wings on your outboards????

MudLake

Seaman
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
65
What is the correct name for those wings that people bolt to the cavitation plate and does it really help a tired outboard get up on plane?

cheers
 

arks

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 7, 2002
Messages
1,929
Re: wings on your outboards????

The generic term is hydrofoil.
 

MudLake

Seaman
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
65
Why do people put hydrofoils on their outboards????

Why do people put hydrofoils on their outboards????

no subject
 

ezeke

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
12,532
Re: Why do people put hydrofoils on there outboards????

Re: Why do people put hydrofoils on there outboards????

Good marketing.
 

ezeke

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
12,532
Re: wings on your outboards????

They will help to lift the boat when over-propped or under-powered. - They also provide substantial drag.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: wings on your outboards????

Two threads, same subject. I merged them.
 

outboardnut

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
323
Re: wings on your outboards????

to cover up a broken anti-cavitation plate
 

bktheking

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
5,057
Re: wings on your outboards????

Mudlake has posted before, I think its legit.
 

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: wings on your outboards????

When properly rigged, a hydrofoil, attached to the anti-ventilation plate.

Lowers planing speed, regardless of prop or power.

All of the negative myths about hydrofoils are supported by examples of being badly rigged.
 

ezeke

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
12,532
Re: wings on your outboards????

When properly rigged, a hydrofoil, attached to the anti-ventilation plate.

Lowers planing speed, regardless of prop or power.

All of the negative myths about hydrofoils are supported by examples of being badly rigged.

And most, if not all, of the marketing is supported by a paucity of independent, empirical data.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: wings on your outboards????

These things have been discussed to death in these forums. Those who favor them amount to about 1% of those who have actually used them. Look at it this way, if they provided any significant benefit the manufacturers would have designed the AV plate that way.
 

MudLake

Seaman
Joined
Nov 18, 2009
Messages
65
Re: wings on your outboards????

When properly rigged, a hydrofoil, attached to the anti-ventilation plate.

Lowers planing speed, regardless of prop or power.

All of the negative myths about hydrofoils are supported by examples of being badly rigged.

this is what I really wanted to here.
Never had big enough motor to put one on and didn't know if they worked.

thanks
 

JasonAych

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
274
Re: wings on your outboards????

Bad news.

1)I am a firm believer that if there was a really good reason for it the engineers would have built it into it. Especially after all these years and different manufacturers.

2)Bushing and bearing killers. 2 friends of mine had the same outdrive, same year and almost identical hours. Only difference, 1 had a hydrofoil and his pivot bushing/bearings went bad at about 200hrs.

They do help keep the bow down. If you do a lot of skiing with a boat not purposed for skiing it may be something you want to consider. If not, I?d skip it.
 

phineas

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
77
Re: wings on your outboards????

I put a home made set on a 9.9 merc I have because I was running it on a boat with a 21" transom and the motor was a short shaft. I had only the one motor then and it was not very deep in the water. At a slow creep it was fine but once it got moving it would suck air. With the rig on the motor it would keep more water on the prop. It didn't take the place of a long shaft motor but I was able to use the boat.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: wings on your outboards????

These things have been discussed to death in these forums. Those who favor them amount to about 1% of those who have actually used them. Look at it this way, if they provided any significant benefit the manufacturers would have designed the AV plate that way.

You're correct, because only about 1% of the people have used them for what they can actually do and then set it up correctly to possibly get the desired results.
 

oldskool7_11

Cadet
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
29
Re: wings on your outboards????

i put one on my boat. 14" tri-hull with a 50hp. the boat has better top end, planes faster and turns faster.
 

ddrieck

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
655
Re: wings on your outboards????

Wings are for airplanes and birds....

Tabs are for boats...

nuff said
 

Chris's CVX16

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
41
Re: wings on your outboards????

I've done tests on my boat. I can tell you I have no speed loss what so ever. I have better control. I plane quicker and stay up at a lower speed. I can turn much harder. And with my SE Sport 300 I can also get away with a lot more trim when getting up on plane (less wear/tear on my trim motor)

Proper setup is key.

Mine came with my motor so I didn't purposely go out and get one.

My little 100HP V4 is getting my boat up into the mid 50's with the hydrofoil. I am going to take it off when I install my new jackplate though. At least in the testing phase.
 
Last edited:

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
20,066
Re: wings on your outboards????

on my 19 ft thunderbird with an 85 120 jonnyrude they worked well.
its dangerous on my 18 hydrasports fish n ski with a 175 E-TEC. makes the back of the boat hop out of control on turns so I took it back off.
so do they work? some applications.
only testing carefully can tell.
just be CAREFUL while testing.
 
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