Date: Mon, 26 Jun 1995 13:25:34 -1000 From: mkfeil@unicad.com (Max Feil) Message-Id: <9506262319.AA25509@uniina0.unicad.com> Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway Subject: Re: How to stop 2-line delta from PULSING? (conclusion) This is a followup to the problems I was having with a $40 beginner's stunt kite called the "Blaster" made by "Go Fly a Kite" and distributed locally by "Touch the Sky" near Toronto. The kite had been pulsing and shaking very badly, and the divergent oscillations were so bad that it was almost unflyable. The problem turned out to be the low quality string shipped with the kite (twisted nylon?!). With the help of the hobby shop I bought the kite at, I retrofitted the kite with a better set of stunt kite lines sold under the name "Zip". I do not know what braided dacron looks like, but the line was $20 Cdn for two spools of 150', and the package says it has only 6tretch. This seems to be the key since the old line was stretching like a rubber band, bouncing the kite around very badly. I just flew the kite in gusty conditions and things were MUCH improved. There is still some pulsing happening, but this is probably normal for stunt kites. Control is now excellent, and I was doing daredevil dives, square loops, figure eight's, etc all with no problem. My background is precision aerobatics (radio controlled model aircraft) so I am into smooth maneuvers, straight lines, 45 degree angles, round loops, etc. Easier said than done with a kite since the wind is constantly changing speed and direction, gusting, and the kite is not always in the same spot in the "wind sock" or whatever you call the radial area covered by the kite. I love the two lines since besides the great control, when you have a line break (as I did due to a poor knot) you have built in redundancy. The other line keeps the kite from flying away and you can still make a pretty soft landing. The Blaster is a pretty small kite (between 4' and 5' span) and it has solid fiberglass spars and spreaders so it is pretty heavy. This makes it best flown in moderate winds or stronger. I was wondering. Those of you flying 8-10 foot span stunt kites that can fly in much ligher winds, can you still fly those in strong winds? Or is it better to have a smaller more sturdy kite for windy conditions? For now I'm happy with the blaster because when the wind is light I'll fly my aerobatic aircraft or gliders... Thanks to those who provided helpful suggestions. Regards, Max -- Max Feil | Email: max@unicad.com UniCAD (CANADA) Ltd. |------------------------------------------------------ CAD Software Development| We're "all minions to messiah Pepsi can" - Ultravox Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.| P.S. I think it's bad for the kite industry to sell beginners a kite that doesn't fly right out of the package. They should really upgrade the lines on it. Of course this may affect their price targets since the line is worth 500f the cost of the kite!! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 27 Jun 1995 07:18:26 -1000 From: Adrian Pierorazio Message-Id: Organization: Queen's University, Kingston Subject: Re: How to stop 2-line delta from PULSING? (conclusion) On 26 Jun 1995, Max Feil wrote: > I was wondering. Those of you flying 8-10 foot span stunt kites that can fly > in much ligher winds, can you still fly those in strong winds? Or is it > better to have a smaller more sturdy kite for windy conditions? For now I'm > happy with the blaster because when the wind is light I'll fly my aerobatic > aircraft or gliders... I think that many of us have vented versions of our 'full-size' kites or have smaller kites built to Sherman Tank standards for high winds. The advantage of having a vented sail on an otherwise over-matched kite is that the pull is reduced (saving your spars from damage), but it handles like a 'normal' kite would in lower winds allowing you to do all the coolest tricks in high winds. Small wingspan kites give less pull (also due to small wing area) but they tend to have speeds in the "bat-out-of-hell" category when the winds pick up. This means lots of fun but you lose precision, stalling ability, and sometimes even control (small kites need smaller control movements for the same effect and in high winds a little over-control and your kite responds in an extreme manner at extreme speeds leading to thoughts like "now which way is the nose pointed?" usually followed by a WHOMP as the kite shows you by burying its nose in the ground.) In summary, BOTH. Kites are kind of like people and each has its own personality and will react differently in different conditions. Mood, wind, kite disposition ( :-) ) all play a role in kite selection. I've seen people fly indoor kites in 20ish mph and vv. People will normally choose to fly something vented or tiny (ask someone about their Micron) in high winds but many have both and the choice is mood-dependent. Welcome to the friendly skies of kiting. Smooth Winds, Adrian = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =