And as it looks like here https://www.formulakite.org/equipment/e ... -2020-2024
at the actuall list they have now 3 foils (additionally 2017 Bionic) registered, while appart from that just Moses is registered with one foil, but would expect more to come, as registration process is still running, isn't it?
From engineering point of view I like the design in whole in details and think it is a pretty intelligent combination of materials to reach the goal of high stiffness and stability and low drag as also the old and for sure ongoing construction kit is.
Looking at prices and the whole Olympia context I just wonder if it is a good way to build so specific products and ask myself if a company that builds more for the mass wouldn't be more successful?
To name GONG as the maybe most exposed company. While liking and owning products of both companies, trying to profit from their abilities while respecting their limitations.
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Sun May 31, 2020 12:56 pm
by davesails7
Horst Sergio wrote:
just Moses is registered with one foil, but would expect more to come, as registration process is still running, isn't it?
Yup, it seems that they've finalized the list of possible registrants, but they're doing the factory inspections now. I saw somewhere that the COVID situation has delayed the process a bit.
I agree, I don't see the draw for a company to make one of these foils. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but all of these flat wings being submitted for the Olympics seem to be for all out performance at the cost of stability and ease of use. Mikes Lab is out of the running now, but they were going to register two foils. The B3 easier to use, and the flatter B6 for all out performance:
Maybe they're hoping that the Olympic cycle makes kite racing more popular and they'll actually be able to recoup the costs of developing these high performance foils?
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Sun May 31, 2020 5:38 pm
by tkaraszewski
Other Olympic classes include the 49er, which is a $30,000 boat that has no function other than racing and can only be operated by expert sailors, and the Nacra 17, which is kind of the same deal, but also on foils and even slightly more expensive.
There must be enough of a market for expert-level pure race boats that they keep making them. I assume kitefoils are similar. If they can make a profit on the $3,000-5,000 pricetag of these things, then they might as well make them. And for the people that *really* want to go fast, "this model won the Olympics" is a big selling point.
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Sun May 31, 2020 8:30 pm
by pndLA
Wow!
A very impressive piece of design, construction & craftsmanship!
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:09 am
by NYKiter
Good looking....lots of moving parts to break down...but looks good.
Why get a provisional and not a full utility patent for the stab adjustment?
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Why get a provisional and not a full utility patent for the stab adjustment?
I don’t know about a patent..It sure looks a lot like the stab adjustment system that was on my old Spotz foils.
But it does look like a very nice product.
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 5:27 am
by jakemoore
Provisional gives a year to write the patent after staking your claims. It allows a fast go live.
Why is this internal mechanism better than shims?
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 3:05 pm
by NYKiter
Staking claims aint part of provisionals....it aint no fast go live anything.....it only protects the start date of the utility...thats where the claims are made....I doubt they filed a provisional....then again no one will ever know because they are not published...or reviewed for that matter....and then back to my original point - if they have a working product why waste money on a provisional and not the utility...they dont have a prov...
Agreed with cglazier....same as spotz....its been out in the public domain for a long time and a utility would never be approved at the patent office....plus it suffers from obviousness.....I call their bluff....no thread hi-jack intended....
Nice looking foil though....
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
It sure looks a lot like the stab adjustment system that was on my old Spotz foils.
It does seem very similar!
It's also odd since the other race foils went away from adjustable stabilizers. The ML and chubanga are permanently attached to the fuselage at a set angle. I guess Moses could be shimmed.
The idea from the website of adjusting a stabilizer on the water between races seems odd. When I adjusted my old Spotz 2 I would borrow a friends digital level and calipers which were set up specifically for that task. It was a very exact process. I guess you could keep an allen key in your pfd pocket and do a quarter turn on each bolt if you're feeling off.
This foil is certainly fast though as shown at the hydrofoil pro tour event in La Ventana!
Re: Levitaz releases its R5 design for Olympia 2024
It's also odd since the other race foils went away from adjustable stabilizers. The ML and chubanga are permanently attached to the fuselage at a set angle.
The stabilizer angle for ML foils is adjustable: http://www.mikeslab.com/instructions/. The old Chubanga V2 was not adjustable, the new V3 might work the same as ML, not sure.
