Calculations for DIY rudder blades now available on CF

[ilCigno]

Dear cruisers, when I wanted to replace my rudder and built a new one, I dived into the theory behind this subject. There is a lot to be found on the internet, but I soon found out that there wasn't a source available that would make the design calculations easy and understandable. Because the NACA profiles used for rudders originate from aviation most sites and sheets I found were made for airfoil design. But rudders are not airfoils and have some specific design aspects. Also, most of them (if not all) were lacking some sort of user manual. Therefore I adapted these foil calculations spreadsheet and added some features that are useful for DIY rudder builders. And I wrote a basic manual explaining how to use it.

I have used this spreadsheet for my own rudder and several rudders for other cruisers with great success in the past years and many sailors in The Netherlands downloaded and used it for their own project. Now I have translated the spreadsheet as well as the manual into English, so more sailors can use it to their advantage.

Unfortunately, the forum settings do not allow to upload files other than photo's or text, so the files themselves are hosted on Google Drive. I'm sorry, there seems to be no other way. You can find a document containing the link in the Cruisers Forum Library under 'Systems'.

I hope it will help many sailors who want to build a well designed rudder. Please let me know if you encounter problems with the download or with the spreadsheet, by PM or by the special e-mail address stated in the manual. Suggestions for improvements are welcomed also. And I'd like to read about your rudder project on CF as well of course!