My F16 Blade build

I dont think I said anything about the AR on daggers. But I intend to go relatively high AR.
The plans I have are the plywood plans in addition to some updated cross sections for hulls. I dont think plans are available anymore and certainly not the updated cross sections which was made as a personal favour 5 years ago.

If more people built boats, more plans and options for foils would be available. I dont know what people are busy doing, but homebuilding is declining. I have tried starting discussions on foils for F16s and developments there, and the interest is relatively low, with a few very good exceptions.

Ah, I am now learning just that part. Draw it and then have the machine do it.. Turnes out there is a learning curve there <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

I am sure you know this, but for those who dont. Making a mould (male or female) for daggerboards require only 3 axis.

Ahh, but learning new stuff is so much fun and interesting.

Rolf, if you want to see some very awesome machining/fab stuff at work give this a read. CLICKY A buddy sent it to me about three years ago, and I end up reading through it about once a year.

Its about a AC Cobra replica that Larry Elison had built. Some of the coolest sh!t I have ever seen.

Yes, but.....

....but the air filter has a Moroso cap.

Trouble is the cnc cutter I want is a little over 16ft long <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Often thought that the latest 3D printers which are dropping in price dramatically may be far better off at making prototype boards and the likes as they could then be used for making the moulds with a perfect finish already inplace unlike the cnc routers which need hours and hours of final fairing and polishing before a board could be made.

Hey by the way happy new year all and may the sailing gods be kind to us all this year.

Hi Wayne,

I dont know how good the resolution on 3D printers is yet. Probably pretty good, but as good as the 1/100mm you can achieve on a CNC mill?
Will the media used in 3D printing warp depending on temperature differences when building or storing largish items like a foil?

16foot CNC router is doable. But the Z axis would be hard to make to allow the milling of whole hulls I think <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" /> Perhaps if two half hull plugs were made.. hmmm..

Matt used to have some pics on the Vectorworks website from the milling of the Blade plugs. Large machine and a 2 step process with foam. I dont know if they faired or used putty on the plug but I believe the result is good enough from milling to just polish the part and then start moulding.

I think there's a perception that home-build is no cheaper and much more time consuming than buying off the shelf. And that the boats would be heavy and not competitive

Same reason few people make beer at home, perhaps?

But you indicated in your build project perhaps the most important reason - you have more time than money. Thanks to your detailed site, it does make the concept of a home build a bit more feasible to those who have basic skills with wood and epoxy.

Tortured ply looks a bit less cumbersome than mold-building/sandwich core construction, but I've only built an Opti (which probably weighed 2x what it should have, and lasted about 1 season before it's Viking funeral). But I'd have to find plans...

I think with high aspect boards, that Blade F16 design would be outstanding as a home-build project. But it would likely cost the same as a new Falcon/Viper once you add the rest of the platform (sails, mast, rigging, beams, foils, etc)unless you were good at finding people who are parting-out their older F16 models.

Amongst my friends homebrewing of beer is on the rise! To bad that I can not stand the stuff anymore <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Time is a limitation as well as money. Borrowing money from the bank to purchase a boat was never an option for me.

Cost will be spread over a longer time, and for me the finished cost will be relatively minor compared to purchasing and importing a used boat (we have 25% VAT on everything here). I have sources for cheap materials. Masts and beams scrounged. Cleats etc. collected over many years. Will purchase sail panels pre-cut and assemble at home. In total the cost will be minor compared to purchasing.

And I will have a unique experience to take with me in life, and lots of fun during the build. As tonight when I did the Z axis and ran the first program. Some cleanup now and the CNC mill is ready. Happy days!

I have even got a new job contract signed which will reduce my commuting time and free up at least 10 hours a week of overtime! Even more happy days!

I'd probably only build the hulls. the rest of the stuff sounds too complicated for my pea-brain.

I guess I could scrounge up the various parts over time...

You are correct, the build would definitely be an experience and worth the effort ..

Rolf,

Have you managed to find time to worry about the foils? I'm considering building a set for my F18, as a potential money savor and to say I've done it. One big question is what airfoil is being used on the current sections, do your plans specify that?

Thanks,
Sam

Hi Sam,

we are getting closer to diving into foils, but not quite there yet!
I dont remember if sections was included in the plywood plans. What I know have been used as a safe section earlier is NACA0007 for daggers and NACA0012 for rudders. But there is a whole world of sections available and tuning that can be done. A very nice catsailor here sent me profile data for a modified NACA0013 to be used as both daggers and rudders. Then there are DAG sections which are used on quite a few catamaran foils..

Planform is also very important.

Not too much info is available but most in the know-how will answer direct questions on a good day.
We will start with proven sections and planforms and eventually make insets if we build experimental sections later on.

Place your bets and hold your breath <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Once you get the section sorted out, just make them 2 meters long...or longer.

;^)

2 meters!! Bethewaite was on to something but pulled out before it became ridicilous!

Welcome to modern cats, there is a table of standard F18 board sizes here (last page)

Thanks for the link. 1965x23x192mm is.. Well, a challenge.

Considering the lower boat and perhaps also crew weight of an F16 a smaller foil is probably the optimum. But the trend is clear. Longer and slimmer foils.. Where is the practical limit and is it only a trend that will reverse in time.. I dont know, but I do think we will continue to see long and slim foils <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Picked this up on SA:

On an older A-Class with smaller transoms, the conversion from straight to curved boards may have a better chance for improvement if rudder winglets are also included in the upgrade.

There's no doubt that curved boards are here to stay.

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=144251#entry4037605

I suppose, that if that is true, we should address the issue in the rules.

I would suspect currently, the limit would have to do with the stiffness of the foil using current materials/technology.

Until, that is, I develop

transparent aluminum

Speaking as a player in the F18 fleet I don't see the daggerboard length trend ever reversing. Granted there is a pretty small window where they pay but that's where the game is being played now. I'm still running the short boards mainly because I like saying

It's not the length of your daggerboard it's how you use it

enzyte baby...enzyte