Asymmetry is not required to generate lift. Try thinking of stunt planes that fly up-side-down. I don't know if they have asymmetrical foils, but they can fly wheels upward or downward because lift is a matter of angle of attack. The standard canted greenland paddle stroke has a downward angle of attack, so if when they do create lift, much of the effort is in a downward direction, not forward. You could make an asymmetrical foil shape on a GP that could optimize the lift, but to get the most out of it you would need to perform a wing-paddle style stroke where the paddle flares sideways away from the boat, instead of downward as in the canted stroke. On Dec 5, 2007, at 1:39 AM, Peter Treby wrote: > " I understand a wing paddle, which is a foil, generating lift > away from > the back of the blade, but a GP? " > " Think of the paddle in terms of a horizontal rudder. " > Still can't see that the paddle / horizontal rudder acts as a foil. > Does > make me wonder what an asymmetric foil cross-section greenland > paddle would > be like. A sort of high aspect ratio wing paddle; a cheat stick for > Greenland championship racing? > Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St Glastonbury, CT 06033 USA Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847 http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Dec 05 2007 - 06:23:20 PST
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