Hi all,
I'm thinking about reducing the size of a Naish 1150 Freeride Windfoil front wing. Firstly wondering if this can be done without ruining the wing? How would the wing handle / what would it feel like with size reduction ?
Where could i get it done? Would it be costly? And i was thinking about getting it cut down to 700cm2. My next wing size up from this is HA 914cm2 then HA 1400cm2. So looking to increase wind range from the the HA 914.

I weigh 80kg and will be using the wing on 90L & 105L SS Wizards with wave sails 3.0, 3.3, 3.5, 3.9, 4.7. Don't have my ideal quiver yet.

Maybe you should consider getting a kite wing, which is about that size. Cutting and reshaping unless done by an expert could be very unpredictable and spoil a very good wing.
About a year ago I tried the 600 2018 kite wing: the ride was pretty unstable, probably not enough wind or practice. If you want to try it I can post it to you

Select to expand quote

powersloshin said..
Maybe you should consider getting a kite wing, which is about that size. Cutting and reshaping unless done by an expert could be very unpredictable and spoil a very good wing.
About a year ago I tried the 600 2018 kite wing: the ride was pretty unstable, probably not enough wind or practice. If you want to try it I can post it to you

Thanks mate appreciate the offer but I'm all good. I've thought about getting the 650 kite wing to try. There's one at Board Crazy for $350 I might get. I figured modification would probably be dodgy or expensive if done professionally. It was just a thought. I don't need a wing that size anyway. Was just going to try it if it could be done.

There's all sorts of issues with cutting down a wing so much.

First, many wings are a foam core rather than solid. If you start cutting and sanding, you risk either making the skin too thin or exposing the foam which then needs to be covered, the new skin blended in, etc.

Secondly, just going simply and cutting the tips off substantially alters the planform. You'll end up with a smaller, lower aspect wing with possibly a deeper section than a normal 700ish wing might have. You risk having a wing with noticeably different handling, lift and drag characteristics. This is even more so with Infinity type wings, ie wings with wash out where you are cutting off the less lifty outer edges but retaining the thicker and higher AoA inner sections. Of course, you could reshape the wing but with the time and effort to do it right by someone qualified you may be looking at just buying a decent second hand wing for the same price and that way have two wings for the same money.

Having said that, I've done all sorts of goofy things with a hacksaw in the name of science so if you still feel like it's worth a go, at the least, you'll learn a lot along the way. I fully understand the need to do things out of curiosity even if it doesn't make financial sense.

I suggest you PM Azymuth. He cut down the width and surface area of his Phantasm PTM 926 to 830.

Cutting a high aspect wing down to medium aspect is one thing. Cutting a low aspect even further down like the OP is considering is entirely another.

Select to expand quote

Paducah said..
There's all sorts of issues with cutting down a wing so much.

First, many wings are a foam core rather than solid. If you start cutting and sanding, you risk either making the skin too thin or exposing the foam which then needs to be covered, the new skin blended in, etc.

Secondly, just going simply and cutting the tips off substantially alters the planform. You'll end up with a smaller, lower aspect wing with possibly a deeper section than a normal 700ish wing might have. You risk having a wing with noticeably different handling, lift and drag characteristics. This is even more so with Infinity type wings, ie wings with wash out where you are cutting off the less lifty outer edges but retaining the thicker and higher AoA inner sections. Of course, you could reshape the wing but with the time and effort to do it right by someone qualified you may be looking at just buying a decent second hand wing for the same price and that way have two wings for the same money.

Having said that, I've done all sorts of goofy things with a hacksaw in the name of science so if you still feel like it's worth a go, at the least, you'll learn a lot along the way. I fully understand the need to do things out of curiosity even if it doesn't make financial sense.

Thanks, decided not butcher it.