (start at right angles onto end of runway so rolling when enter and rolling line up and away, not starting from fully stopped at the end.)

No fences out here. There are a few low shrubs and more than a kilometer to the nearest power lines. No trouble getting that 90° run-up bay at each end. It all comes down to how much dirt I can move. I need to get my hands on a tipper or dump truck because most of my dirt is a few hundred metres away on the next lease.

[onetrack]

Moneybox, you need a grader to level the bottom of that drain, so the pipes have a steady fall. 1 in 100 minimum, 1 in 50 is better. Plus, you should be setting the pipes in a layer of sandy material.

I trust there's very little catchment area for that drain, because 2 x 8" pipes won't carry much water away in a thunderstorm.

[Moneybox]

34 minutes ago, onetrack said:

Moneybox, you need a grader to level the bottom of that drain, so the pipes have a steady fall. 1 in 100 minimum, 1 in 50 is better. Plus, you should be setting the pipes in a layer of sandy material.

I trust there's very little catchment area for that drain, because 2 x 8" pipes won't carry much water away in a thunderstorm.

Thanks, the grader might be a problem but no problems getting the sand, I have plenty. The fall is no problem as I am constructing it across a slope so there's a natural fall that I'll have to correct on the runway. Lots of material needed across a half a kilometer to level it and I can't cart it all in a 2m bucket.

 

I could turn my truck into a tipper but the Hiab crane would be a problem. Perhaps I could take a sneak look at Smith Broughton auction while Mrs M is not looking 😉. I'm pretty sure I could borrow a little dump truck but I don't like lending or borrowing anything mechanical.

[onetrack]

There is only one machine to build an airstrip with, and it's called a motor grader. An old Cat 12 "knucklebuster" (mechanical lift) grader will do the job just fine, if you can source one.

 

Edited January 27 by onetrack

[facthunter]

What about a Drott Skid  Shovel?   Nev

[skippydiesel]

Some thoughts on Cue International;

 

A private airstrip strip only needs to be as wide & long, as you & your aircraft can safely operate from at Max TO weight. 

 

If possible, it should be aligned with the prevailing winds, however it may be that from time to time you will need to consider a TO/landing with a cross wind and if operating direction limited, a tailwind.

 

Take into account;

• Runway surface - loose will affect braking distance. Dirt,will be impacted by rain. Grass will extend TO role. Etc
• Surrounding obstructions - from your photos my guess is that trees unlikly however significant natural terrain(rises/gullys) and man made creations (heaps/structures) should be considered.
• Where you will put-down should you have an engine failure

It may pay you to have a run-up area/pad that can be kept free of loose dirt/gravel/etc to reduce the chance of damage to prop & airframe.

 

Operational safety. not only depends on the length/width, aircraft capabilities but also on your preflight decision making (risk analysis).

 

Should you allow  aviation "friends" to fly in be sure that they have a complete understanding of the strip, its limitations & hazards. 😈

[onetrack]

Nev, a Drott skid shovel is primarily designed for loading trucks and excavating in hard soils, such as making underground garages on sloping ground.

You can't level evenly and over long distances with a Drott, like you can with a motor grader. A motor grader can mix soils at the same time as it levels, producing an even airstrip base, or road base material.

Often, a satisfactory airstrip base/road base material can be produced by mixing topsoil with clayey underlying soils. You can produce a satisfactory airstrip/road base with a mix that can range from 15% sand to 85% clay, through to 85% sand to 15% clay, provided the clays have fine binding components in them. Some clays lack the necessary fine binding clay components, thus the reason for farm dams that leak.

 

Graders can not only move soil sideways rapidly, they can also move it longitudinally, this is all dependent on the moldboard angle. If you want to "carry" material to fill in depressions, you reduce the moldboard angle and pitch the moldboard back. This produces a longitudinal levelling effect and removes "swoops" and waviness from the surface.

If you want to mix the soil materials and move them sideways to produce cross-levelling, you angle the moldboard steeply and pitch it forward. This sends all the soil material sideways and does mixing and levelling in one pass. In addition, the heavy rear wheels of a motor grader provide an ideal rolling/compacting motion.

 

The only final requirement is a good level of moisture, which can be acquired via recent rainfall, or by a water truck. The moisture is necessary to aid in binding as well as compaction, as the water acts as a lubricant between the soil particles, and ensures that voids between the soil particles are substantially reduced.

[facthunter]

I've seen them building farm dams  by professionals where they have to be sealed with a CLAY layer or they leak  I'd raise that runway and put a slight crown on it and mix something special in the top surface. . Fortunately it will never grow grass on it, but will be dusty and geta few prop, nosewheel strut. and Paint nicks. Forget a run up Bay. . Work on it after  the right amount of rain has fallen on it .  nev

[Moneybox]

10 hours ago, onetrack said:

There is only one machine to build an airstrip with, and it's called a motor grader. An old Cat 12 "knucklebuster" (mechanical lift) grader will do the job just fine, if you can source one.

