Building a hydrofoil

[Bille]

Building the hydrofoil, where do i start ?
Lots of questions like aria, airfoil, length of pod, and AOA
of each wing.

There is so much info on board builders, about building boards
that it would be Easy for a guy to get the info for his first TT ; appears
to be more difficult to find that info about Hydrofoils.

I have most all the materials needed, including the composite expertise ; all
that's left is a set of workable plans or ideas. With a decent guide, i would prefer
to shape a blank & mold it because i could build a carbon wing WAY stronger
than a shaped foam or ply. Also i could bend the mold to get anhedral ; would be quite
easy for my first attempt.

Bille

BTW, i made my First TT when i was learning to ride 8 years ago ; made 3 more before
i purchased a production board , (3 years into my riding). It was all carbon over foam, and
i still use it for light wind ; at-least i Did till i learned to ride a surfboard.
Was kinda hoping that a hydrofoil could/would be my new light wind weapon.

[Dave_5280]

Maybe you could get access to a CNC machine to create the mold. Revisions and open sourcing the files for others to use and modify would be possible. There are some online plans for building your own CNC that RC airplane builders have used.

It should also be possible to build a water tank with current, like a wind tunnel, to test models.

[C A R A F I N O 2014]

To be very honest, it is not easy. there is a lot involved. but you can take two windsurf board fins. laminate them together base to base. make is strong. drill holes to attach to your strut. that will be your front wing. do the same for the rear wings. smaller surf board fins. as for the strut. well that one is not easy. but to have money, use something like plastic and cut it in a cnc. hard plastic.

cnc machines are not cheap so if you can shape it by hand your feel tired but still have your cash.

After that, put it together, mount to the board, try it.

Carafino

[ronnie]

If you can vacuum bag it, you should be able to make a solid piece of carbon fibre to make the finbase/mast/fuselage as one piece, although you would have to shape it by hand.

You could choose any of the top existing foils to base it on.
Mast is going to be about 1000mm long 100mm wide and 10mm thick.
Base would be copied from a deep tuttle fin base.

The difficult parts are the wings and you can basically have mounting flats and inserts on the fuselage and bolt on whatever fins you make, but the mast/fuselage should be fairly easy to shape (albeit a lot of painstaking work).

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate ... 6bih%3D696

[Bille]

...

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate ... 6bih%3D696

WOW , Lots of info there ; Thanks ronnie !!

OK -- i'm NOT Stupid ; could see burning an Entire summer trying to
design and learn to use a devise that's unstable .
SO
i think i'll look for a used Hydrofoil, and learn to ride it First .

I understand a low AR one is easier to learn on ? Any suggestions as
to which brand is the most user friendly for the beginner ; I could attach
it to my surfboard because it's built like a Tank. I Must ride strapped because
of the double prosthetic(s).

Bille

Ps:
I also see why there things are so expensive ; it's Not the
materials and time to build it your paying for, it's the time involved
to design one that works, and the molds they come out of that
is the expensive part !!

[Europ2]

Building the hydrofoil, where do i start ?
Lots of questions like aria, airfoil, length of pod, and AOA
of each wing.

There is so much info on board builders, about building boards
that it would be Easy for a guy to get the info for his first TT ; appears
to be more difficult to find that info about Hydrofoils.

Do you mean a web site where you would have all the info nicely ordered by themes, airfoil sections, wing and stab outlines, fabrics weight and orientation, more than 50 items homebuilt and a few of the builders willing to comment your posts / picts and help ?

A site allowing you to build a 250USD foil (20+ knots foil)
or 300 USD foil if you use High Modulus Carbon (25+ knots ) ?

[Bille]

YES --- That is Exactly what i mean !!

And i'm NOT gonna lie to Ya ; i have Every intention to
plug Directly into that foil with my prosthetic(s) and not
use a board by next summer. I learned th ride a strapped
surfboard for that reason.

Bille

[jaros]

Do you mean a web site where you would have all the info nicely ordered by themes, airfoil sections, wing and stab outlines, fabrics weight and orientation, more than 50 items homebuilt and a few of the builders willing to comment your posts / picts and help ?

A site allowing you to build a 250USD foil (20+ knots foil)
or 300 USD foil if you use High Modulus Carbon (25+ knots ) ?

Will you post the link to that site, or am I missing something?
Greetings,
Jaros

[ChristoffM]

I have tried to piece together useful info to build a foil over here:

http://kitehydrofoil.com/index.php/design/design.html

My self made foils are not good yet, I am still learning a lot. Please feel free to correct me.

[Bille]

...

Will you post the link to that site, or am I missing something?
Greetings,
Jaros

Patience Grass-Hopper ; if we get Pushy , "We" get Nothing !!

Bille