F-22 Production Progress (Newest photos at top)
New Factory Now Being Setup
We are now in, and do not know how all our gear and equipment fitted into the old factory! However, plenty of
room now, but it is going to take some time to sort and then rack/organize everything as it should be. First step was
to paint the floor (now done), which just helps keep everything clean and professional. Farrier Marine has always
been a lean, mean and somewhat clean operation, and now we can be a lean, mean, and very clean operation.
New gelcoat and trim booths are being built, with the air into the gelcoat booth being properly filtered and heated
as is essential for a quality product. A dedicated resin infusion room (properly heated) is also on the agenda which
will all take time, and delay our capability to build the larger items like hulls for a while. However, we are now
setup enough to where we can build smaller items such as rudders and beams, plus resume work on the F-22 interior
molds, so hopefully things will not be held up too much. There is just a lot or planning and work that has to go into
setting up a professional standard facility
Plenty of room for expansion outside as well. Trim booth fan ducting can be seen at left - fan is very powerful
and we have to be sure to have door open when starting up otherwise it feels like it could implode the factory.
But the high flow of air over the job makes fiberglass trimming almost a pleasure, with no dust in the factory.
Beginning The Move!
were having to squeeze by this in the old factory, but now there's plenty of room! Downside is the move
logistics and setting up the new factory with gelcoat and trim booths etc. will take some time, and interrupt
progress. But we will at least now have plenty of room to start production once ready.
Container at our old factory, packed full of assorted molds and other equipment, ready to be moved.
It is now in our new factory yard, where there is enough room for 12 more. We only had enough
space for one at the old factory!
Main Hull Interior
Main hull with forward bunk and cockpit floor panels in place, and almost ready to make the first
interior molds. Cockpit floor looks huge, due to the cuddy cabin version being shown here whereas the
standard cabin version will be cut back aft another 0.6m (2') at the front. Daggerboard case is visible
at center and this will be braced sideways by the aft end of the forward bunk.
The forward bunk is 1.3m (4' 3") wide at shoulder level, and 0.65m (2' 2") wide at foot level for those
1.83m (6') tall, while maximum usable length is 2.2m (7' 3"). The bunk configuration/construction has
also been improved from earlier designs to give much more convenient access to the huge storage area
underneath, but this cannot be shown yet.
The forward part of the completed deck gunwale flange can just be seen at right (against wall) waiting
to be trial fitted on the main hull (once removed from mold) after which the deckplug can be completed.
Deck Join Flange Under Construction
will be made. Photo shows the CNC machined deck or gunwale flange plug ready to laminate, which
is being done as a separate item with the F-22. This is because it has a number of new aspects that require
an exact fit on the hull. Doing it this way means we can check the fit on the hull, and get it just right before
the flange is added to the full deck plug, which is being built separately.
First Main Hull Now Made
Foam core and fiberglass fabric being fitted in place
Vacuum bagged and ready to resin infuse
Fully infused with resin - hull now made. The first infusion is always a little hard on the nerves,
as one can never be sure how the resin will travel, and a hull can even be lost. However, a lot of
thought went into how it was done, and the placement of the various reinforcements etc. to where
it went off without any problems.
I'm sure all home builders will be impressed at how fast we can now build a hull, just over a week for
this one, and probably 3 days for the next. No long boarding either! But, it has taken around 6 months
of hard work, and many $ to get to this stage, but we are finally there. Now for the interior molds!
Main Hull Mold Preparation Work Now Complete
18th October, 2011
Main hull mold now set up to rotate, which is essential for easy gelcoat application and then infusion.
All the hardware for such infrastructure takes time, but it has to be done to in order achieve the high
production level required.
The mold weighs around a ton, so pivot points have to be super strong.
Carbon fiber was even used to reinforce in highly stressed areas.
First production main hull now gelcoated, lamination about to begin.
Another key part of the equipment required are gantry cranes so that hull can be lifted out of mold.
To keep costs down all this is being made in house.
Another piece of the puzzle now complete - the daggerboard molds.
