Every time I cut wings, single or double I have them situated a fraction behind the trailing edge of each fin - be they twins, quads or a thruster set-up. I have seen shapers set them different to the way I cut them…I could do with the opinion of others on their positioning or a crticism of mine?
I can’t search the archives as it dosent seem to be working today…
Cheers
Rich
I like to put wings where you put yours because it seems like a natural release point for water… from the trailing edge of the fin, and from the rail by abruptly reducing planing surface area. This way, the fin and the rail can work together, but once the fin has done it’s job, it makes sense for water to release cleanly from beneath the board behind the fin.
I put hips at the leading edge of the fin… bumps and wings at the trailing edge.
and ...
with single fins , too, Rich ?
I ask , because I have a few shots , mostly singleys , though ...and double and triple winged ?
[ for example ....
this could be an interesting PHOTO thread [hint , hint] , if people were to post up shots of theirs / others winged boards ?
.... just a thought ....
cheers !
ben
I've shaped maybe 30 odd wingers, all single fins for bigger surf.
After 3 position experiments, I settled for an inch or two in front of the leading edge of the single fin.
Figure it works for me because the initial turn movement is thru the template of the board, the wings make the break, then the fin does it's job holding and pivoting..
And of course, we stand farther forwards on single fin boards.
Ahead of the leading edge of the fin sounds more like the old “stinger” design.
Old '70’s stingers, the wing was about 1/3 up the board. They loose too much drive for me. Single wing behind the leading fin gets my vote.
To help water release at the wing, sand a tapered, full-round channel in each one. Just use sandpaper around a bottle with a tapered neck. Apia and others put these features on the deck side, but I’ve seen some on the bottom also. Seen a few longboards with reverse wings on the tail, haven’t figured that one out yet except the outline reminds me of a squid.
Pete… I ran into Reno Abellira this past summer and he had those channeled wings on the bottom of his board, too. I tried to get him to talk about it but I guess he wasn’t in a mood to talk shop. All he said was, “they work good.”
Wings represent a break in outline and provide pivot points.
The further up you place a wing the tighter the board will pivot.
Wings become stings when placed 1/3 or more forward and the original Aipa design was inspired from the bottom of a Boston Whaler and the need to have a more maneuverable single fin that surfed well at a South Shore spot that had a one turn, get tubed, one cutback and out scenario.
Larry Bertleman and Buttons became Aipa Stinger poster boyz.
I have one friend up near Mendo that has ridden high performance stinger longboards for 20 years in full Nor Cal juice. He swears by them.
I always preferred swallow wingers or double wingers pre thruster days and liked checking out the distinct lines running off each wing and the two tips of the swallows when I would look down at the water releasing off each point/wing while freeboarding behind Tom Sims’ Whaler on flat glassy days.
Like this?
[img_assist|nid=1069942|title=wings|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=91|height=100]
Is this the kind of thing you refer to with the tapered groove? This was actually the first board I ever cut wings into…
Cheers
Rich
www.thirdshade.com
Hey Rich - just out of curiosity: so, how did it work out? If this was a personal board, what was the performance difference you noted from adding the wings? If a custom, what was the customer’s rationale for adding the wings? (haven’t done my first wings yet)
Yes, that’s exactly what I meant by the tapered grooves. Thanks for posting the pic’s, I couldn’t find anything in my files. Pre-baste the foam at the wings with lam resin so the cloth will stick and it’ll make things easier. Wings are still tricky to glass. The ones in the photo seem to be pretty far back. As was previously said, wings create a template pivot-point or horizontal axis by interrupting the rail line. You still need a vertical axis to pivot about (which is the fin), and that’s why wings are commonly located at the fins. Originally, wings were meant to work with pintails and swallows (really a double pin).
Hi, just finished shaping myslef a Twin, Wanted to break the rail line and as petec says wings create a template pivot point so I did mine at the rear of the fins which made sense to me. If they create a template pivot point i was wondering if the tapered grooves are on the bottom as on my one it would also create a rocker pivot point on the rail line?? anyone got any thoughts on this as Ive seen the tapered grooves done on the deck and the bottom?
nocean that looks like good fun. just FYI, more proper nomenclature would be “fluted wing”, specifically e-wing or elevated wing when its fluted from the bottom. you can find them on many of malcom cambells creations. a wing “tapered” from the deck is just a fluted wing. style points.
cheers No1 , yeah was going to alter the post as I just remembered they are called fluted wings but thanks for the “elevated wing” terminology:)
I remember fluted wings as having a little concave. I made a few when I was in high school. What nocean did is an “e wing” developed by Max Macdonald and the Campbell Brothers Boards | Campbell Brothers Surfboards .
Hey huck, yes it was for me.
I made it in 2006 for a trip out to east coast of aus. It was my standard retro fish template of that time that I pulled into a round tail. The board worked real well. I also added a single fin box and used it like that briefly but to be honest it performed much better for me as a quad.
Despite being quite a chunky board at 6’2" 20" 2 7/8" it felt light under foot. The stepped in tail was noticeable on turning arc…much easier to bring round tighter. Funny how things go…6years down the line all the boys who looked at it quizzically are now having me shape them boards almost identical to this - but now without the wings on the whole…can’t make them fast enough!
Cheers Rich Www.thirdshade.com
Last years wing-thing.
