Select to expand quotejondrums said..dpr said..
I have been following this topic and wanted to ask for some input if possible. I asked this question on the wing forum, but he discussion here has a lot of depth, and I hoped that there might be some crossover in users. At 150 lbs/68 kgs, I am riding the 1210 Takuma Kujira on the 75 cm carbon mast below a 95L board and a 5m wing. I ride bays with 1-4 foot wind swell in 12-30 knts. I am interested in the Armstrong HS1550v2 as a replacement foil due to the very sharp and dangerous wing on the Takuma Kujira. Some riders are sanding down their Kujiras I can read in posts, but I like what I see in the Armstrong build quality online, and the wing looks a lot more reasonably shaped in terms of safety without having to modify the kit. Does anyone have input comparing the two foils? If so, is the Kujira have performance virtues over Armstrong that would make it worthwhile detuning those sharp edges? Also, for my weight, is the HS1550v2 a good size for light (>12 kt) to moderate winds (20-30 kt)? Thank you for your advice.
Dulling the tips is easy. Took about 10 minutes with fine sandpaper on a small sanding block. My tips are now about half the size with nice rounded leading and trailing edges. And I sanded the back edge of the foil. For the trailing edge, you don't want it rounded, you want it squared or else it will whistle. But easy enough to do with a sanding block.I don't know the armstrong line well, but I have heard complaints about tip-breaches on some of the wings. The takuma wing can breach tips no problem without throwing you off.
Do you have any photos with the final result?
Select to expand quotemartyman said..
Mast track bolts snapped. I had rammed my setup into a sandbar at high speed a few days before. When I got out yesterday I started pumping away and it was like a two phase thump thump. Gone. No luck today.
Are the Takuma mast track bolts M6?
This would never happen with M8 bolts I suppose.
from the website:
"The Kujira Helium comes as a FULL SET ONLY - the wings are not sold separately."
Lame.
Select to expand quotejondrums said..
from the website:
"The Kujira Helium comes as a FULL SET ONLY - the wings are not sold separately."
Lame.
Yes, i do not like this either.
1500 is a good size for allround winging.
I usually wing a LOL 1600 and this Kujira looks like a streamlined pimped up LOL 1600 .
From what I've heard it's the 1600 lol with the Kujira tubercules. But a lighter, more beginner construction.
If Decathlon sells it at 500eur like the LOL alu full sets i might go for it anyway :)
Select to expand quotejondrums said..
from the website:
"The Kujira Helium comes as a FULL SET ONLY - the wings are not sold separately."
Lame.
I'd say that's because the latest Alu mast has angle on it for the Kujira , the Helium may not need it.
Select to expand quoteCamarillo said..martyman said..
Mast track bolts snapped. I had rammed my setup into a sandbar at high speed a few days before. When I got out yesterday I started pumping away and it was like a two phase thump thump. Gone. No luck today.
Are the Takuma mast track bolts M6?
This would never happen with M8 bolts I suppose.
the tnuts themselves broke.
Select to expand quotemartyman said..Camarillo said..martyman said..
Mast track bolts snapped. I had rammed my setup into a sandbar at high speed a few days before. When I got out yesterday I started pumping away and it was like a two phase thump thump. Gone. No luck today.
Are the Takuma mast track bolts M6?
This would never happen with M8 bolts I suppose.
the tnuts themselves broke.
Wow! ... brass or stainless?
Select to expand quotegorgesailor said..martyman said..Camarillo said..martyman said..
Mast track bolts snapped. I had rammed my setup into a sandbar at high speed a few days before. When I got out yesterday I started pumping away and it was like a two phase thump thump. Gone. No luck today.
Are the Takuma mast track bolts M6?
This would never happen with M8 bolts I suppose.
the tnuts themselves broke.
Wow! ... brass or stainless?
Brass
Select to expand quoteexiled said..
interesting, my t-nuts from Takuma were all Stainless on both my foils.
Yes Takuma T-nuts are Stainless, they must have been after market...
They gonna listen and starting selling wings and tails separately? The way the ad copy reads for the 178 back wing is kinda sounds like it. Looks sexy too: takuma.com/en/wings/225-kujira-back-wing-178.html
Select to expand quoteexiled said..
They gonna listen and starting selling wings and tails separately? The way the ad copy reads for the 178 back wing is kinda sounds like it. Looks sexy too: takuma.com/en/wings/225-kujira-back-wing-178.html
According to Foilcenter here in Australia they can now order wing only & should have stock including wing covers in their next shipment.
Select to expand quoteHdip said..
From what I've heard it's the 1600 lol with the Kujira tubercules. But a lighter, more beginner construction.
Not quite. Helium is a bit higher aspect - narrower cord/longer span & thinner compared to LOL 1600...
Finally experienced the Kujira right of passage - came in a bit early on my session today because my technique was falling apart and I couldn't make the foil work. The flathead fasteners on the front wing were all loose and the wing was wobbling. I feel better that it wasn't my technique. I'll be better about remembering to torque before each session.
