Some details and text on the Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations that mostly Jari has been doing lately. They are done with the open-source software package OpenFOAM, which is of course free to download and use. We run it under Ubuntu, and use fairly affordable 4-core machines with 8 Gb of RAM. You start with a [...]

Update: video removed and replaced with this one containing more awesomeness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33qpPHd73E An IOM boat+rig in the digital wind-tunnel sailing downwind. The plan is to run a few of these and compare with actual data. Available in HQ on youtube, remember to turn the sound up!

Jari has put quite a bit of time and effort into learning to use the OpenFOAM open-source CFD package. It’s maybe not as polished and pretty as Comsol or Ansys or any of the other 10+ keur costing commercial packages, but it seems OpenFOAM has all the same solvers and physics models and is able [...]

Although we have a general idea of how low Reynolds number foils, bulbs, and rudders should look like, we thought it would be fun to do some Colorful Fluid Dynamics to test different airfoils and configurations. It’s likely that we will pick a well-known airfoil for the first set of foils and bulb for the [...]

The annual newsletter of the Finnish radio-sailors is out today:

Looks like the mast bends to leeward at the middle, while the top of the mast stays in place. I don’t think that’s a good thing. Should try lower shroud attachment point and maybe shorter spreaders. Remember to turn up the sound so you hear the wind, water, and the RMG winch! Also try these [...]

Although we’ve already built a number of finboxes, I’ve forgotten to publish the plan – so here it is. As the Noux Mk2 is still somewhat of a prototype this finbox has a long 27.5 x 5 mm slot for the mast which will allow optimisation of the best mast position and rake angle during [...]

I’ve had a couple of requests for reduced shadows for the Noux by people wanting to home-build the boat using planking or other methods. Here are the lines with 1-6mm offset from the outer hull surface. A DXF file is attached to the pdf, click the small paper-clip next to the text to save the [...]

I’m really happy that we now have the whole chain from drawing (far left), into CAD/CAM and cnc milling (middle left) making high-tolerance (well, almost…) parts (middle right), which can be used as moulds for Noux components (far right). With some effort and determination you can now go from concept drawing to finished part in one weekend.

Some plans and ideas for the Noux mk2 radio installation. We are using a ca 116mm diameter food container lid and rim as the only deck hatch. We want the winch, batteries, servo, and Rx, all accessible through this hatch. Update 2006 Aug 30: A variation on the same theme: a “flat-pack” version.