Forget styrofoam… researchers are pushing syntactic technology to the limits of space. “Transparent aluminum? That’s the ticket, laddie!” (Scotty, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) Imagine an aluminum foam that looks like solid aluminum, is just as strong, but weighs half as much. What could that do for air/surfcraft design? How about an aluminum foam three times as strong as the solid? Well… http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/january99/features/foams/foams.html
Most of this stuff is not cheap and too heavy. At 2lb per sq ft we are typically under what everyone else is gunning for. For instance the Ren 450 they talk about is about 40 lb per sq ft. However, if you have more money than Bill Gates I can get you some carbon foam. Sluggo
If the foam is watertight and rigid/strong enough, that would be exellent. What is the weight to volume ratio(‘density’) of a glassed surfboard? I guess the foam would have to shape well too, but you can always use a cnc machine. regards, Håvard
If the foam is watertight and rigid/strong enough, that would be exellent. What is the weight to volume ratio(‘density’) of a glassed surfboard? I guess the foam would have to shape well too, but you can always use a cnc machine. regards, Håvard
Cost of exotics is often the least of many obstacles to overcome for the experimental builder. Sometimes its possible to obtain small quantities for cheap/free, in return for R&D feedback. Surfboard designers/fabricators of the future may not be limited to working with solid blocks of low strength to weight ratio foam. Its not always necessary to know final destination before taking first steps of journey. http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/january99/features/foams/foams.html
Cost of exotics is often the least of many obstacles to overcome for the experimental builder. Sometimes its possible to obtain small quantities for cheap/free, in return for R&D feedback. Surfboard designers/fabricators of the future may not be limited to working with solid blocks of low strength to weight ratio foam. Its not always necessary to know final destination before taking first steps of journey. http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/january99/features/foams/foams.html
The surf must be small these days if we are talking about the far distant future…
The surf must be small these days if we are talking about the far distant future…