Not new (2 yo), just to show what a mast with a rubber (silicon) leading and trailing edge inserts looks like, here the Decathlon Olaian surf foil mast launched in may 2021. Could be useful in efoil schools…
Seems like Project Cedrus had a similar concept.
To reduce the cut risks, the Olaian foil has rubber on the front wing leading edge and on the stab trailing edge. If we can’t cut we can still bump.
Decathlon had in mind a bigger and thinner wing with same rubber leading edge wing for wingfoil. Could be for next summer (2023).
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Hi. Any news around on bigger or thinner wing from Decathlon or other brand with same rubber leading edge wing suitable for wingfoil and light wind kiteing?
Asking because the mountain lakes around here are full of rocks, and have very few sand beaches suitable to launch from
The safety surf foil 500 size M is still available on the Decathlon site:
https://www.decathlon.fr/p/foil-de-surf-securise-500-taille-m-avec-sa-housse-2-mats-inclus-35cm-et-55cm/_/R-p-312695
Quite rideable with a wing, testers say (activate English subtitles) it is rather slow for a wingfoil use. Decathlon seem to have given the concept up as the 500 M is on sale and it didn’t open the way to a bigger wing size.
On the following page, the bottom video (1:04 - activate English subtitles) shows how protective the rubber is in case of contact with a hard surface:
If you are a tinkerer, it should be possible to adapt a 3D printed TPU leading edge cover to a 1900cm thin front wing like a Gong Fluid or Curve and thicken the rest of the wing to be flush with the leading edge. Just an idea.
It has been studied/demonstrated that a step on a wing surface decreases lift and increases drag: Aerospace | Free Full-Text | Effect of the Backward-Facing Step Location on the Aerodynamics of a Morphing Wing
