Talador "<<However if the system is not free to rotate (frozen or sticky bearings) then yes you have a nightmare situation.>>
Mike, "Definitely. And then what? With a soft sail, you could probably just drop the sail, or if that doesn't work, cut the halyard or even climb the mast and cut the sail with a knife (scary, but theoretically possible). With a rigid wing there isn't really any recourse."
I have designed the wing to fold with a hinge just above the stub. At an apx. weight of 300 lbs with the aid of a rod I should be able to lower the wing and secure it. Then the bearing can be replaced etc. It is probably a two man job, but better than needing a crane.
Talador
My design problem is that I keep going between machined metal bearings and UHMWPE each has some definite pros and cons. The main problem with the machined bearings is the tolerance and flexing (binding) issues. The UHMWPE won't rotate as easily (sticky) and suffers from creep over time. . . Might have use lubricated phenolics.
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Posted by: taladorwood@yahoo.com.au
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