has anyone ever tried putting their fins in backwards, or accidently done it? or what about a big pivot fin, and a thruster right infront of it? Would either of these ideas work well?
Works great, as long as you keep it turning all the time.
Straighten out, it’ll buck you off, unless you have a computer guidance system in your brain.
Like the forward swept USAF experimental plane, and also the F-117, it needs a computer to go in a straight line, but really nice when kept turning constantly.
forward swept fins have a great degree of efficiency…the problem arise as the angle of attack increases. This phenomena is called aeroelastic divergence and although it was researched mainly on aircrafts it applies to any fluid. In surfing that would happen each time we turn, the angle increases and the fin flexes more in the positive direction which in turn increases the angle even more and the cycle repeats itself…eventually the fin goes unstable, the board out of control and also can even break off the board. In the case of aircraft like the X-29 composite materials engineered in a particular method would flex in an opposite direction of the force applied. If fins were designed with such degree of sophistication maybe that could turn out as a new break thru in surfing…the reality is that is too expensive to manufacture and most likely we wont see anything like it for years to come.
Turning your fins around reverses the foil on the fin and creates a lot of drag. As for the reverse template, take a look at nature sometime and wonder why you don’t see many (if any) reversed templates. -Carl
waht about the thruster and pivot fin? any thoughts on that?
Yea, but you ever wonder why you don’t ever see jet engines on birds?