Main Hull Mold Arrives At Our Factory
Mold now inside our secondary assembly area, and taking up a large amount of space. Next major step
is to gelcoat, and then cut and fit all the foam. This is made easier now by being able to computer
generate each foam panel, but they still need to be initially cut and fitted by hand to get exactly
right. The deck mold base framing upon which the deck plug will be built can be seen at right.
Our just made extra large laminating/infusion table for making flat foam core panels. These will be used for
many areas of the deck mold plug, and then for the interior panels
It Had To Go!
30th August, 2011
to clear the decks for the deck plug and mold. Teeth were well gritted before the first cut, but it had to be
done. Being made from MDF it would not have lasted long, due to weather related movement, which means
it would have lost the fine finish. A fully stable fiberglass plug will be made out of the first mold once it has
been conditioned, and this will then be used to make more hull molds when required.
How it was before:
The original F-27 hull mold plug, but in this case an actual foam/glass main hull was built, which then
became the prototype F-27 SUPER FOX. However, this caused number of problems which created
more work, one being the lack of a vacuum bagging flange which had to be added on later. So we went
with a dedicated plug this time, which also meant we could do a few more refinements on the F-22, and the
standard of finish is much higher. But at least we did not have to cut up the plug in the F-27's case, and it is
still sailing!
The hull mold now polished, waxed, and ready to go!
We Have Lift Off!
Making The Main Hull Mold
Multiple layers of glass are now being applied over the plug (shown below) to make the mold. Just a few more
layers to go after which the mold support framework will be fitted in place. Mold can then be removed
and it will then be ready to build the first main hull!
Main Hull Plug Ready For Making the Mold!
Not long now!
The main hull will have a conventional deck to hull gunwale join, as this still works best for wingnet
attachments etc, plus increases bow deck walking area (which can be a little narrow on a trimaran).
However, the join becomes flangeless from the bow nets forward for less drag, and to match floats.
The continuing Christchurch earthquakes have slowed things a little the past month or so, but with
fortunately no real damage as such. However, the shakes can be disruptive to work with power
outages, liquefaction, and the need to check homes etc. after the big ones.
Farrier Marine's Annual Day Out - next year we hope to have it on the harbour! The liquefaction in
the backyard shown was 12" deep in parts - it just comes up out of the ground with quakes over 6,
and then has to be dug out!
We are also doing numerous tests to determine the best possible laminate and material combination for the
main hull. The above photo shows two different hull panels being infused on a glass table (allows flow to
be checked underneath), and one can see that bottom panel is being infused quicker. Gelcoat was also used
on this occasion, to check for any fabric print through. Getting the right combination of materials and infusion
flow is critical to having a light well built boat. Compared to the original laminate that was being considered
the final laminate is now going to be 22kg (48lb) lighter, and faster to infuse (better resin penetration)
Daggerboard Plugs Arrive
14th June, 2011
Main Hull Plug Getting Close
Now at final fairing coat stage - almost ready for the gloss coat, and then only some polishing left to do!
Just One More Bit To Go!
which will not be far away
The Main Hull Plug
The main hull plug now almost complete, having been assembled from CNC cut sections. This is possibly the
first time any plug of this size has been built this way. Finish sanding just done, and this will be followed by
a thin glass cover layer, and then the finish coat (glossy part).
Stern area, with folding system recessess visible
Main hull bow is very fine for slicing through waves
The special float hatch deck trim now in place and ready to fit hatch. Float hatches have always been a
problem in the past, as no one makes trimaran float deck hatches as such, and standard deck hatches
have had to be used. These do the job but are much more expensive and heavier than they should be.
We will be using much lighter (and less expensive) semi-flush plastic hatches on the F-22, but for these to
work properly they need a special rim in the deck, as is shown above, plus we have also added a water
deflector across the front edge to help ensure watertightness at high speeds.
Some earthquake damage at the mold maker's factory, on the wall and floor - now there's just that little bit
of extra room! We have always felt that the F-22 will be shaking up the sailing world once it arrives, but
this is probably taking it a bit too far!
