1:6 mono waterski

Funny you should mention paragliding, I have been thinking along those lines for a while. When I was flying I made a bogey which had a para wing fitted , a large servo pulled an arm left or right for steering. I could try the wing being pulled by the boat, how high ? String length. The wing is about 1200mm across if i remember rightly. How about 16 feet?

 

So it's called parascending or parasailing, and uses a round parachute . Still no reason I couldn't try my rectangular one. I think adding a figure might be good for stability.
I have found a round parachute about 1 meter diameter, used for pulling by kids when running to increase fitness

 

I got pulled on land and water by large controllable kites for decades, so I am confident you can make a scale parasail.

How do you launch it will be the challenge. Also do not go out in high winds.

A remote controllable winch would be great too, but is no necessity.

 

I have ordered one of these, my idea is to replace the panda with my own figure They are sold as a kite for children. I spent hours online going through parachutes for rockets, then drone recovery parachutes. Some of the best ribbon parachutes are made for model jets as a drag chute for landing, but very expensive.
At least this one is colourful which is what I wanted, I think it's a meter wide which seems about right.

 

Having a chat a the club with a very nice lady, about skiing, she asked if I had done full size. I replied yes when i used to have a bowrider, but I had more fun kneeboarding, which got me thinking if the foil would work with a knee board. So I am working on the idea, the figure is well on the way, kneeling down of course. I am printing the board now, doing it in 2 parts which screw together when the blade holder is attached. I need to make a Velcro strap to go over the girls knees, and i will need a new tow rope and handle.
Lex will it work?

 

This will drop into an indentation in the board.

 

I am sure a kneeboard rider will work too. If not stable enough, some foils will solve it

 

Well I am having fun, I was pushing my luck printing the knee board vertically, it got about half way and fell over. So I cut the messy bit off, now I will print the other half and glue them together.. It might be the new pla I am using, called polyterra.
So I will use my expensive stuff for the next try.

 

A lot of effort , so I hope it will work. I have made 2 lots of foils , normal and wide, the wide ones give an extra 12mm each side. I think Lex said the wider they are the slower you can go. I hope I don't loose her the strap is all that's holding her to the board

 

Handle made and a ski rope complete with floats. I made a link for the tow line with aluminium that can swivel . All the foils are ready to fit so good to try on Wednesday.

 

Success right from the start with kneeboarding , in fact because of a lower center of gravity it worked almost better than the ski. Didn't get any film though my camera man was on holiday. I used the Rib with the white outboard today to do the towing and it was fine, I was at 1/4 throttle most of the time. When I can we will get it on film. I am drawing another kneeboard , I can try different designs as it's easy to swap them over.