Ready for another project outside my expertise, I’m about to build a Wing paddle, but am asking advice before I start this time. (re: my first rudder fiasco.)

Since my workshop is our second parking stall and my tools consist mainly of a jigsaw, orbital sander, and hand tools, I’m somewhat limited in the method of fabrication. Having read the article on production Wings, there appears to be a problem keeping the flex/stiffness characteristics of the two blades uniform. With the shape and radii being asymmetric, two mold/patterns are necessary for the blades and making them identical as possible must be critical.

Watching an R/C model airplane crash at the local airfield reminded me these guys build close tolerance wings often. So, similar to them, (or “strippers”) I’m making stations on a silhouette blade form and “skinning” them to make the mold. By clamping two 1/4 inch sheets when cutting out the stations and blade silhouettes, I should have duplicates with any small irregularities being mirrored. I have some carbon cloth left over from a nifty “aero” handlebar I made, so I’ll use that and 2mm CoreMat for the layup.(Only 5 milliseconds faster, but picked up two places at the last time trial when riders who were passing me fell trying to see the “trick” handlebars.)

Given that this all works, can anyone advise me about the actual curvature of the wing? I’ve seen several aero model/shapes, but with speed, water density, and ?, being so different, is there a curvature that would work best for the paddle? Is stalling a factor, and what the heck is stalling, anyway?

thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Tom