The Fliteboard eFoil thread - Info for the DiYer

[SoEFoil]

How is assembled a Fliteboard ? How do they create
1- a solid link between mast and board ?
2 - a direct thermal bridge between the mast (permanent passive cold source) and the ESC ?
3 - a solution that offers the shortest possible wires between ESC and motor ?

A first document unveils a few interesting details: Fliteboard patent - Module for Connecting a Mast to a Board
A second document about the battery case that was registered last May should be published in 8 months (Early 2020): Fliteboard patent - Battery enclosure

At Fliteboard and probably among competitors, an eFoil board is nothing more than foam added around a large and rigid waterproof box with ribs :

[SoEFoil]

First I thought that this passive cooling was underestimated. Then looking at the differences between the Fliteboard patent (Nov 2017 see above pict) and what it is today (June 2019 see pict below with extra cooling fins on alu box AND on mast plate) I thought that the thermal brigde field tests had proven the thermal bridge to be not so effective ie mast cooled section / plate section to cool down = too low = 20% max :
Time will tell…
@Peter, do you think that your DiY solution without cooling fins could stay below 60°C at 35 kph ? A hybrid solution like a bilge pump cooling down an ESC over the mast is:
1- out of the application field of this pattern (so free to use for everyone)
2- IMHO the best KISS hybrid cooling solution that allows to keep the water out of the battery box and that still shortens the cables between ESC and motor

[XSailor]

Don’t want to be negative but think it is incredible that one can get a patent for this type of design, kind of hard to see what is really a new innovation, looks more like a move for blocking competition. On the other hand getting and maintaining a patent is probably a rather expensive story so everything comes at a cost in the end.

[Bufadore]

On my first build I used a large heat sink which protrudes from the bottom of the board. You can see the fins just forward of the mast. Really effective thermal management. ESC is mounted to an aluminum plate in the hatch. Only issue with Fliteboard is hitting something and breaking the mast from the board. Nice idea though.

[Jezza]

How easy was it to glass the aluminium in? I might have to go for this on one build.

[Bufadore]

it’s really easy. I used play doh. to make a dam around the area, to not have epoxy run. I used Medium twill carbon fibre just like using fibreglass cloth for strength. Glass in both sides and use heat transfer silicon paste to mount an aluminium plate. My ESC never gets above 85F.

[Jezza]

Do you have a link to the heatsink you used by any chance? Or some close up pics inside and outside.
How did you isolate it so that it does not melt any foam?

[Nicknsquid]

I’m pretty sure that hitting something and braking a mast is an Inherent issue for All E-Foils not any one specific unit,

[SoEFoil]

The Fliteboard patent series (cont) : the Fliteboard eFoil in detail
English: Powered hydrofoil system: https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019104378A1/en - pdf here
French: Système d’hydroptère motorisé : https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019104378A1/fr - pdf : English only here above

Drawings including cross sections and split views are information rich : located in the pdf p 16 to 19 - Enjoy … Lift didn’t provide them.

[SoEFoil]

The Fliteboard patent series (cont) : the Fliteboard hand controller

English: https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019183668A1/en, pdf here
French: https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019183668A1/fr, pdf : English only here above

Drawings and software functional diagram (like LIFT) are located in the drawing section p 29 to 35

[Sliman_O]

Thanks @SoEFoil. Just like we thought, this is a Neugart gearbox. Take a look here if you have any doubt, this is exactly the same one lol :

It seems we still need a DIY 65151 Direct Drive motor

I customized this gearbox from Neugart for my other application.

Judging the look of the motor it is a TPP motor too.

They basically patented a PM’s build, I am a bit disapointed, was expecting some more for this price tag…

Flite is definitely reading this forum, Hello David !

[SoEFoil]

They basically patented a PM’s build, I am a bit disapointed, was expecting some more for this price tag…

A part of the explanation of this high price is the attention to details but could also be …

Seems like the Lift-Langelaan patent is only valid in the US. Wondering if it would have been granted outside, in Europe for example (2008 Evolo project = prior art )

[Jezza]

They basically patented a PM’s build, I am a bit disapointed, was expecting some more for this price tag

No they didn’t. There were plenty of motor units that used planetary gearboxes long before efoils used them…

[Jezza]

However, this gearbox seems not to be able to whithstand the axial load, that’s why they put a thrust bearing on the prop…

Where do you see a thrust bearing?

[Sliman_O]

Ok my mistake, I thought this thing was a thrust bearing but it’s not. Just zoomed on the original patent to look at :

[Sliman_O]

Take a look at following patent : US 2018/0072383. We are far from what they have today. As far as I know David is not an engineer, he wouldn’t have been able to think about such a thing by his own. So, how exactly did the magic happend in 2018 ?
To me, it looks like he first came across this forum…

This baby is a scorpion motor, the cap & seal is coming from a torqeedo motor, the ESC he was refering to also is more like a turnigy aquastar…

torqeedo front cap :

Scorpion motor :

[Jezza]

Take a look at following patent : US 2018/0072383. We are far from what they have today. As far as I know David is not an engineer, he wouldn’t have been able to think about such a thing by his own. So, how exactly did the magic happend in 2018 ?
To me, it looks like he first came across this forum…

I’m a little lost on what points you are trying to get across?
If you are talking about Flying Rodeo (David), he has a degree in both Electronics and Mechanical engineering. Apart from that I don’t see why a lack of a degree would prevent anyone from solving any form of problem. Lift designed the first direct drive unit. FR reverse engineered it and improved it. Lift then started buying from FR, hence why he has no time to supply the DIY community.

However, this gearbox seems not to be able to whithstand the axial load, that’s why they put a thrust bearing on the prop…

The PLE60 can take a load of 500N. That is WAAAAYYYYY more that efoiling will ever put on that gear unit. There’s no need for a thrust bearing.

[Sliman_O]

If you are talking about Flying Rodeo (David)

I am talking about David Trewern, founder of Fliteboard.

However, this gearbox seems not to be able to whithstand the axial load, that’s why they put a thrust bearing on the prop…

Will correct my previous answer.

I’m a little lost on what points you are trying to get across?

Trying to figure out how exactly Flite went from this idea to a totally functionnal unit patented the same year

[Jezza]

Trying to figure out how exactly Flite went from this idea to a totally functionnal unit patented the same year

Ah, fliteboard would have known about the gearbox before this forum started up. PMeister was just the first to document by video. The geared units had been on endless sphere for a while before being used on electric surfboards etc. This forum was born off the threads over there…

[MauiMan]

Brand new fliteboard, had an incident with leaking oil. The motor still works but has a vibration. This is why I like Flying rodeo Motor better because of the direct drive.