Hardware/design
The FCS system was designed by Brian A. Whitty in Elanora, Australia, and patented on November 7, 1995. It can be recognized by the V-shaped groves running along the side of the fin (though not limited to this design) and a securing plug that attaches the fin to the board. These groves act as a line of weakening at which the fin breaks off when pressured as opposed to pulling out the plugs. The fins are placed in slots which are set into the board by the use of a plug that fits flush with the underside of the board. They are secured into these plugs by the use of set screws which can be tightened down by a fin key or Allen wrench. The plug design and use of set screws enables the fin to be easily removed and installed for storage or travel.
These plugs can be installed in a variety of different ways in order to create the correct degree of strength needed for the fin to function. The more common method is to drill the plug hole at the end of the shaping process and then secure the plug in the hole with resin. The plug attaches through the use of the “H-pattern” which binds at both the deck and bottom of the board fiberglass to the plug which provide the most strength at the fin without permanent installation through glassing on (same as laying on fiberglass). It can also be used in epoxy surfboards by similar installation.
Read more about this topic: FCS (fins)
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