I'm resurrecting this post because I've been playing around with fuselage length and tail sizes for flat water pumping and have FINALLY just broken a minute for continuous flat water pumping, 67 seconds being my PB so far, using the GoFoil GL240, 32.5" mast, long fuselage and an 18W flat tail cut down to 14.5".
I can't get hold of the GoFoil short fuse yet so I got hold of a 3D printed version just to see what it was like. I loved it - it instantly seemed to make flat water pumping easier, BUT, after a while despite my best efforts I couldn't break 45 seconds, so I went back to the long fuse and very quickly realised that although the short fuse seems easier because it allows you to use a faster pump frequency which allows you to travel faster, because the long fuse needs a slower pump frequency it gives you way more glide with each pump, therefore allowing you to conserve energy and pump for longer.
For tail wings, I started off using my 18W flat tail wing, and again because the new GoFoil shorter tails with upturned wing tips aren't available to me yet, I got a Takuma lol 270 tail wing to see what difference it made (by a happy coincidence they fit the GoFoil pedestals). I instantly loved it (and still do for winging) as it has the same lift but was way smoother, more reactive and turns soooo well. Because I preferred the Takuma tail over the 18W for everything, I realised I would probably never use the 18W tail again (I have the GoFoil 14.5" flip tip tail on order) so I cut the 18W down to 14.5" to see what it would be like - result: still gives the same great lift and glide as before but it has way less drag - instantly preferred it to the original size. The takuma tail is still more lively (more responsive pitch control and the turns are smoother (I love it for surf foiling and winging) but the cut down 18W is more stable in terms of pitch control so it pumps better. Interestingly I've used the cut down tail for wake foiling once so far and it was amazing - again the same lift and glide as it had originally but it was REALLY loose - turned really fast, but very skatey. I need to do more testing with it on the wake and in surf (and with the GL180 as well as the 240) to know for sure, but from what I've heard about it I think I'll prefer the 14.5" tail with the upturned tips as everyone says its as good as the flat tails but with the added bonus of being more directionally stable AND is really drivey through turns. When I get it, if I find this to be the case I'll probably cut the old 18W down even more, probably to 12.5" to see what that feels like - listening to Adam Bennets on the 'Progression Project' foiling podcasts, he said that he thinks a small tail on a long fuse can loosen up a foil in the same way that using a short fuse does. Interesting times
cutbacker
> 9 months ago, 11 Nov 2019
