Author Topic: Gong Allvator - Review thread  (Read 29760 times)

Wetstuff

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #30 on: February 09, 2020, 07:19:17 AM »
Cowboy,  ...perhaps posted earlier. "just paddling to feel the foil, no waves."   What board were you on and how do you tip the scales?  Thanks. 

Jim
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surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #31 on: February 09, 2020, 10:00:38 AM »
7’4” x 29” Simmons SUP. I’m early 50’s 5’8” and a strapping 140lbs.

Didn’t get any lift while paddling but man, when going through small waves, the suck out will tip you pretty hard sideways pulling on the foil. That was cool to feel.

Also, I wanted to get used to the secondary stability. It’s pretty good but I also was mindful to bail when it tipped a bit, just to train myself to not try to fix things and get away for when I start to foil waves.

Seeing how slow it flies I can’t wait to get behind the boat.

Fishman

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #32 on: February 10, 2020, 07:52:44 AM »
I drilled the holes for my old wings to secure better to fuselage like the newer fuselage and pro clear wings now come. I didn't see any details on the Gong forum and the translation isn't always the best, so...

You can buy a a Drill Bushing 5mm outside diameter, with a 2mm inside diameter. The bushing slips in the threaded hole and allows you to drill a perfect hole and protect your threads. 

*Assemble the wing to the fuselage. Take out rear screw while front screw is still tight holding it together, insert the bushing and drill the 2mm hole pilot hole through the fuselage and wing.
*Dismantle. Then back side drill the fuselage with 5mm just deep enough not to touch the threads.
*Run tap from the threaded front side, all the way through.  Taps are a little fragile so do this slowly back and forth not to break the tap.
* Drill the wing's pilot hole form 2mm to 6mm then counter sink. (countersink just the minimal amount)
 
I found 6mm cap screws x 12mm long, work good for the top screw.  (6mm x 16mm are to long and bottom out before tightening)

https://www.mcmaster.com/press-fit-drill-bushings 
(longer is better if you can find one longer and they have different Inside diameter if you don't have a 2mm bit.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RKKJGNF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(if you know were to a kit like this with High torque bits post a link)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KSEIEY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
SupSurfMachine 9'9" longboard
SupSurfMachine  8'2" funboard

Fishman

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #33 on: February 10, 2020, 07:56:51 AM »
7’4” x 29” Simmons SUP. I’m early 50’s 5’8” and a strapping 140lbs.

Didn’t get any lift while paddling but man, when going through small waves, the suck out will tip you pretty hard sideways pulling on the foil. That was cool to feel.

Also, I wanted to get used to the secondary stability. It’s pretty good but I also was mindful to bail when it tipped a bit, just to train myself to not try to fix things and get away for when I start to foil waves.

Seeing how slow it flies I can’t wait to get behind the boat.
Looking forward to hearing how the XL wing works for a 140lbs guy.
SupSurfMachine 9'9" longboard
SupSurfMachine  8'2" funboard

surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #34 on: February 11, 2020, 01:44:09 AM »
Fishman, thanks for the drill bushing tip. I’ve got the newer on so I’ll just have to drill the wing but a bushing will help me keep it centered and true.

I’m expecting the XL to be a lot of wing for me and to only use it while learning or in small waves (one of my main drivers.) but I’m resigned to a quiver of wings lol

surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #35 on: June 25, 2020, 07:59:19 PM »
Bringing this back to life. I want to keep this going with info on the new wings.

I’ve been learning and I’m blown away by how stable the standard XL is. So far, no complaints at my weight about the stiffness but I’ll keep an eye on it.

I’m wondering what wing to move down to as I start getting better and wanting to ride bigger waves (above knee high lol)

The standard M seems like an option but if I’m not winging should I consider the L pro as a step down in size? It’ll be a while but I’m curious about how you guys have found those.

I’m assuming I’ll end up with 3 foils on this platform. Surf XL for small waves, something smaller for larger waves (L pro, or a M of pro or surf?) and then finally something giant and silly for downwind (veloce XL, XXL or surf XXL?)

Give me your thoughts to keep me busy in between sessions and help folks who are comparing stuff. I’m 140lbs remember so use your kid’s specs lol.

Solent Foiler

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #36 on: June 26, 2020, 02:41:53 PM »
The standard M seems like an option but if I’m not winging should I consider the L pro as a step down in size? It’ll be a while but I’m curious about how you guys have found those.
I've borrowed and ridden the L Pro on a wing once (but waiting for my own Pro L to arrive in the next week or two) and had a great time on it. My previous foil was the Naish Jet 1650 (again for winging which I sold) and I found the step down to be entirely manageable. Smooth ease is how I would describe it especially compared to my Naish Thrust L which is what I've been riding while I've been waiting for the Pro. The Thrust is wild - sooo manoeuvrable, super fun when you get it right, but punishes mistakes hard.

I'm about the same weight as you too, so hopefully some useful feedback. Will let you know more when it and the Pro XL arrives and I can do a comparison.
I'm 5'10", 66kg riding:
Swift Foil Boards custom 4'10 x 19.5" 35L
Gong Lethal 4'6 65L
Axis ART 799, 899, 1099, HPS 880 US & CS Adv fuse, 85cm mast
Gong Fluid L-S, XXL-S on 85cm and 65cm mast
Takuma RS 5.1, 4.3, 3.5

surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #37 on: June 26, 2020, 05:49:52 PM »
Thx man that’s great. I’m really curious as to what it would take to downwind here in SoCal. I’ve heard of guys doing it on Maliko 200’s. I’d think I’d want silly big (XXL?) but don’t know if our wind and max waist high swell would even need high aspect speed. It ain’t Hawaii.

