Re: [Paddlewise] Paddle Physics

From: Robert MacDonald <RMacDonald_at_udl.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 09:06:46 -0700
 Mike wrote:
>> <Certainly, I refer to John Winters' published data on 
> paddles in "The Shape Of The Canoe" - in particular the results of lab
> tests that show the increase in efficiency with the reduction of
> aspect ratio.  >
> 
> I had a look at the articles in question, and all he presented there
> was a quick summary of his results.

Actually, some of those graphs include his and the work of others.  
He used to get involved in projects with the national and 
international canoe racing associations and shared data with other 
researchers.<

Oops!  It seems I had a look only a the "light" version of this work, no graphs, etc. Is the complete text available on the web?


<For the '76 Olympics in Montreal they constructed an all-season 
indoor training facility for canoe, kayak and rowing.  Beautiful and 
would be perfect for such testing.  However, they turned it into a 
warehouse after the Olympics.  Next time you hear politicians 
spouting crap about the "legacy" of spending billions of dollars in 
your neighbourhood for the Games, make sure you can string them up on 
the "legacy" after they trash it and all their promises.  >

Yes, the local flap over the 2010 winter Olympics.  I know we won't see a cent of the money up here in northern BC, we just get to pay for it by cutting down the trees and sending them away. 

<You could do some testing off a low dock in a calm bay.  Trickier is 
finding a dock on a river with an appropriate current to simulate the 
moving kayak. >

Good idea!  It cuts the instrumentation cost as well, as two blades could be mounted on a balance beam and compared directly to each other. 

<Another possibility is finding a university that has project courses 
for final year undergrad students and are willing to donate the 
facility in exchange for you working with the students to analyze the 
paddle behavior.>

That is how I knew UBC had 2, I used one there in my own 4th year project.  But that was long ago, and I don't know any of the faculty there now.

Rob.
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Received on Fri Jun 13 2003 - 09:04:03 PDT

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