Todd, Roger is right.....you need to read (and learn) more about
scale modelling and similitude....
Agreed, it is not all numbers and your models are great but they do
not scale up and transfer to the real world as you seem to think. I
think they are fantastic for your purposes, particularly for testing
balance. I thank you for sharing and for all your hard work. The
only problem I have is your assumption that they scale up and are
real world. In some aspects they are but in others they aren't.
Others have told you in the past that you need to go bigger to come
to more accurate conclusions. If you don't have the money to do
this, I am sorry because I would love for you to be able to
experiment this way and would love to see the results.
Personally, I would love to experiment more with my proa but right
now I don't even have time to sail it.....
FYI, Skenes Elements of Yacht Design has a good chapter on modeling
(scaling) and tank testing.
From Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similitude_(model)
Quote:
The design of marine vessels remains more of an art than a science
in large part because dynamic similitude is especially difficult to
attain for a vessel that is partially submerged: a ship is affected
by wind forces in the air above it, by hydrodynamic forces within
the water under it, and especially by wave motions at the interface
between the water and the air. The scaling requirements for each of
these phenomena differ, so models cannot replicate what happens to a
full sized vessel nearly so well as can be done for an aircraft or
submarine—each of which operates entirely within one medium.
To conclude, I think if you could go bigger you would see much
different results than you think. I think the wave action at sea
as well as the wetted surface on some of your models would have much
more of an effect at both high and low speed. I believe you are
wrong in your conclusion that a gust of wind will translate in to
forward motion rather than heel when offshore in waves and that you
could get a bow down trim in some conditions no matter what the hull
or rig design. I have not done any models so don't ask to see them
but I have built and sailed a few boats and spent many miles
offshore in a variety of craft.
Anyway, this is not persecution of you....it just my opinion FWIW so
don't get your knickers in a knot and take it easy....I like your
models!
Cheers, Paul