Measurements for a Fleming aux rudder windvanew vane

[alctel]

Hey,

So I bought a Fleming Wind Vane, Auxilary Rudder Model second hand, only to find they have apparently gone out of business, sigh.

The windvane didn't come with the actual vanes, so I am wondering if anyone has the measurements for them and what they are made of.

I guess in a pinch I could try buying a monitor one and using that?

Thanks for any help!

[Snowpetrel]

Having used a fair few flemming wind vanes the exact size isn't critical. It's the balance that IS critical.

I've made a heap of different vanes for mine. I good quality 6mm plywood approx 9 inches-10 inches x four foot high (easy to get a bunch out of a sheet of ply). Shape the bottom to fit then cut big holes near the top until it balances nicely and returns to upright.

Make it a bit lighter to allow for paint and moisture and cover the holes with stickyback nylon sailrepair tape, vynal book covering or duct tape.

Then go sailing. Should work fine, if not modify it.

This size is a pretty good all round and as a light air blade. I carry a couple this size, and for heavier airs a 4 foot × ten inch tapered vane that tapers down to about 2 inches at the top. This size is great from about 15 knots through to 50 knots.

The twinwall polycarb ones are only anygood up to about 30 knots. Then they start self destructing. At least the one I used did. They are also often too light, so they dont work well in light airs.

[Snowpetrel]

http://www.l-36.com/read_pdf.php?pag...teering-Manual pg22 has some sizes, about 27 and 35 inches tall. Their light air blades are smaller than mine. But as long as you can make them balance a tall vane always works better in the light. If you can't make it balance with lightening holes make it shorter.

[alctel]

That was very helpful, thanks a ton!

[roverhi]

Made a light weight light air vane for my Windpilot Pacific Plus out of corrugated plastic. It's 8" x 48" and balanced nicely against the weight for the wooden blade. Probably would work fine for your Fleming if you wanted/needed a light air vane. Just be sure the corrugations run vertical not horizontal. You'll never guess how I figured that out.

[Snowpetrel]

Yep, they work very well for light air vanes. Not a bad idea to stuff some carbon of fibreglass rods up some of the lower corrigations to stiffen it up. I destroyed one of the original fleming twin wall polycarbonate vanes in about 30 knots. It just started flapping and fatigue failed right near the clamp.