How to Build a Hydrofoil: Carving The Wing's Foil Shape (Video 3/15)

An in-depth video series for how to build a hydrofoil from home that actually works. There are several ways to build a hydrofoil, this is simply how I like to do it. - Free Hydrofoil plans here: flukeskitesurfing.com/hydrofo...
- Find Recommended Hydrofoil parts here: (Coming soon)
- New videos posted daily @FlukesKitesurfing
This video: Shaping the hydrofoil wings foil shape. This is the shape that makes it fly! So this is the most important and rewarding part, as what you do in this step is much of the feel of the foil. as touched on in Video one, there is flexibility in this shaping as many different foil shapes will still fly, so you can have fun with this shaping, but at the same time, its keep to make the foil wings symmetrical and smooth. We start by thinning the profile of the foil wings. The next step then is to remove most of the bulk of the foil shape by planning the back of the foil down with an electric plainer, then start carving by hand to finish the wings foil and blend the shape to the wingtips. We then sand the wings to smooth the finish, ready for a sealer coat of resin.
Video Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:00 - Mark Screw Holes
4:15 - Drill Screw Holes
5:02 - Attach Temporary Holding Blocks
6:33 - Shaping the Wingtip Profile
15:00 - The Foil Shape (Templates)
17:50 - Marking The Max Thickness
21:40 - Shaping The Foil Section
28:48 - Sanding The Foil Section
29:50 - Finishing Wingtips & Leading Edge
THE FLUKES HYDROFOIL V3 CONCEPT:
The Flukes DIY-3 Hydrofoil is designed based on proven hydrofoil principles that ensure it will fly while also focusing on simple manufacturing processes that make it accessible for a DIY home project. The plans outline the dimensions for building the Front and Rear Wings and the Fuselage, to then be connected to a production aluminium mast.
Foil design plays a critical role in the foil's lift, speed, stability and maneuverability. Understanding that no individual foil design can best perform in all flying conditions, and a home-made foil will never be as refined as a production foil, the intention with the Model DIY-3 was to build a "all rounder" foil with a solid Fuselage and strong connection points that people can use across various disciplines and skill levels. The plan dimensions can be scaled up or down to adjust the wing size that best suits the discipline and rider should they choose to do so. Disciplines include; Kitesurfing, Winging, Surfing, Towing, SUP and Sail.
This Medium aspect foil is suitable for beginners through advanced riders. While different aspect ratios have recognizable benefits, the medium aspect is a good DIY starter wing. This foil Lifts smoothly, handles speed well and feels stable underfoot. It is a fun design to make and use.
Hydrofoil Construction:
Hand-shaped solid wooden core wings laminated using epoxy resin and multiple layers of 6oz Fibreglass and Carbon fibre.
The design features flat bottom wings in both the profile and cross section of the wing. The flat foil design significantly reduces the processes and skills required to construct the hydrofoil wings, and it can be handmade from start to finish. (Without the use of a CNC or vacuum bagging)
The use of a solid extruded aluminium flat bar fuselage further assists the construction by minimizing significant errors that could occur. The wings attach to the opposing sides of the parallel aluminium Fuselage, so an appropriate angle of attack for flying is automatically obtained. This will create a hydrofoil that flies, even if the production of the wing shape varies slightly from the plans.
The Fuselage is drilled and attached to the wings using high-tensile Stainless Steel screws. Holes are also drilled to connect to an Aluminium Mast of your choice. In this case, specified to fit the Flukes Kitesurfing Production Aluminium Mast (and others that use the same M6, 40mm spaced drilling set-out)
A benefit of building the Fuselage in this way is to attach it to different lengths of production masts for different conditions, as well standardize the drilling layout to attach various wings to the Fuselage should you decide to build more wing shapes/sizes in the future.
VIDEO PLAYLIST:
1. Design Principals • How to Build a Hydrofo...
2. Cutting outline • How to build a Hydrofo...
3. Shaping • How to Build a Hydrofo...
4. Resin Sealer coat • How to Build a Hydrofo...
5. Glassing • How to build a hydrofo...
6. Resin filling
• How to build a Hydrofo...
7. Top Lamination • How to Build a Hydrofo...
8. Resin "Hot Coat" • How to Build a Hydrofo...
9. Final Sanding • How to Build a Hydrofo...
10. Drilling Holes • How to Build a Hydrofo...
11. Fuselage - Shaping • How to Build a Hydrofo...
12. Fuselage - Tapping Holes • How to Build a Hydrofo...
13. Fuselage • How to Build a Hydrofo...
14. Assembly • How to Build a Hydrofo...
15. The Test - Riding The Foil For The First Time. • How to Build a Hydrofo...