Select to expand quotejondrums said..
Finally experienced the Kujira right of passage - came in a bit early on my session today because my technique was falling apart and I couldn't make the foil work. The flathead fasteners on the front wing were all loose and the wing was wobbling. I feel better that it wasn't my technique. I'll be better about remembering to torque before each session.
I bought some Armstrong screws&barrel nuts and did the A+ mod to my Takuma Kujira 1210 .
Now it is rock solid.
Had to shorten the screw about 1 or 2mm and i reduced the diameter of the barrel nut crown so it would sit better on the curved profile.
Use sharp,new bits and follow Armie's vid ,using the bits in reverse makes things a lot easier.Bits bite really hard into carbon or not at all.
Select to expand quotemcrt said..jondrums said..
Finally experienced the Kujira right of passage - came in a bit early on my session today because my technique was falling apart and I couldn't make the foil work. The flathead fasteners on the front wing were all loose and the wing was wobbling. I feel better that it wasn't my technique. I'll be better about remembering to torque before each session.
I bought some Armstrong screws&barrel nuts and did the A+ mod to my Takuma Kujira 1210 .
Now it is rock solid.
Had to shorten the screw about 1 or 2mm and i reduced the diameter of the barrel nut crown so it would sit better on the curved profile.
Use sharp,new bits and follow Armie's vid ,using the bits in reverse makes things a lot easier.Bits bite really hard into carbon or not at all.
can you post a picture?
Select to expand quotemartyman
can you post a picture?
Cannot post pics ,but see them here:
mega.nz/folder/MO5AHLAT#UNSXZfUtbu6q-uzGHSc_pA
Too tired to dissasemble ,sorry...not much to see anyways.
I know this is going back a bit but I've finally got the kujira 1210 and new 85cm mast, so I thought I'd show the differences between this and last years LOL profoil mast (75cm) - both masts are aluminium - see video: drive.google.com/file/d/15Jt-vVhIX67mq0kjaQ9XzFDQiWo7EsiU/view?usp=sharing
It's difficult to see if the curve on the kujira fuse makes a difference to the angle of the tail stab.
Select to expand quotemcrt said..jondrums said..
Finally experienced the Kujira right of passage - came in a bit early on my session today because my technique was falling apart and I couldn't make the foil work. The flathead fasteners on the front wing were all loose and the wing was wobbling. I feel better that it wasn't my technique. I'll be better about remembering to torque before each session.
I bought some Armstrong screws&barrel nuts and did the A+ mod to my Takuma Kujira 1210 .
Now it is rock solid.
Had to shorten the screw about 1 or 2mm and i reduced the diameter of the barrel nut crown so it would sit better on the curved profile.
Use sharp,new bits and follow Armie's vid ,using the bits in reverse makes things a lot easier.Bits bite really hard into carbon or not at all.
Also I used a drill press and fed the drill into the wing slowly and it worked a treat without biting in too much at all.
I was asked to post my thoughts about the Kujira 1210 once I'd had a chance to use it. Only used it 3 times to date but WOW!!!!!! This is now my favourite foil of this size by a long way!!!! Other foils of comparable size/performance I've used are the Lift HA 170, GoFoil NL160, Axis HPS 980 & BSC 890 - the 1210 is my favourite out of all of them. Why? There's no one foil that is perfect, they all have their pro's and con's, but the 1210 definitely has the edge over the others for me, my riding style, skill level and the conditions I ride in - I'm well aware that others may have different opinions based on their preferences. This is a summary of why I like the 1210 so much:
EFFICIENCY & GLIDE - amazing!!!!!!!
SPEED - although it was possibly the slowest of the foils I've listed above, there wasn't much in it (you definitely can't call it slow by any means), but it's speed seemed to match what I was doing at the time so it never felt like it was an issue.
PITCH control is awesome, so intuitive, almost like it's on autopilot - I wasn't having to focus on this as much as I have to with the other foils.
CARVING this foil is awesome - it makes everything I do feel smooooth!!!!!!!!! Speed of response when changing direction is soooo good, but not overly loose so that it feels squirrely.
CONTROL - It almost corrects any (small) mistakes you make - I'm sure on other foils I would have wiped out but somehow on the 1210 I would somehow correct and keep going, even mid maneuver. You can push it as much as you want and it still behaves.
LIFT - gentle and predictive at takeoff and good for it's size, but where it's lift excells over the other foils is while you are on foil - its lift isn't excessive or overpowering, (ie it doesn't want to cause you to breech) but it allows you to keep flying uninterrupted where the other foils would need a few pumps to regain speed and hight on the mast. I'm sure this is also due to it's efficiency of glide, but whatever factors are in play the 1210 just seems to keep you up on the sweet spot of the mast with much less power than the other foils.
PUMPS - LIKE A BEAST - easily the easiest and most efficient to pump out of all the foils I've listed above.
