I have some new KT foils, they look great, but I didn’t get any documentation about the shim system. If I understand correctly, every front wing and mast has a number associated. You add those two numbers, and the result is the size of the tail shim (which could be positive or negative).
I’m using a Cedrus mast, so I don’t have the shim number for that part. Does anyone know what the shim number is for the carbon 77cm KT mast? I’m guessing that would be closest to my 77.5 cm Cedrus.
It’s most likely 0, same as the KT mast but could be slightly different depending on the drag of the mast or how cedrus measures their length.
If you find you like something other than 0, write it in sharpie on the mast or plate so you always remember.
Awesome, thanks for the quick reply. I really like the idea of the shim system. I’m surprised though that tail size, fuselage length, and rider weight don’t factor into the system.
For anyone wondering, the 77.5 cm Cedrus with KT adapter measures just over 80cm from the board side of the baseplate to the top of the fuselage.
I have the exact same questions. I wish there was some more documentation for the shim system. I have a 72.5cm cedrus and it comes out to about 76cm. The 77cm KT mast has shim number 0, but i wish i knew what the numbers are for the other two mast lengths for reference.
I’m also confused about the tails and fuse length not mattering. Does the shim system implicitly assume that one has the tail size the most closely associated with the front wing? (I got the 680 atlas front, but had to get the 170 tail since the 145 was sold out)
In one of the AWSI 2024 videos Kane explained: “I have made some adjustments in the tail and fuselage design to reduce the amount of numbers you need to add. So, simplified it down to just two numbers, super simple, tells you exactly what to do.”
I guess that must mean that the different size tails and fuses have different angles of attack built in
With another foil brand that I am using I have a couple of my favourite stabs that are made 3-4 years apart, the older one at the time when the fuselage’s angle was quite a bit different. And now I am definitely shimming these two stabilisers differently, when only swapping the stabilisers and leaving everything else the same. But I am also using these two stabilisers in different conditions. So at the end, who knows what affects what : )
That’s correct.
Every foil can use this system, but you will need 2 additional values for fuse and tail. I have set this up on a few foils, all you need is a sharpie and a lot of testing.
Having the user enter each part into an online tool could give essentially a perfect result but this way is much simpler, gives me a result I like, is self contained, and future proof.
I’m excited to see how it works for everyone and where things can be improved!
can you explain why the mast length matters to the tail setting? I could see how it might matter to compensate for mast drag - a draggier mast wouldn’t require as much tail downforce. Is your thinking that a taller mast also results in more drag and therefore less tail downforce? That would only be true if the rider is riding with the foil deeper in the water, no?
