Date:	Mon, 9 Jan 1995 11:27:14 -1000
From:	andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie)
Message-Id: <D25q9F.Fry@tug.com>
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation
Subject: Building a Keel-less Flowform

I flew the Keel-less flow-form for a while in a nice wind at Petworth Park
on Saturday.  It's taken a bit of fiddling to get the bridle right, but it
seems to be a happy kite now.  The kite is basically the flow-form with the 
middle 3 keels removed, to provide a flat surface suitable for uninterupted
appliquet.  If you'd like to make one, this is what you do:

1) First, buy "Kites and Windsocks" (ISBN: 0-7134-6705-3).  And turn to the
Flowform on page 57.  This is the basis for the kite.

2) Instead of making the top and bottom from 3 panels, cut each whole
surface from one piece of fabric.  If you use "wide" fabric, it will fit.  
Mark the rib positions.  Sew the hem on the leading edge of the lower skin.
Counting the left-hand end as rib 1, mark bridle positions on the ribs number
3, 5, 7.  The marks are at 0.5cm, 21cm, 50cm and 80cm from the leading edge.

3) The ribs are different.
 - You need 2 outer ribs without cross-venting.  I cut this *with* the keel,
   as one piece rather than ass the keel later.
 - You need 4 long ribs.  Don't cut the cross-vent holes yet!
 - You need 3 short ribs.  I don't cut them short 'till I've finished the
   whole kite (then I trim them back as needed).

4) Hem the leading edge of the ribs.

5) Sew the ribs onto the bottom skin.

6) Sew a re-inforcing line into the rib.  It comes down the leading edge and
   meets the bottom skin at the marks.  The zig-zag has approx 90 degree
   angles and comes about half-way up the rib.

7) Make cross-venting holes to fit round the re-inforcements.

8) Finish the rest of the canopy.

9) Each bridle line pokes through the bottom skin, just above the re-inforcing
   in the rib and back through the skin to be tied off.

The bridle differences are (in cm):

-----Leading edge------
-37  +6     0  +6   -37
-35 -14.5 -19 -14.5 -35
    -22.5 -27 -22.5 
    -29   -37 -29

These arn't perfect (in fact, it's obvious that it's not right from just
looking at the figures), but this works quite well.

Budget for 7m of wide fabric (10m if you have to use narrow) and 200' of
80lb Spectra bridleline.

The (signed and dated) :-) prototype is for sale to help finance future
projects.  It's in Flo-yellow Carrington, with a Spectra Bridle.  I'm
not looking for much more than the cost of fabric, line and shipping,
but I'm not looking for complaints that it's not built by a professional
kite-builder either...

Andrew
-- 
Kite FAQ's: ftp.hawaii.edu:/pub/rec/kites/faq)        o  /\ Kite Jumping:
For sale: 10' Flexis with std & UF Spars.             |_ \/   evolution
andrew@tug.com            AoXoMoXoA                   (_\     in action
Will eat Ueberraschungseier to supply anemometer components in return for food


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