Wing-drive

[CT249]

Originally Posted by wingsails

Has anyone seen a conventional rig track the wind automatically yet?

Depending on exactly what you mean, I would have thought the answer is "yes".

The freestanding Laser rig, for example, swings around and tracks the rig. Despite the fact that it swings fairly easily, the rig still develops side forces at times.

Windsurfer rigs also swing freely when you are just holding the uphaul rope, which you often do while preparing to start etc. Again, they develop force in the very short lag between the time they are hit by a gust from a different direction, and the time they pivot to lie along the new wind. The camber induced rigs, which have draft forced into them, actually develop force even when pointing into the wind which makes them rather hard to handle at times.

Thanks for the invite....I may make it to Keepit for the winter regatta, but I say that every year!

[wingsails]

Any idea of the date? Must try to find out.
What I meant on this thread was that the wingsail will trim itself to the apparent with no need for sheeting and you can pull on a little power or a lot and it adjusts to suit .
Hoping to update the bottom pivot slide to bearings next week if I can get the right parts. Drove 200 klms today to find out they were out of stock.

[masrapido]

Originally Posted by wingsails

Drove 200 klms today to find out they were out of stock.

what happened to telephone...

[masrapido]

Arriba con las alas!!

just saw the pictures of kjell{s tornado and aussie tri and got excited...

[kjell]

I think there are too much of theoretical talk and very little practical doing with the Wing sailing. If you take the Wing-Drive propulsion system as an example. It has very little to do with sailing. It is vertical flying. With old sailing you have to feel the wind and learn to trim the sail. If not it is a disaster. On vertical flight you set the wings to the proper AoA and just steer. No worry about wind shift. The W-tail is holding the wings in the AoA and taking the best out of the wind all the time.

[kjell]

WING-DRIVE project for Proa.

[Guillermo]

Kjell:
I didn't read the whole of the thread, so forgive me if this has been asked before. What about dead downwind running?

[kjell]

Originally Posted by Guillermo

Kjell:
What about dead downwind running?

Guillermo
As you have seen the Wing-Drive doesn’t pretend to be the fastest or the most efficient wind propulsion system but it is the easiest and safest way of cruising with the wind.
Wing sails are not good for downwind sailing. I have been experimenting with a new type of Spinnaker. The Spinnaker is mounted on the free swinging Wing –Drive and has no connecting to the hull. It is automatically self adjusting to the wind thanks to the tail. I have tested it with a small Spinnaker and it works perfect.

[Guillermo]

What about a kite for downwind running, instead of a conventional spinnaker?
http://www.kiteship.com/

[kjell]

I think Kite sailing is an other way of complicate sailing. What do you do in stormy weather?

[Wellydeckhand]

Kjell,

Can the wingdrive be composite kelvar constructed for light and tear proof? Will it hold against the element?

Will it be efficient on monohull and how much will it cost for.......... 65ft, just friendly inquiry.

WDH

[kjell]

The wings I was testing for over 3 years was made of Carbon fibre with Kevlar reinforcements. They were tested under very extreme weather conditions with good result. I cant give you any cost, you have to build them. The Wing – Drive can be installed on monohull.

[StianM]

The first and only swedish invention comming to my mind that was suposed to make thing's easy is the adjustable spanner and we all know how that went, lazy people using it instead off spanner's and making nutts and bollt heads round and imposible to unfasten later.

how mutch preshure trop do you get by the air aceleration ower the wing?
If I guess right you nead a biger surface to produce the same trust as a traditional sail.

Maybe it would be a option for smal boats, but traditional sail's look bether so people want them annyway even if they are harder to operate, they just start the engine to save themself work.

I would think this is a curiosity and likely to take off.

Hope you don't consider this as bashing, but constructive criticism and bash me instead with some facts.

[Wellydeckhand]

any thing ? I may pay for the possible of the thing in my boat..... 65 ft if it is do able...... I may be poor but still can afford a bit. you have help me before and I dont want to clean u out.......

WDH

[SailDesign]

Stian,
Since most wingsails are variable-camber devices, and not symmetrical foils, they are much more efficient than "traditional" sails.
Steve