I am currently building a new rudder for my 1985 E26 mkIII because it has a badly corroded shaft and a shrunken, deformed, bent blade. I have decided to make the switch over to 6061 T6 aluminum for the shaft and blade because my welder is set up for it. I can also add allot of strength with out adding any weight. I am leaning twards staying with the stock shape and size exactly, because I think it was designed really well. I am building the new rudder with a solid shaft made of bar stock 2-3/8" dia instead of the schedule 40 pipe filled with polyester resin.
My questions are:
1- Does anybody have any advice or experience in rudder shape and profiles design. naca 0012 ?
2- How many fellow Ericson owners have had to replaced their rudders?
3- how many have looked deeply at their rudder
The corrosion on the shaft was not visible until I scraped out some of the resin on the blade pretty deep.
On one side of the blade it is badly shrunken and the ribs are highly visible bumps.
My questions are:
1- Does anybody have any advice or experience in rudder shape and profiles design. naca 0012 ?
2- How many fellow Ericson owners have had to replaced their rudders?
3- how many have looked deeply at their rudder
The corrosion on the shaft was not visible until I scraped out some of the resin on the blade pretty deep.
On one side of the blade it is badly shrunken and the ribs are highly visible bumps.