Falcon Foil

[jondrums]

really really cool - I'm so glad to see it is working.  AND it didn't break!

[Hdip]

IT WORKS! Proof of concept! So rad. I love narrow wingspans. This is going to be awesome.

[Admin]

Here is Chan foiling on it today.  I put on a shorter, stiffer fuse and the same tail with .5 more down incidence.  She had about an hour of flight time on it.  Stoked with that.  She was on a 3.5 and there were some deep holes. V2 is going to be rad.  OK, V2 will be better but V5 will be rad .  And so it goes...

https://youtu.be/OzebH7uv0_0

[Chan]

It’s been almost 3 years since my last wing foil (or any foil) season and rusty would be a compliment.  I don’t know if that makes me an adequate gear tester, but I had a great time trying.  I got up right away on my first reach.  Full of that confidence, I flew into my first turn, until I realized I didn’t remember how to jibe a wing.  I forgot to let go with my back hand and took a massive dunk.  It’s been awhile but my first impressions were:  very stable, easy carves, no pogo action, and not a single breach or drop.   I’m really looking forward to getting a few more sessions so I can get to know the foil better and hopefully remember what I am doing. 

[surfcowboy]

This is gigantic news. It held together and flew. That's all you need in v1.

This is going to be bananas to watch. Wait til all our "test pilots" get to Hood River.

Hdip and I are already sending spies. 😆

[Dontsink]

Congrats!
I expected lots more trouble before it flew,this is a very good beginning!.

[Admin]

Congrats!
I expected lots more trouble before it flew,this is a very good beginning!.

Me too!  In my mind it all worked beautifully but...there are 5 new or highly unusual elements here...and in the real world I was hopeful that it would fly and stay together long enough to see what I needed to correct.

The tiny Print to Ride Infinity tail alone at only 200 mm and 70 volume freaking worked on its first wing session.  I took so much grief from the experts on that one and yet Chan flew that little, one piece, 3 hour constuction time, tail wing for over an hour on its first day.  Even for those who have no interest in the other elements, that part is baller and can be ported to any existing system.  Sorry, vent complete

[Admin]

This is gigantic news. It held together and flew. That's all you need in v1.

This is going to be bananas to watch. Wait til all our "test pilots" get to Hood River.

Hdip and I are already sending spies. 😆

Please PM when you guys are here...and please bring boards with long or forward tracks. 

[Chan]

Foil grabs a lot of attention.  I got stopped 3 times on the way to the water.  One guy asked where I got it, when I told him my husband built it, he asked if he needed another wife.

[surfcowboy]

The tiny Print to Ride Infinity tail alone at only 200 mm and 70 volume freaking worked on its first wing session.  I took so much grief from the experts on that one and yet Chan flew that little, one piece, 3 hour constuction time, tail wing for over an hour on its first day.  Even for those who have no interest in the other elements, that part is baller and can be ported to any existing system.  Sorry, vent complete

Agree, the tails alone make it worth the printer. Two bolt compatible would be so easy. Ugh, I don't want a hobby where I get on the computer after a day at the computer. 😆

You are forcing my hand because Hdip only likes computers for communication and BigMtn gets to foil too much to have another hobby.

Hdip, I think we need to go in on STEM or Maker camp for the kids. It's not child labor if it's fun right? Right?

[Hdip]

Why do you think I've taught my son to fly FPV drones? It's not for his enjoyment. It's so he can film me! I just need to get a dji now.

He will be for hire once we do get it. Summer job haha.

[bigmtn]

Please PM when you guys are here...and please bring boards with long or forward tracks. 

I'll be there all next week ready to test.

[Admin]

PM me when you are here.  Stoked to see you guys.

[Admin]

V2 is getting printed now with quite a few refinements. 

-Thicker tail joint with a lot more meat and better hydrodynamics.  It accepts a 15mm tube rather than a 12, so no printed shim is required now. 
-All of the tails will be reworked for 15mm / no shim as well which should solve the angle loss to flex that I am seeing. 
-I have two larger versions of the infinity tail wing designed and waiting for printer time. 
-The underside of the center hub was redesigned for much smoother transitions.  I had a fairly blunt transtion there (draggy) before but I found a much nicer way to do that.  It feels super smooth now. 
-I deepened the conical insets to fully conceal the m8 hardware which were just proud of flush on v1. 
-I made a similar adjustment to the well top contours to improve fairing. 
-I made an adjustment to the inside of the wing returns to smooth that area as well.
-I ditched all printed fillets and will take those all manually with fairing copmpound.  The printed ones look OK in design but come out rough and are very hard to sand correctly.  It is really easy to take nice fillets manually using my fillet tool.