March 22nd, 2011
Now There Are Two Floats
and daggerboard case, with just the main hull to go. Floats are still not quite ready for full production, with
a few more procedure improvements still to be implemented, but they are now close enough to where we
can move our main focus onto building the main hull!
February 17th, 2011
First Production Float Now Joined
The first two float halves have now been joined, photos below:
Shape is now clearly visible and those familiar with my earlier designs will note that there are only two hatches (used to be 4 - 5). This is because hatches have always been a source of annoying problems with leaks etc., so minimizing these is a major advance. The new joining system eliminated the need for access to the float interior, as the unique joining process does not require it, and the only need for hatches now is to access the beam bolts and middle storage compartment, for which two hatches are enough.
Float is still divided into three large watertight compartments, and to ensure each compartment can be drained, and vented, a new venting system has been developed. Good float venting has been much more important than realized earlier, as we now believe lack of sufficient venting can lead to badly leaking hatches when sailing hard through waves. These can cause the float to pant, and act like a big pump, to push air out and suck water in through even the smallest gap or weak hatch seals. The F-22 venting system has a much greater capacity (over 1000% more area) than earlier float venting systems for this reason. So half the hatches, and no pumping action, means a much greater chance of having 100% leak proof floats
Finished float decks will be very clean, and with few metal parts.
Carbon chainplate is shown - these have always been used on plan or home built F-22s, but it was uncertain if they could be incorporated on a production float, as it is not easy to make the chainplates in a production environment, and then fit in a molded hull. However, all the problems have been solved, with chainplates being full infused in one piece, and they are actually easier to install than metal chainplates. All heavy stainless has thus been eliminated, with the chainplate becoming part of the laminate/hull, which eliminates any chance of metal corrosion or leaks. One could dig 3mm deep into the hull around the chainplate edge, and it would still not leak!
Photo shows a clear coat finish chainplate, mainly because we could do it, but the standard production chainplate will have a white gelcoat finish, and the clear coat version may be an option.
Another finished float view, with the next float half in front, having just been resin infused.
Having a clean floor makes it very easy to make up the vacuum bag for the next float half!
January 28th, 2011
First Production Float Halves Complete
A few more floats to make, and we will then be ready for the main hull mold to arrive, and we can start making the first main hull. Quite a lot of work still to be done, with more jigs and fixtures etc., but it is starting to get much more interesting.
Final float half being lifted out of the mold
Being turned over - very light and easy for just two to handle
The two finished float halves, ready for trimming, after which they can be joined.
Two hours later, with halves now trimmed, and first trial fit. Join seam is just about perfect and will
disappear once the halves are bonded together.
December 22nd, 2010
First Production Float Half Infusion
One of the Distractions:
It has been important for the F-22 to be self-financing, to ensure viability and maintain design integrity, so
Farrier Marine has always had a number of other projects under way to help pay the bills. One of these has
been the F-32SR curved lifting foils, which have been an interesting (and time consuming) challenge, as
they are very tricky to make. However, the first set has now been finished and were shipped to Michigan this
week for use in Jerry Fiat's F-32SRX, with three more sets on order (can also be used on F-85SR). Such
projects can hold up the F-22's progress, but they are also a key area of ongoing support for the F-22's
development. More importantly, it will mean a much lower entry level price for future F-22 buyers due to
the low overall development cost.
December 21st, 2010
First Actual Production Float Now Being Made
float is being made today. Above photo shows the first exterior layers of glass, plus foam core deck in place.
Every little detail is being checked, double checked, and then refined even more. This is to ensure the best
possible float that is strong, as well as both easy to make and as light as possible.
December 8th, 2010
Second Float Half Also Removed From Mold
cut up (with gritted teeth) and thrown away....ouch!
December 6th, 2010
Now Removed From Mold
Second Float Half Skinout Also Now Infused!
December 2nd, 2010
Now Infused!
First Float Half Skinout Ready For Trial Infusion
F-22 Float Mold Lamination
laminate. Next step will be to infuse a trial laminate on this, in order to get the resin flow just right
