As written in the last post, I originally thought this topic now can be closed as future discussion will be more about the different Monofoil Brands that are going to come up or already started serial production.
But as I have seen the wording “Monofoil” started to be used in confusing manner, I’d like to take the chance in the beginning to sort out what IMO a monofoil is and how different foils and different monofoils can be classified and so separated in wording and behaviour so all foilers out there have a chance to understand what a particular foil can be named and therefore how it will behave in the water.
For discussion:
In short, to me there are now 3 Main Categories:
1.0 “(Pure) Stabifoils” (core market till now)
2.0 “Stabilised Monofoils” (e.g. Triton T1, likely future market)
3.0 “Unstabilised / pure Monofoils” or “stabless” (what this topic was 90% about till here)
As easy to see, English is not my language, I especially want to ask native speakers to help discussing which wording for those three categories and maybe also those foils existing in between, could be the best. As also from my experience in other industries, if a new category pops up as in our case the Trition T1 does, and the wording is not clarified from the beginning it can stay a mess for even 10 years and more afterwards with continuing of misunderstandings.
In the following I want to give a short explanation and overview where I see the separation inbetween those 3 main categories and how they behave in general but also that there can be practically continuous hybrid categories in between that already exist as for example the Spleene Monofoil and likely also the Delta Reflex wings.
The picture shows all 3 Categories placed on a board for the same pressure point (red dot)
So starting the other way around:
3.0 “Unstabilised / pure Monofoils” or “stabless”
- most basic foils possible, but the single wings are sensible to pitch stability
- at a given AR and thickness typically the lowest drag possible
- the pressure point is nearly always inside the wing outline, so possible to surface the wing and glide it like a surfboard without relevant change of pressure point
- e.g. all Stabifoil front wings on the actual market ridden stabless
2.8 slightly stabilised Frontwings
- e.g. Spleene Monofoil with a simple thin cut out fiberglass profile with flexible tips
2.5 stabilised Frontwings
- e.g. Deltas Reflex Wings that are recommended with and without stabi
2.0 Significantly stabilised Monofoils or as a friend said: "The best out of two worlds"
- For many best compromise in between 1.0 and 2.0 according stability, manoeuvrability and performance
- pressure point can be inside or outside outline depending on amount of sweep back of tips
- e.g. Triton T1, as first serial foil of this class, not designed for use with external stabi as the stabi is build into the wing profile with a strong S curvature of the profiles chamber line and or offset of tips
1.5 Stabifoils with very short and or partly integrated stabi
- e.g. some homemade seen in this topic
1.0 Stabifoils
- actually, seen as easiest foils for beginner, due to high pitch stability, but time will tell
- higher drag depending from size and angle of attack of back wing (stabi)
- pressure point is mostly in front of front wing, so catapult crashes when surfacing back wing is unavoidable