Slingshot Phantasm Carbon foil launch - 2020

[airsail]

I did some testing over the weekend on different masts, got bored as we are in a no wind lull. Decided to check claims about being the stiffest mast available and I can confirm it is of the 5 masts I tested.

A 5 kg load was placed a set distance along the fuselage and a deflection measurement taken, loaded and unloaded. A flex test was also carried out, the 5 kg weight put on the mast 80cm from the mast base and the deflection measured.
The 4 x 90cm + masts I tested are the 110 Levitaz, 101 Sabfoil, Phantasm 102 and an old Naish alloy 90cm.

The Phantasm is 30% stiffer in twist and about 20% stiffer in flex that the Sabfoil. The Levitaz came next but it is so fine at the end and 10cm longer it would alway suffer with twist. The Naish alloy is very stiff in twist, double that of the Sabfoil, only the Phantasm gets close. The Lift is not the current model being about 5 years old and no longer available due to the factory fire.

Thickness and chord were measured at 80cm down the mast.

Phantasm 102
Twist 7mm
Flex 10mm
Thickness 13.7mm
Chord 109mm

Sabfoil 101cm
Twist 10mm
Flex 12mm
Thickness 13.92mm
Chord 106mm

Old lift 100cm
Twist 8mm
Flex 18 mm
Thickness 15.93
Chord 116mm

Levitaz 110cm
Twist 16mm
Flex 12 mm
Thickness 12.5
Chord 98mm

Naish 2018 Alloy 90 cm
Twist 5 mm
Flex 19mm
Thickness 15mm
Chord 110mm

[tegirinenashi]

Several other tests made a while ago. Unless somebody exhibits the numbers for other alum vendors, it looks like the LF 2nd gen Happy/Rocket mast is the champion. I suspect that relatively poor flex numbers for alum masts are just an artifact of imperfect mast to plate connection, and can be significantly improved if you just epoxy the mast into the collar.

P.S. I find 5kg flex test far too misleading. Consider a 110cm carbon mast. It is tapered, and is thinnest at the bottom. It also has less chord there. This is why it is noticeably flexes somewhere below the center. 80 cm test just measures its rigidity at the stiffest section, and gives the wrong impression that its wobbliness is comparable to a shorter mast.

[airsail]

Several other tests made a while ago. Unless somebody exhibits the numbers for other alum vendors, it looks like the LF 2nd gen Happy/Rocket mast is the champion. I suspect that relatively poor flex numbers for alum masts are just an artifact of imperfect mast to plate connection, and can be significantly improved if you just epoxy the mast into the collar.

P.S. I find 5kg flex test far too misleading. Consider a 110cm carbon mast. It is tapered, and is thinnest at the bottom. It also has less chord there. This is why it is noticeably flexes somewhere below the center. 80 cm test just measures its rigidity at the stiffest section, and gives the wrong impression that its wobbliness is comparable to a shorter mast.

Yes I agree, but I had to start somewhere. I used 80 cm as I also tested some shorter mast but their twist results are irrelevant compared to the longer masts. The Levitaz is only designed for small wings, so it can well afford to loose a bit of rigidity.
An alloy mast with bonded ends would probably have the greatest stiffness.

[granit02]

Oldman,

I too am an old man, however, I have the Phantasm 730 package.

Loving the long mast(was riding a 2015-16 Lift 40") super solid feel to the mast, lots of adjust mast options on the base plate, I don't think they were going for the lightest mast. I think its built to use with all their wings, larger and smaller.

The PTM 730 wing, its my first high aspect wing, as expected it takes a little more commitment to get up and going. I went through the bucking bronco for a while until I got it dialled. I was surprised just how slow it will go before it stalls. The first session sore me heading back to the beach 3 times to move the mast back. I was and am still surprised who much lift it has. Noticeably when I sit down on my board just how stable it is.

Speed, well as I ride strapless on a 100 cm board in bay side swell I've not yet got anywhere near its max. I chickened out after a couple of tumbles but, my Garmin registered 21.2 knots using a 9m UFO.

I was concerned its turning circle wouldnt be that good but I was wrong, it does 360's no problem at all.

short answer I love it, its building my skill level and its not a bit boring.

Grant