High Performance MPX Foil/Self-righting Trimaran-The Test Model

Excellent. Good for you, Doug.

 

First Fire Arrow Foiling Video

Here is the youtube video. Keep in mind that the wind was 4-6 from the south before we left. That means the wind had about a 15 mile fetch to the bridge near the sailing site. The waves were bending around the point we were on thru the bridge and stayed that way as the wind dropped. The wind was 3-5 MPHjust before we launched. It died and came back in puffs-we caught a couple of good rides in that light wind. All my modifications were to improve light air performance and they sure as hell did!!! If you just want to see the great part start at 6 min into the video......(while the long version is still up)
UPDATE: the video has been shortened! Don't know when the shortened version will show up?! The original may be available tomorrow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mok3d4KiMI

 

First Fire Arrow Foiling Video

First post foiling post,again:

Click on the foiling pictures-they are breathtaking. First two: Dan the photo/video guy to whom I am most grateful. This is likely to be his last time doing this because he's got to go back to coaching another wining high school football season. Good Luck Dan-I owe you!!! And the designer holding on to Her Majesty......
One thing to notice in the still pictures are the ones with the main hull still sea-hugging but the lee ama flying:

 

Fire Arrow Foiler / MPX Foil System Testing and Development

===========
Thanks Warwick, and thanks for your encouragement all through this project!

 

Fire Arrow Foiler / MPX Foil System Testing and Development

=====
Thank you!

 

Fire Arrow Foiler/ MPX Foil System Testing and Development

Click on this picture and note the red line tape on the daggerboard that marks the designed flight waterline-talk about meeting a target!!! You can see it on the board in the pictures of Dan and me.

 

Fire Arrow Foiler / MPX Foil System Testing and Development

This one is pretty cool and an absolute personal triumph for me. Some were ,shall we say, less than enthusiastic about my UptiP ama foil design and the mods I did to improve its performance. The idea is that the ama foil now has a molded in flap which is likely to be trimmed down as we learn more about it. The way it works is like a foil with a movable flap(except with no moving parts!)-giving high lift to take off then reducing the high lift section as the tip breaches the surface. Here is a picture of the tip doing exactly that in a 5mph breeze! The idea clearly works and works well. It will take more tests to know how much I can trim off the i-flap portion of the foil. This is all documented in the previous pages.
Click on the first picture or you won't see the tip. The other pictures show the ama UptiP foils with the successful i-flap that worked so well today:

 

Good job, Doug. The moment at 7:10 looks very promising. I have to humbly admit that I didn't expect it to happen so soon after all that erratic bouncing in the first few videos.
Now you need more wind and more sailing.

 

Fire Arrow Foiler / MPX Foil System Testing and Development

Thanks, Slavi. Ah, there was only one video with anything that could be described as "erratic bouncing" and that was the second sailing days video in 9-11mph wind.
I guess you might say that my analysis of what was going on in that video was, shall we say, right on target!

 

Before saying that, I want to see it sailing again in 9-11 mph wind.

 

First Fire Arrow Foiling Video

If anybody can edit this video so I could have a second version that starts 6 minutes into this video, I'd appreciate it. I can't pay anything but you will have my eternal gratitude.

 

Fire Arrow Foiler/ MPX Foil System Testing and Development

==========================
Why is it that I knew you'd say something like that?! That will have to wait till I get the reefing system ready. But I can tell you, right now, what will happen with the boat that foiled today in a 5mph breeze, in a 9-11 mph breeze:
she'll go like a bat out of hell with her reefed rig moderating the power and her new foils converting that power into incredible speed. Remember I said this.....
You know I'm right(or should know)!
You should read about the i-flap if you haven't already-it is the most significant mod to an UptiP foil that I know of .......because it works. It works almost exactly like a wand controlled flap on a T-foil. And that makes it the perfect ama foil--not for cats, but for tri's. Did you notice the altitude control on the ama?

 

Looks good Doug, looks like you can settle in for some serious sailing time now before you have to change anything.

 

Fire Arrow Foiler/ MPX Foil System Testing and Development

Thanks RR-no changes except a reefing system and a gradual refinement of the ama foils.

 

Fire Arrow Foiler/ MPX Foil System Testing and Development

It just dawned on me-this boat is probably the first trimaran in the history of mankind to sail with an UptiP ama foil! There's one being built in France but it doesn't use the bi-foiler arrangement on the main hull. It certainly is the first trimaran to use a modified UptiP foil with an i-flap on the ama. What a day this was....