[@jimmym2719]

Wow thanks for the sharing the how to ..💕good work.

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

For sure! Happy to help

[@davidharraway8131]

Thank you for putting this series together. I've got an el cheapo Ali Baba foil but am going to have a go at making a new front wing for it and learn some wood working skills along the way. Do you have a particular spokeshave you recommend ?

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

Hey David. Perfect! Yeah good learning opportunity with this! We get some woodworking, Alloy and Fibreglass work :) Regarding tools, I'll make an exact list and post what I recommend. That said, any spokeshave thats not a super cheap one will work. I like the flat bottom ones for this.

[@RegisMichelLeclerc]

Thank you for taking the time to explain. Now, how do you validate that the port and starboard of the wings are properly balanced, in weight and in a fluid (airflow, I guess)? Also, on the plan, the underside has a lip on the attack side, do you simply spokeshave artistically following a line parallel to the border and sand, or do you have something more effective to suggest?

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

Hey yeah for sure! I do it by look and feel mostly, however, to get it as close as possible on either side, (hand-shaped and not CNC) is to do lots of measuring. Use Vernier callipers to take thickness measurements in various places along the LE and TE of the wings to ensure they are symmetrical. You could also go as far as build a mid-wing foil shape design so that you can check the foil shape halfway between then centre and wingtip. Hope that helps and have fun with it! Even when i just use my eye it still flys great :)

[@Interdiffusion]

Great Info you have solved my shaping questions in one hit. Would you have any tips on putting a concave on the underside (would that even be necessary)?

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

Great to hear! Yeah you could carve it with a carving tool (I used to carve with a wood attachment on an angle grinder but it can be pretty wild) or even just use a spokeshave to get some slight shape in the bottom. Overall, it's not needed to fly, but will change the flight characteristics of the foil if thats something you are hoping to do. One thing would be with this design, avoid the connection point of the Fuse as you need that flat for a strong connection. Hope that helps and keep us updated with the build!

[@user-iu5fg3er3c]

Hi! Thanks for the design and clarification. Don't you think that the wing section should repeat the same shape along the entire length of the wing? I think the sections should keep similar to each other, and the thickness of the wing should change proportionally with the width. In other words, for example, at a certain distance from the middle of the wing, its width (from the leading edge to the rear) is two times less than in the middle of the wing. Then, I suppose, in this place the thickness should also be half as much as in the middle. Isn't that right? It doesn't work that way from your drawings. And another question: do you think it is possible to make the leading edge of the wing not curved, but straight, directed backwards, like a passenger plane? In other words, so that the wing does not have the shape of half an ellipse, but the shape of two symmetrically folded trapezoids? I want to make the back edge just straight, without a break in the middle.

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

Hey, 1. Yes is should change proportionate to the width, you are trying to generate less lift at the wingtips, so the idea is as you say, as the cord length refuses, say half, then the thickness could be half too. in the event you have a more parallel wing shape, you still try and taper it off at the wingtips, to reduce lift and turbulence at the wingtip. 2. yes possibly, a lot of shapes fly so it would be a fun experiment in any event :)

[@yianniskininis7644]

Thank you very much for all your information!!! If you ever come to Greece you can stay in my country house near kyparissia Peloponnese..

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

Ah thanks for the offer :)

[@marcobenavides4766]

What type.of wood you use to fabricate

[@FlukesKitesurfing]

I used Cedar :)

[@leo-iw9vf]

你好，能分享你的图纸给我吗？谢谢

[@bradpro4237]

They are on his website