sheet metal tail

[marv]

built this for my 18' laminated axle flux

each wing is 4' high

it's 18 gage sheet metal with a 3/8" round rib around the outside.

[jacquesm]

very interesting !!

Sheetmetal would not be my material of choice for the tail, but please let us know how it works.

Also, is that a variable pitch hub ? And if so would you mind shooting some close ups and explain how it works ?

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

The triple-tail design seems odd.  The non-vertical vanes will produce pitching forces.

Are you trying to pitch the mill to follow non-horizontal winds?  If so you don't seem to have enough clearance between your blades and the tower.  If not you'll be stressing your yaw bearing.

The design will also retard furling, moreso in higher winds (which is backward).  And it risks a tail/prop strike when fully furled.  To prevent that you need to move your tail stop out, which then prevents full furling.

[wooferhound]

Should'nt the tail piece be a single vertical flat piece, anything at any other angle would be less effective.

[LEXX]

JAM, I have just the pics (or I will in the near future) for you.  A guy I know is building a 26' variable pitch mill using the blades off of a helicopter, He gets the pitch control from a hydrolic piston that is controled both by the amout of charge he has in his batteries and a overspeed sensor.  The way that the piston changes the pitch is actually very much like how a helo rotor charges pitch.  It is in mid production at the moment so it is very easy to see all parts.  The hub and genny are going to weigh in at around 1000 pounds!!  At the moment he is planning to have it on a 26' tower (too short for me but it does weigh up) so that the blades won't hit anything that decides to go under it, he has a very nice hill on his property that should be good for his design.

LEXX

[drdongle]

Get your friend to join this group, I believe we all would benefit.

Carpe Vigor

Dr.D

[domwild]

jaque,

Thanks for pics. I like the style of tail and I intend to cut them similarly. The style I like is the Lakota style, which is like an "X", longer at the bottom than at the top and braced together.

dominic

[RatOmeter]

It sure as shootin' does look like a var pitch hub, and a sweet one at that; nice bearing blocks and all. Sure wish we had a closeup of it and some more details!

[marv]

Jac,  Here is a older pic of this hub before completion. It works by centrifical

weights on the hub and is spring loaded. The hub is 22" dia.

Marv.