Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 07:39:26 GMT
From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie)
Message-ID: <C2Mvxr.Fu@tug.com>
Organization: Negligible.
Subject: Peel

I was asked (in e-mail) for some pointers on flying a Peel:

> Give me some pointers on the 5m Peel when you have time...

I suggest:

Learn how to braid bridle lines (ask any Rokkaku flyer).  Braid each side
of the bridle seperately and leave the ends hanging out of the stuff bag.
(Your peel didn't come with a bag? they are only a couple of $'s from
a camping shop or 5 minutes work on a sewing machine)

If the foil gets folded up in flight, get violent with it, with practice you
can unfold it in the sky.

Sometimes, the end turns round and drops through the bridle.  If, in
this case, you lay the foil out straight, the bridle looks like a hopeless
mess, but of you just pull the end back through the *same* gap, it'll
be sorted again.

If you *really* screw up the bridle, be patient, hold the two loops
and do what looks logical.  It is much easier to sort than it looks.

It flies differently on different lines:

 - Try 360's on 75', 80lb lines

 - Try it on fairly light (300-400lb), very long (300') lines, in a
   very gentle breeze.  It has pleanty of room to build up speed, so
   provided you can keep it *flying*, it'll still pull like stink.

Be careful of strong, particularly gusty winds, to start with.  Since the
kite has so much bridle, the pull tends to be very sudden and harsh
sometimes (unlike a flexifoil, which bends and swivells, softening the
impact)

Do *NOT*, repeat: *NOT* use wrist straps, even padded ones.  Buy yourself
a pair of sky claws and re-string them by making a long length of strong line
with a loop at both ends, passing a loop through the hole and over the end
of handle at both ends.  Does that make sense?

Never *EVER* tie yourself to *anything*, not a ground stake, not a
car, not a buggy, not a boat.  Not the kite either - no harness.

In strong winds, launch the peel from a tip stand.  I have safely launched
the peel, using (I think) less than 80lb of strain on the line in conditions
where other people thought that attempting a launch would be suicidal.

Try not to power dive into the ground.  They are very strong, but if you
try hard enough, particularly onto a flat, wet surface, you can make
them explode.  Repeated, but lesser abuse may have similar (though less
spectacular) effects by weakening the fabric at the seams.

It is a nice kite for hovering - the movement is slow, so it is easier to
correct any movement in time.  It isn't too difficult to fly backwards in low
wind.  Regain lost field in low wind conditions by yanking it up into the
sky and walking forwards as it drifts down backwards.

Try doing a tip stand, and keep steering down, collapsing the kite in a heap,
and then re-launching by steering up again.

Important tip:  The key to mastering the peel is to keep tension on the line
at all times.  It'll fly in very little wind, *provided* that you keep it in
shape by not letting the bridle fall slack.

Above all - PLAY SAFE

Have fun

Andrew
-- 
andrew@tug.com

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