Flettner Rotor for small craft - Design and Build Prototype

[rwatson]

The Bottom end - bearing and end plate.

I manged to locate a steel, 5 mm end plate for the aluminium column. Usually they only sell Aluminium end plates

Its only held on by some rather small Philips head screws, that I intend to replace with 12mm high tensile boats.





The problem with replacing the Phillips heads with bolts, is that there is a Countersink hole in the end plate, to ensure self alignment.
So, I hunted down some convex stainless washers to put under the high tensile bolt.

 

[rwatson]

Rapid push for mechanical bottom end.



Motor fitted



First Test Run



Made a Youtube "Short" of it in operation
This site cant embed the link , maybe because its a Short.

https://youtube.com/shorts/gSaMcCGlO_s

 

[Yobarnacle]

Congratulations

 

[FSS yachts]

@rwatson Congratulations on the Flettner Rotor. I am new to this forum but have read a good deal of your post. I had some questions about a previous project you were working on regarding the Mac 26. Any way you could message me?

 

[rwatson]

@rwatson Congratulations on the Flettner Rotor. I am new to this forum but have read a good deal of your post. I had some questions about a previous project you were working on regarding the Mac 26. Any way you could message me?

I tried to Message you, but got a message saying I was unable to. You will have to message me.

 

[FSS yachts]

I tried to Message you, but got a message saying I was unable to. You will have to message me.

Hi @rwatson I am new on the forum so apparently it does not allow me to message until I am a more established member. Could you shoot me an email? I would love to see where you got to on your search for the improved planing hull motor sailer. Thank you! brooks[a]whalentennis.com

 

[rwatson]

Hi @rwatson I am new on the forum so apparently it does not allow me to message until I am a more established member. Could you shoot me an email? I would love to see where you got to on your search for the improved planing hull motor sailer. Thank you! brooks[a]whalentennis.com

I sent an email to
brooks@whalentennis.com
No acknowledgement yet, might want to check your Spam

 

[rwatson]

Big Step. A good value boat of the right dimensions for this project came up for sale, so I plunged in and bought it.


After a lot of thought, I have managed to dream up a potential layout for the rig, including provision for trailering setup.

In the bottom left corner of the "sail" plan, I have a table showing the combinations of calculated performance versus rotor size. This is based on a two metre tall tower,
I am favouring a .8 metre diameter, as the rotation speed is lower at the optimum outputs. I may end up doing a .6 metre diameter, once I evaluate the build difficulty.
There isn't anything to stop me making up several rotor sizes, and installing them for anticipated wind conditions.