I'd like to remember Murray Philpott, who was recently killed in a glider accident in southern NZ.
This photo was taken at the 2015 A Class Worlds in Italy. He was wonderful to work with and his contribution to the development of the boat was outstanding.
This photo was taken at the 2015 A Class Worlds in Italy. He was wonderful to work with and his contribution to the development of the boat was outstanding.
- Another new A Cat from the USA and NZ
- The LR6
Yes, Ian and I are building a new A-Cat. The LR6 is the latest design from Richard Roake and we will build it here in the USA. Then it will go to Houston and get tested by it's owner, Murray Philpott. from NZ. Then it will go into a container with two LR5's and shipped to Italy for the next Worlds.
I am once again going to document the build on this site. Many of you have seen this in the past but there are some new faces out there that might be interested. We have made the build as simple as possible and you too can do it in a garage, just as we're doing, with no autoclave, no vacuum bag, no resin infusion. Just hand laminated carbon over a foam core setting in a simple set of frames to define the hull shape.
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The first thing you need is a good stiff, straight strongback. We use two floor trusses with a 1/2" thick plywood cap that we then draw our frame locations on as well as two waterlines |
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Cutting the foam with a bead and cove on the router table. |
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Foam in the frame ,Glued in with Gorilla Glue
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- All foamed in and faired with bulhead patterns in place
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Inner carbon skins oriented on the bias, wet out with Pro-Set epoxy resin. |
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Bulkheads now glued and tabbed in place. |
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Two halves glued together
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Gorilla glue at joints fills cracks and voids. |
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All carboned up with Pro_Set epoxy
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410 Microlight slathered on. Almost ready for primer. |
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Nesting jig for the hulls |
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Hulls in the jig and toerails clamped on.
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Beam notches cut in |
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Laminating the Z board cases
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Cases for the soft Z boards
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Prepping for the recessed traveller track
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Prepping for the recessed traveller track
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Components for the centercase. No slider assembly yet.
Eyelet for tramp attachment.
Board box installed
Three piece mold for laminating both port and starboard boards.
Board Cross-section
First pair of boards completed.
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The three pieces of the L-rudder mold used for both rudders.
First L-rudder installed
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Front beam fairing being glued in place.
Pivot bearing components arrived from NZ
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Pivot bearing front and back sections now glued to board case.
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Slider recessed into board deck lid.
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Another view of the slider.
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Best news July 3 was that the board passes through the slider and the bottom bearing pivot and AOA can change from +4 degrees to -2 degrees. Platform to painter on July 6.
Ready to fly
Test fit for the trip to Houston
LR6 on the bottom. Container headed to Italy.
Preliminary results of the LR6 sailing in Houston with Bruce Mahoney are very promising. First day on the water the boat was foiling downwind and by the end of their sessions Murray Philpott had the boat foiling upwind. Some minor issues had to be addressed but the boat is solid and boards and rudders performed excellently.