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I'm trying to think up some way to build a simpler and lighter rudder.
Instead of just a flat piece of aluminum I thought that aluminum + Coroplast covered with a thin fiberglass finish might work very well. The reason is I plant to wrap the entire boat in a green woodland camo. Since I'm gona wrap the rudders in fiberglass anyway I can make light using thin aluminum and coroplast. Does fiberglass resin melt coroplast?
Thanks
Zion
My aluminum airfoil rudders are hollow. It's light gauge aluminum around a hollow core of AIR. Hard to imagine what you're describing as being lighter.
Duane
Keep in mind when reading this post, I get confused or distracted easily. I'm almost as old as Duane! I don't have a real answer for you, I made a set a while back for a friend and used insulation on the inside. You could put newspaper, duct tape, or TINFOIL, to shield the product from the resin.
This is more a question or room for thought rather than input. With that said, I was asking myself when I was replacing the old wooded rudders on old old boat getting ready to build another set of fiberglass, do we really need to go through all of this? Does a mini airboat really make enough thrust to notice any difference between an airfoil rudder and a flat aluminum rudder? After going with the flat aluminum on mine I would doubt you would see the difference. My boat turns fine and will spin out on a good pull of the stick. SO... are we doing this for looks or is an airfoil still an advantage on a mini airboat?
Papee,
I sure as heck don't have all the answers. But simpler is almost always better. Is an airfoil rudder any better than a street sign rudder on a Mini? MAYBE so, but maybe NOT. I honestly don't know.
The airfoil rudders look nice, are sturdy, STIFF, and are very light. I guess that's what I really meant to say. Ya' ain't got to get really fancy with a pair of rudders...
After all, all they do is point the boat. Right? :&&:
Duane
I think I am just going to make a pair of simple flat rudders out of 1/8" aluminum like papee's got.
Then I'll wrap them is a thin coat of woodland camo. I need a simpler boat more than complicated. Lighter is better.
Since my rudders will be smaller 36"x14" they wont way so much.