F4- et kort interview
Som tidligere beskrevet faldt jeg for nogen tid siden over F4 foils.
Ikke fordi jeg ikke kender dem, men jeg blev overrasket over, at de rent faktisk også var aktive på andre fronter end lige racefoil.
Jeg kontaktede en af stifterne Chris Radkowski med lidt spørgsmål, og det kom der nedenstående ud af.
History:
In 2008 Al Mirel, Chris Radkowski, and Ben Bamer – windsurfing and kitesurfing friends started F4 as a windsurfing fin company. Together they brought decades of experience with the sport, racing pedigree, engineering knowledge, Phd level math skills and endless enthusiasm and passion for the water sports. As the sports evolved and hydrofoiling came to the scene in 2013 we were the pioneers that turned it from a dream into the fastest growing market and the phenomenon that brought life back into windsurfing and extended into many other water sports.
Bensen: F4 have been into foils for some time now. When did you start producing on a lager scale?
Bensen: Stiffnes in the mast. What is the key difference using aluminium or carbon on the mast?
Bensen: The length of the fuselage- pros and cons?
Longer = more stability in general and worse turning, short is quicker turning and less stability
The aspect ratio has to be consistent with the application – a surf foil has different requirements than race foils. Great question – high aspect wings have less drag from lift and are more efficient. This comes at the expense of the structural challenges and increased inertial required to move the water tip mast. The longer the span the greater the force required to change directions and the more challenges there are related to the connections. We already have 1.2m wings that are difficult to ride on windsurf boards – the wing controls you instead of the other way around. Also they aren’t faster than our other wings.
