Foil wing

A wing foil is broken down into three main parts:

The front wing that brings lift
The stabilizer (rear wing) which as its name indicates will stabilize the flight
The TBAR including the mast and the fuselage. This assembly can be fixed or removable.

Feel free to consult our complete guide to learn wing foil .

01 Which foil to choose?

As for wakefoil, windfoil or sup foil, the choice of the foil is fundamental to guarantee the best sensations. Thus, it is essential to take into account the surface of the front wing and the height of the mast. To start wing foiling, a mast around 80 cm is ideal. The larger the surface area of the front wing, the more lift it generates to allow the rider to get up easily. As for the weight and materials of the foil, there are fiberglass, carbon and aluminum foils. Carbon foils are the lightest and ensure better performance.

02 Choice of front wing

At AFS, we have three lines of front wings that complement each other: the Carver, the Flyer and the Performer.

Carver

Low aspect wing, very forgiving and manageable. Wide flight range at low and high speeds. It offers an excellent inertia that allows to fly at low speed which facilitates the practice, the transitions, but does not mean less performance. His accelerations are less frank than in Flyer. The pumping is softer. This kite only needs to be carved and will therefore be ideal for a wave oriented program.

Flyer

High Ratio Aspect Wing. It expresses itself more in the high speeds (at higher speed, stronger wind, bigger waves), it offers a more forward support. It offers more dynamic pumping performance.

Performer

Wing with a thin profile in order to reach higher maximum speeds. It climbs in the high revs without being limited to the wind speed. It offers excellent glide for a race oriented program.

03 Choice of mast size

The choice of the mast size will depend mainly on your water surface. Indeed, the size of the mast will have no influence on the lift for example. On the ALPHA range, 3 sizes of masts exist. They are suitable for all practices. We will recommend a 72 cm mast on shallow water (surf foil type). The 92 cm mast will be advised on choppy water to avoid touchdowns or to go for speed to bring more counter-heeling. The 82 cm mast is an excellent compromise between the two sizes.

Finally, the mast can be dismantled or not. Possibility of unscrewing fuselage/mast allowing a gain of space. On the contrary, a fixed foil limits maintenance.

04 Choice of stabilizer

Finding the right stabilizer will depend on your desire and practice in wing foil. The larger your stab, the more stability it will provide. Conversely, the smaller the wingspan, the more maneuverability it will bring. We will therefore advise a stabilizer with a large span to start with and then reduce it as we go along.

05 How to set up your foil?

It is to note that today, several types of boxes exist to fix your foil to your board: Solid box, Tuttle, Deep Tuttle, Rails double US,… However, the double US rails are used in 99% of the wingfoil practice. This last one allows an optimal adjustment of the position of your foil. The more you place your foil on the front of the board, the more power it will offer. This configuration is ideal for larger sizes or for lighter wind ranges. Conversely, the further a foil is aft, the more the lift is reduced. If the foil is ejecting and forces you to press too hard on the front leg (lighter weight, higher speed, stronger wind…) for example, you have to move the foil back in the rails to get more control by reducing its power.

06 How to build a foil wing?

Assembly of the front wing

For the assembly of the front wing, there is a docking surface to guide the assembly. You will have to position the wing at the front without forcing it, checking the alignment with the holes of the fuselage.

To screw, it should be noted that the size of the screws will be different depending on the thickness of the wing. The screws must not protrude from the other side of the fuselage. Once the wing is in place, insert the screws into the holes and make a few turns to check the docking. Then you can start to screw in, screw by screw, all three at the same time.

Indeed, the screws must advance at the same level and it is not necessary to tighten a single screw fully and then the others afterwards.

As you screw, the wing will drop down and fit into the fuselage.

Mounting the stabilizer

For the stabilizer, there is also a docking surface but less important than for the front wing and therefore more difficult to find. With the thick edge of the wing facing forward, position the stabilizer in relation to the holes in the fuselage and place the screws in place.

Once again, it is necessary to screw in screw by screw, without going too far. Before applying the final torque, level off to make sure everything is on the same axis.

Then finish screwing.