As work continues on tooling, the new deck shape is now visible. A good opportunity to share the thinking that led to the chosen layout. Initially a dedicated RC tray moulding was designed with the aim of locating the mass of winch, batteries and servo as low in the boat as possible and close to […]
From virtual to reality. The magic is being worked by Aptec Composites. Images courtesy Alex Kryger. Hull plug/pattern (above) and deck plug (below) machined ready for surface finishing. Notice the bonding flanges for mast tubes and centreboard case, as well as all deck features, integrated in the tooling to ensure accuracy and repeatability. The mould flanges […]
Some images of the mould files ready to cut. In the case of hull and deck, male patterns will be machined to replicate the finished outer surfaces. Composite moulds will then be taken from the patterns which also incorporate the mould mating flanges. The finished moulds will be made such that they can be closed […]
Previous posts on A Class Catamaran material choices hinted at the influences of core type on construction process. Let’s look at the options in construction method and the unique requirements of each. Foam Core Hull panel lamination can take place in one or two steps, depending on whether a perforated core is used. A perforated […]
Marblehead foil design presents an interesting challenge because the maximum permitted draft is extremely generous. In most monohull keelboat classes, maximum draft is well short of the crossover where additional righting moment gained becomes outweighed by hydrodynamic and structural considerations. For most classes, draft can therefore be regarded as fixed (always go to maximum). In […]
Picking up where the last A Cat post left off, we were contemplating the relative merits of foam core and Nomex style aramid paper honeycomb. Honeycomb is a very efficient structural solution because it concentrates material in effective load paths between the skins. Each cell is braced at the interface with other cells, and there […]
Katana has the same waterline beam as Octave. Canoe body maximum depth has increased by 2.4mm. Maximum cross section area is unchanged, staying at a value that has proven optimal. Moving some midsection area from the turn of the bilge to the bottom of the hull gives a midsection that returns to being as close […]
A sneak preview of our next RM design: Katana. Katana is an evolution of Octave, incorporating improvements in several key areas. The individual changes are small, but sufficiently numerous to cumulatively warrant a new designation. This decision has been made with existing customers in mind as it will give them a clear option when placing […]
As mentioned previously, the choice of tooling material and shape depends on the construction process of the parts to be moulded. To decide on construction method we look at the desired properties of the finished product. The hull can be thought of as a box girder that has to resist global bending loads and […]
Graphic visualisation of hull wave height around a candidate shape. These simulations are very intensive in terms of processing power, so must be used selectively to keep time frames realistic. Fortunately we are in good hands. More will be revealed soon.
