carbon aerogen/radar strut

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phildowney
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:59 pm
Location: Southampton
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carbon aerogen/radar strut

Post by phildowney »

i have a piece of broken carbon spi pole to use to replace my existing and bent stainless pole
has anyone any good ideas on how to mount the things? i can make stuff out of carbon but the design takes thought and research...
phil kusi
Owner of Kusi, UK F35 Cat ketch
Southampton UK

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Michel
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Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

Re: carbon aerogen/radar strut

Post by Michel »

Hi Phil,

Below are two photos with the windvane strut I designed for my previous boat, the F35 ck 'Tumlare'. The strut is (of course) freestanding and mounted to the transom far enough to the quarter to just clear the mizzen wishbone. The bottom part of the strut is slanted aft along the line of the transom, also to clear the wishbone. There is a simple flange connection at the top of the 3" pole with a 2" vertical tube on top. Just below the Airmarine wind generator there are two flanges with five shock absorbers in between. The second photo shows the transom mount with two plates and teak filler blocks. The wires of the generator run through a hose and through the cockpit drain hole. Inside the transom, there is an inspection port with a hole in the lid to get the hose inside the boat with lots of Sika goo to make it watertight. I made this in 1998 and the installation is still functioning well today. Working with carbon, you can of course make it look much more elegant and sleek. Clearing the mizzen wishbone was the greatest challenge of this project.
T in Dokkum.JPG
T in Dokkum.JPG (192.93 KiB) Viewed 4789 times
Voyager4.JPG
Voyager4.JPG (114.49 KiB) Viewed 4789 times
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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phildowney
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:59 pm
Location: Southampton
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Re: carbon aerogen/radar strut

Post by phildowney »

hi, particularlylike the shock absorbers the aerogen is hard mounted and is noisy
phil
Owner of Kusi, UK F35 Cat ketch
Southampton UK

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Michel
Posts: 546
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

Re: carbon aerogen/radar strut

Post by Michel »

Phil,
When selecting shock absorbers, mind the following:
1) Choose the softest absorbers suitable for the max force on the rotor. Absorbers that are too hard won't absorb.
2) Use absorbers with internal thread for bolts, not absorbers with threaded studs because these are steel and will rust.
3) Design the flanges so you can use three or better, five absorbers. this will divide the pulling loads on the absorbers much better than with four absorbers. Absorbers are designed to cope with push loads, not pull loads.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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