Amazing Underwater Flight!

[ricki]

Originally Posted by budgy

Hi
Great thread. The Aqueon is facinating. I was looking at the description in the patent and I was wondering can it be adjusted in use for forward and reverse direction.

As Cal the designer explained it to me, the mod involves placing eyescrews into the outer portions of the foils just behind the axle hole. You don't want to be so close as to cause damage to the wood between the screw and the hole for the axle. He said he would invert the foils and reattach the string passing through the tension spring. He would adjust the tension to suit at that point. He said it would work with the diver descending in a heads up attitude. This presents certain ergonomic considerations and possible benefits for deeper diving.

The tricky part comes in coverting back into the normal foils down configuration for the ascent. You don't want to spend too much time messing around with attachments, potentially dropping foils off the axle, etc. at depth.

I think some innovation of rapidly adjustable and secure attachments are in order to implement this mod for deeper free diving. I thought about having two attachment points with hooks for each of the two foils. That way the lengths are preset and attachment might be accomplished more rapidly. Doing something to secure the foils on the axle would be in order should this option be pursued for securities sake.

Have you picked one of these things up?

I've been looking at the pictures trying to figure out how it goes together and what makes it work. How you get it to reverse seems so obvious now, I feel foolish I asked the question. I've never picked one up, I just read about it on the web this week. From what I've seen and read, I want to try one. I've asked Innerspace how much they cost with a view to buying one. Although after reading your post, I'd guess unless there's one or two in the back of their stores somewhere, theres not likely to be one for sale, so I expect if I want one I better figure out how to make one.

I was wondering how the foils were retained on the axle. I guess I know now.

Instead of damaging the wood, how about two fishing rod eyelets bound back to back, to the tubular shaft. For quick change forward/reverse I wondered if I could string the foils with light bungy cord and fasten it with a dog lead clip top-side eyelet/ forward. To change direction release and pass the bungy over the foil and fasten it base side for reverse. If it works, I'm not sure about the foil security. If I wasn't happy with my two hands, I might try using one of those cord clips most fleece jackets and outdoor clothing have and slide it up to the foils first.

[ricki]

Originally Posted by budgy

I've been looking at the pictures trying to figure out how it goes together and what makes it work. How you get it to reverse seems so obvious now, I feel foolish I asked the question. I've never picked one up, I just read about it on the web this week. From what I've seen and read, I want to try one. I've asked Innerspace how much they cost with a view to buying one. Although after reading your post, I'd guess unless there's one or two in the back of their stores somewhere, theres not likely to be one for sale, so I expect if I want one I better figure out how to make one.

I was wondering how the foils were retained on the axle. I guess I know now.

Instead of damaging the wood, how about two fishing rod eyelets bound back to back, to the tubular shaft. For quick change forward/reverse I wondered if I could string the foils with light bungy cord and fasten it with a dog lead clip top-side eyelet/ forward. To change direction release and pass the bungy over the foil and fasten it base side for reverse. If it works, I'm not sure about the foil security. If I wasn't happy with my two hands, I might try using one of those cord clips most fleece jackets and outdoor clothing have and slide it up to the foils first.

There is quite a bit that is less than obvious in this device. It looks simple enough and in some ways it is then again there are some subtle aspects too. The guys at Innerspace may be able to help you out, hope so.

The foils are retained by light tension by the spring. Despite that you can come close to pulling them off if you set your mind to it. Accidentally during normal operation is a remote possibility in my experience though. If they tension vanishes as might be the case in setting the foils up for inverted operation some mod would be in order to stop the foils from sliding off the axle for safety's sake.

The approach you describe for inverting the foils could work. At one time I was thinking about running a pair of cords over both faces of the foil and knoting them in place with loops at each end. They would have to be seized or otherwise secured in place to avoid slipping off the end of the foil. I was planning again on using the hooks on the end of the tension line running through the spring. Lots of approaches just a matter of finding the most simplistic and reliable one. Hope you get an Aqueon.