I thought I would start a new thread for this build to keep things focused and a little less rambling…
I had posted an earlier thread about the main hull and now you can see the latest progress. The main hull combines balsa strip planking with a pink foam deck. The black stripes are carbon tow to add some panel stiffness and reduce bend/twist. The float hulls are solid foam with a double-helix of carbon tow.
Questions, comments, criticisms welcome.
See attached diagram of my plan for foils on my tri. There will be a tripod of three sets of foils so the whole boat can lift up and be foiling with some degree of stability. I assume 3" minimum height over the 48" span should be okay for most wave conditions I would sail in. Spacers or a spare set of foils for taller waves. All three have independently adjustable elevator flaps, but only the rudder will also rotate in it’s entirety.
The control lines are braided Spectra 2000 and will fit inside a .050" Teflon tube sheath, in addition to running through the carbon fiber chord spars and out to the servos. The Teflon sheath will ease the corners that the Spectra line will need to go around and eliminate chafe. This control method should be lighter and much simpler than bellcranks or flexible cable pushrods. The rudder and boards will be skinned in 1/64" birch aircraft ply, over the carbon chord spar tubes, and finished with 1.6 oz. glass and epoxy. I will add my trademark double-helix carbon tow at 45 degrees up and down for some added panel stiffness and strength.
The carbon rudder chord spar will also be the rudder shaft and rotate inside another carbon tube in the center hull. The float boards however, will each have two carbon tubes and sleeve into mating tubes on each float hull. This allows easy remove, adjust, repair, replace, without affecting the hull.
Conventional, if we can call them such, foiling RC boats have fixed horizontal planes or are using a wand that drags on top of the water to adjust vertical lift. My approach is infinitely adjustable which should allow me to find optimum settings for each wind speed, and possibly for different points of sail. This system does add a bit of weight and expense as a minimum of 5 channels of control are now necessary. A digital proportional, fully programmable radio with several memory settings will make the boat easy to sail, assuming all of my balance and initial setup decisions are correct. Worst case, I can move float boards into new positions to change balance. Mast base and rake are easily adjusted in the field.
One more area I may be able to improve on is how much of the Spectra control line is exposed and dragging in the water. If I could get the angle lower and exit closer to the flap it would be better. At the same time, the pull-pull control lines need to be able to have sufficient control and leverage to hold and adjust the position properly without chatter or control surface flutter. I need to build some test jigs and trial/error to conclude.
Besides telling me I’m crazy, let me know your thoughts or concerns with this approach.
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