LOW END - best of the bunch!
TURBULENCE - The 1210 deals with turbulent water with ease. Yes you feel a bit of turbulence when going through white water or prop wash, but in choppy or disturbed water it literally cuts through it like it was perfect glass. No other foil I've used deals with messy water like the 1210.
If you're after the fastest foil of this size the 1210 isn't it. The HPS range from Axis are super fast, and although the NL160 doesn't feel as fast it actually clocked a few of the fastest times on my GPS watch ending up with a similar average as the Axis foils.
If you want the loosest foil this isn't it - the Lift HA 170 has the loosest roll of them all, followed by the NL160.
If you want the foil with the most efficient glide & lift, pump performance and overall smoothest riding characteristics then the 1210 is IMO the best of the bunch. It never felt like any aspect of its performance was too much or too little.
Select to expand quotemcrt said..martyman
can you post a picture?
Cannot post pics ,but see them here:
mega.nz/folder/MO5AHLAT#UNSXZfUtbu6q-uzGHSc_pA
Too tired to dissasemble ,sorry...not much to see anyways.
That link does not work
Select to expand quotekobo said..
Also I used a drill press and fed the drill into the wing slowly and it worked a treat without biting in too much at all.
Can you please post some pictures?
Select to expand quoteDommo49 said..
I was asked to post my thoughts about the Kujira 1210 once I'd had a chance to use it. Only used it 3 times to date but WOW!!!!!! This is now my favourite foil of this size by a long way!!!! Other foils of comparable size/performance I've used are the Lift HA 170, GoFoil NL160, Axis HPS 980 & BSC 890 - the 1210 is my favourite out of all of them. Why? There's no one foil that is perfect, they all have their pro's and con's, but the 1210 definitely has the edge over the others for me, my riding style, skill level and the conditions I ride in - I'm well aware that others may have different opinions based on their preferences. This is a summary of why I like the 1210 so much:
EFFICIENCY & GLIDE - amazing!!!!!!!
SPEED - although it was possibly the slowest of the foils I've listed above, there wasn't much in it (you definitely can't call it slow by any means), but it's speed seemed to match what I was doing at the time so it never felt like it was an issue.
PITCH control is awesome, so intuitive, almost like it's on autopilot - I wasn't having to focus on this as much as I have to with the other foils.
CARVING this foil is awesome - it makes everything I do feel smooooth!!!!!!!!! Speed of response when changing direction is soooo good, but not overly loose so that it feels squirrely.
CONTROL - It almost corrects any (small) mistakes you make - I'm sure on other foils I would have wiped out but somehow on the 1210 I would somehow correct and keep going, even mid maneuver. You can push it as much as you want and it still behaves.
LIFT - gentle and predictive at takeoff and good for it's size, but where it's lift excells over the other foils is while you are on foil - its lift isn't excessive or overpowering, (ie it doesn't want to cause you to breech) but it allows you to keep flying uninterrupted where the other foils would need a few pumps to regain speed and hight on the mast. I'm sure this is also due to it's efficiency of glide, but whatever factors are in play the 1210 just seems to keep you up on the sweet spot of the mast with much less power than the other foils.
PUMPS - LIKE A BEAST - easily the easiest and most efficient to pump out of all the foils I've listed above.
LOW END - best of the bunch!
TURBULENCE - The 1210 deals with turbulent water with ease. Yes you feel a bit of turbulence when going through white water or prop wash, but in choppy or disturbed water it literally cuts through it like it was perfect glass. No other foil I've used deals with messy water like the 1210.
If you're after the fastest foil of this size the 1210 isn't it. The HPS range form Axis are super fast, and although the NL160 doesn't feel as fast it actually clocked a few of the fastest times on my GPS watch ending up with a similar average as the Axis foils.
If you want the loosest foil this isn't it - the Lift HA 170 has the loosest roll of them all, followed by the NL160.
If you want the foil with the most efficient glide & lift, pump performance and overall smoothest riding characteristics then the 1210 is IMO the best of the bunch. It never felt like any aspect of its performance was too much or too little.
Great review, thanks & glad to hear you like the 1210 as much as I do
.
To quote another happy Kujira foiler I know, the 1210 is that good it almost makes you feel like your cheating. 
Select to expand quoteCamarillo said..
That link does not work
Ok,here.
Like i said,had to shorten the Armstrong screw a bit (1-2mm) because the Takuma is a bit thinner profile.
Also reduced and radiused the barrel nut crown so it would not stick out too much.
If you have a vertical drill use it for sure,much better control.
I did it with a hand drill,with new bits,slow speed,lots of reverse drilling and following Armstrong's tutorial vid.
Thanks for the pictures MCRT.
I didn't realize that you have a carbon mast until I saw your pictures.
I have an alu mast and fuse
I could dril into the wing through the fuse and use the existing thread.
My 980 is much tighter on the fuse than my 1210....
