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Foil balance question

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slowboat
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Foil balance question

Postby slowboat » Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:18 am

Still pretty new with foiling but am becoming very comfortable foiling in a straight line in both directions. Problem I am having is as I build up speed (especially upwind), the foil starts to nosedive. It's almost like I can't put enough BACK foot pressure. I am using a Liquid Force Rocket foil with Slingshot Alien Air board. The foil is mounted at approx 3.75 cm. I wonder if I should move foil forward some more.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby Kamikuza » Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:55 am

From the pictures they looks similar to the Fun Foil, and that had a habit of diving at speed. It was probably the primary reason I wanted to move on.

Get your back foot further behind the foil so you can Ollie it back up... Move the mounting point if you must. You can get used to it and prepare for the dip and ride it out, but it's more fun riding a well-behaved foil.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby windmaker » Sun Dec 03, 2017 6:28 am

Try shimming your back wing in such a way that the trailing edge (back of stabilizer) is 1 or 2mm higher than at present.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby plummet » Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:19 am

windmaker wrote:
Sun Dec 03, 2017 6:28 am
Try shimming your back wing in such a way that the trailing edge (back of stabilizer) is 1 or 2mm higher than at present.
This!

Your rear stabilizer is set up wrong. Most likely upside down or shimmed opposite to what it should be. Front foot pressure should increase as you go faster.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1abYwkEscE

Image

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:55 am

Agree, it seems your rear stabilizer should be trimmed a bit yes.
Maybe the fuselage is bent if it has never been trimmed, and seeks down now ?

Disagree that foils should push up at higher speeds though - for beginner foils yes it is better this way for the first learning period, but when past that, many likes a neutral foil that dont need moving your balance point when going faster.

Even the biggest cambered wings can be adjusted with the right stabilizer to NOT push up (nor down), no matter how high the speed.

Some dont understand this, as they think a wing will always "seek up" when going faster if it is a really lifting wing - but no, it wont, it will just have more drag than a smaller more flat wing, and need a longer fuselage or bigger stabilizer, to be okay easily controllable.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby slowboat » Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:20 am

Kamikuza wrote:
Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:55 am
From the pictures they looks similar to the Fun Foil, and that had a habit of diving at speed. It was probably the primary reason I wanted to move on.

Get your back foot further behind the foil so you can Ollie it back up... Move the mounting point if you must. You can get used to it and prepare for the dip and ride it out, but it's more fun riding a well-behaved foil.
The LF beginner foil wing has not changed, it has just been renamed. (the current fuselage is longer).

Will shimming correct this without introducing other problems or am I just facing the limitations of this wing?

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:49 am

No other problems, as you are past the first learning phase now - so just go ahead and shim the stabilizer.

8) PF

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Kamikuza
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Re: Foil balance question

Postby Kamikuza » Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:04 pm

slowboat wrote:
Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:20 am
Kamikuza wrote:
Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:55 am
From the pictures they looks similar to the Fun Foil, and that had a habit of diving at speed. It was probably the primary reason I wanted to move on.

Get your back foot further behind the foil so you can Ollie it back up... Move the mounting point if you must. You can get used to it and prepare for the dip and ride it out, but it's more fun riding a well-behaved foil.
The LF beginner foil wing has not changed, it has just been renamed. (the current fuselage is longer).

Will shimming correct this without introducing other problems or am I just facing the limitations of this wing?
I think it's a limitation of the wing itself, but looks like I'm in the minority :D Nothing to lose by trying a shim. You're going to want to put that under the front bolt though, and IIRC the fuse sits in a groove in the wing, so shape the shim nicely. I could imagine that if you just wedge a washer under there, you'll damage the finish.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby irwe » Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:16 pm

I ride the Manta 1 and Manta 2 foils with the back of the plate at 5 cm on the AA and found this to be the most comfortable. I know there are different foils but it can't hurt trying your foil at this position.

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Re: Foil balance question

Postby davesails7 » Sun Dec 03, 2017 2:18 pm

Yeah that was the experience I had when I tried the foil fish also. I don't know if shimming helps. It is a fairly sudden breakdown of loft when you push it.


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