 

 

Yes I know what I need but I don't know if I can easily get my hands on one. The guy who is two doors down, the closest to the airstrip, was the shire grader driver for many years. He was the first person I told I was going to build the airstrip. There were two reasons, to hear any hint of an objection and to see if he put his hand up to borrow the shire loader and operate it. I didn't get either but he would be the man for the job when I get to that point.

 

In the worst case I'll do my best with a front end loader and then build a land plane from old railway line and drag it with the loader but it would be a battle. Never mind it's a long way off and I'm not the person to plan ahead beyond tomorrow or perhaps the end of the week.

[facthunter]

You will need a grader to look after it. You can get one to tow behind a Tractor working on the linkage AND (importantly) having some way of accurately raising  and angling the blade and it's own flanged steel wheels at the rear..   Nev

Edited January 28 by facthunter
expand

[skippydiesel]

Run - up - area/bay??

 

Up to you - I did all my initial training in the NSW far west - dirt, more dirt, some grass (with "catheads") . Most of the strips I flew into had a cement/bitumen or "clean" area/pad to do run ups specifically to reduce damage, to prop & airframe, from air blasted debris.

 

For TO;  - Many pilots are trained to hold the aircraft on its brakes and or go to full throttle, as they power up - contraindicated on dirt/gravel, unless a short field TO  desirable. Better, to gently apply throttle, increasing as aircraft accelerates, minimising prop blast from lifting loose material. This will mean an extended ground role but will reduce "gravel rash"😈

[Moneybox]

Right now I'm negotiating a grader, way to big for what I need but the price is acceptable. 

 

I know where there are quite a few rusted down 200L drums of tar/bitumen but I've never worked it so I think it would require heating to have it fluid and then find a way to spray it. There'd be enough to coat a runup bay.

[facthunter]

A dirt strip with significantly sized rocks anywhere on it is going to mess up your plane. You'd also have to sweep a sealed one occasionally or check it. Looks like a Job for Life to me. Nev

[facthunter]

Machinery is only too big when it's Parked near your House AND  in the Burbs.. Once they are running they only use fuel when worked hard.  Nev

[skippydiesel]

A grader would be great but questionably cost/effect to purchase (contracter/friend in area?). Better a land plane (found in irrigation country) might get away with a grader blade fitted to rear of tractor (to some extent the longer the drawbar the better /consistent the result)😈

Edited January 28 by skippydiesel

[Moneybox]

Meet Ripper.

 

 

It already has a name and we haven't seen it yet. I've just organised the freight..... 😀

[Moneybox]

Yesterday we took possession of Ripper and left it in a vacant paddock waiting for transport. I hope it doesn’t have to wait too long.  The temperature here is pretty much unbearable. We’re not finding much gold so if it doesn’t improve we’re heading home tomorrow.

[Thruster88]

1 minute ago, Moneybox said:

Yesterday we took possession of Ripper and left it in a vacant paddock waiting for transport. I hope it doesn’t have to wait too long.  The temperature here is pretty much unbearable. We’re not finding much gold so if it doesn’t improve we’re heading home tomorrow.

Will you use ripper, the Gallion stallion in your gold prospecting after building the runway? I believe metal detection people use them to strip off the surface layer.

[pmccarthy]

Either way, it’s a ripper story.

[onetrack]

Don't work that old Gay-lion too hard, the last rigid-frame Galion was built nearly 40 years ago, and sourcing new parts might be a little difficult today!

[Moneybox]

5 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

Will you use ripper, the Gallion stallion in your gold prospecting after building the runway? I believe metal detection people use them to strip off the surface layer.

I’ve always wanted a dozer or grader for scrape and detect but couldn’t justify the price. Now I’ve sold the big lease where I needed it so that I could finance my flying. I’ve got other ground I’d like to use it on but moving it around is expensive. Just getting it home is more than $6000. To pay freight moving it to a gold lease I have to sum up the cost of freight, fuel and return freight. I’d need to be sure to find a lot more gold.

 

For now Ripper is going to be busy building an airstrip 😅

[facthunter]

People drove them quite large distances. Is that an option? .   Nev

[Moneybox]

5 hours ago, facthunter said:

People drove them quite large distances. Is that an option? .   Nev

711km if we take the shortcut but I don't think the fuel would last the distance. It has a top speed of 60km/h.

[Moneybox]

All loaded for the trip south. We only got home last night.

 

 

I plan to lift it of in Northam and put the wings on. My LAME will fly up to there and inspect it.

 

 

[Moneybox]

Ripper came home yesterday. After parking it at Ora Banda I thought I should have removed the brand new Kings fridge but we were too far away when I thought about it.

 

 

I was quite pleased when I jumped up there and saw the fridge still in place. Them my mood took a bit of a dive when Mrs M said "Where's the roof"? The canopy must have been a lift-off device so lifted off somewhere between Ora Banda and Cue. The solar panel has gone as well.