Keep us posted on the Pro.

Hdip

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #38 on: June 26, 2020, 07:57:26 PM »
It’s possible. French foiler used to do it. If you get serious about learning I’ll go with you so we can shuttle but want to do it real bad.

surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #39 on: July 26, 2020, 09:47:16 AM »
Wanna wake up this thread. There are clearly a lot of Gongs out there now. Let’s talk about specific wings for those of us wanting to add to the quiver.

I’m on the XL and I’m seeing that it can catch a nearly breaking or broken wave at knee high (1.5’ or .5 m) and I think at 140lbs I will be able to keep it in the water eventually up to maybe waist high.

I’m trying to figure out my next step down for mushy waist to chest conditions which I get all the time here. Would love suggestions, specifically Med or L and Surf or Pro?

List up what wings you have, your weight, and how you use them. Let’s build a little dataset here.

surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #40 on: July 26, 2020, 10:13:27 AM »
Oh, and in the down column I found out that my 65cm mast has stripped threads out of the box in the middle screw (of 3) on the fuselage side. I didn’t check it when I got the foil as I was using the 45cm mast.

I’ll probably report it to Gong but not press for a return after this long and due to the shipping hassles. I’ll see if they will offer a discount on my next purchase or something.

I’ll either run it with 2 screws, or might try tapping it, but it feels loose. If that doesn’t work maybe drill and insert a helicoil.

I’m sure I’m buying another mast anyway the next time someone near me orders from them.

We might need to set up a SoCal Gong group to buy together and get shipments cheaper as I’m sure a few of us are due some new wings and don’t wanna pay $100 to ship a single wing (or whatever it costs now.)

Thatspec

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #41 on: July 27, 2020, 07:14:07 AM »
I recall OBX Dave mentioning 200 euro to ship an (XL?) Veloce though maybe there were other items in the order. The really amazing thing is that still makes it $200 less than a new Axis 1150 ::)

My gorgeous Gong 100cm carbon mast has been sitting in my living room as art for months now with a Large pro and 40 tail, I just love looking at it. Only kite foiled that setup a couple of times in the early spring and it was fantastic. Probably put 100+ hours on a Large pro and Alu setup so I know the wing well. Finally tried it winging the other day but I only spent half an hour on it as conditions were a brutal 15-40+ with the 3.6 Naish. I was encouraged enough though to continue experimenting, I'm 90Kg and it popped right up so my main concern is resolved, can't really comment on much more than that yet other than it turned nicely and didn't glide as well as the Axis 1010, nothing unexpected. Just sold my untried XL Pro to Fishman so guess I'm committed now.

There is one thread on kiteform here;
https://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2407082 with impressions of the Veloce M and Pro M.
I have the Pro M but haven't tried it yet. Have it for sale too so obviously I'm on the fence.

PonoBill

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #42 on: July 27, 2020, 07:37:15 AM »
Cowboy, helicoils work well in aluminum, though if you want a more permanent repair you might look at some of the solid inserts. They're all quite a bit more expensive than helicoils though. I like Timeserts, which provide a repair that will handle torque higher than the original threads, and I've never had one pull or turn out, but buying the install kit is a bit eye-watering, like 80 bucks for a single diameter.

Another possibility is tapping to a slightly larger SAE thread. I've repaired 6mm by tapping to 1/4-20, which is a bit of a PITA since you have to remember you have one odd screw--you could tap all three to 1/4-20 and take advantage of easier access to stainless SAE screws in the USA. The size is close enough that you don't need to drill the holes out, just run the tap in with plenty of aluminum thread cutting lube and good tapping technique (rotate half a turn in, back one turn out to clear the chip). If they are 8mm you're best off with an insert. 8mm is slightly larger than 5/16 and a 3/8-16 has a major diameter of .3750 which is a fairly big jump from the .314 major diameter of 8MM.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2020, 07:44:07 AM by PonoBill »
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Piros

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #43 on: July 27, 2020, 05:40:48 PM »
Another alternative is too simply weld the holes up and re tap them , easy for me I own an Alu fabrication company but the whole process only takes about 30 mins. I often modify the tail section of an Alu Fuse to fit other rear wings like the Uni or Signature (M8 > M6). Also very easy to cut and shorten an Alu fuse.
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surfcowboy

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Re: Gong Allvator - Review thread
« Reply #44 on: July 27, 2020, 08:24:41 PM »
Thx guys. In a moment that you both will surely relate to, I went out to the garage after posting, grabbed a 6mm helicoil and repaired it in 10 min.

I’m going to investigate inserts. I’m no stranger to the weirdly expensive single purpose device/tool lol.  But I’m sure this (3rd) screw will hold fine for my narrow ass. That said, I’m figuring with this much threaded aluminum around I’ll be doing some repairs for sure. I love the SAE tapping idea too. I have a tap and die set handy should it ever go south. That will also guarantee that I never assemble my foil with the correct screws ever again lol. I already mix and match lengths way too often.

Piros, I can’t imagine what sort of tomfoolery you get up to with all those fab toys around. I’ve been looking around here for a decent machine shop to hack things that are beyond my skills. If shipping prices drop this Gong stuff will be ripe for mods. Their aluminum bits are dirt cheap.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2020, 08:31:19 PM by surfcowboy »

 


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