Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 21:55:47 -1000 From: pp@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl (Peter Peters) Message-Id: <409pm3$cra@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl> Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Subject: Stranger bridling I spoke to someone on the flying field two days ago who suggested that I'd use much longer lines on my Stranger bridle than I have right now. What I's like to know is : - what difference would that make (except for moving the tow point further away from the kite and enabling to set the tow point to positions you don't use) - what bridle settings do YOU use on your Stranger (if you have one of course...) Thanks, Peter. -- Peter Peters, pp@win.tue.nl, http://www.win.tue.nl/win/cs/fm/pp/ Like kites.... look at http://www.win.tue.nl/win/cs/fm/pp/kites/ and http://www.kfs.org/kites/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 07:21:53 -1000 From: tobi0530@wap0206.chem.tu-berlin.de (Tobias G. Scharmann) Message-Id: <40aqri$idl@brachio.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE> Organization: Technical University Berlin, Germany Subject: Re: Stranger bridling In article <409pm3$cra@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl>, pp@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl (Peter Peters) writes: > I spoke to someone on the flying field two days ago who suggested > that I'd use much longer lines on my Stranger bridle than I have right > now. What I's like to know is : > > - what difference would that make (except for moving the tow point > further away from the kite and enabling to set the tow point to > positions you don't use) I don't have a Stranger, but as general remarks for 2-line kites: - longer bridle lines make your kite react more slowly to your commands as the bridle lines tend to stretch a bit upon your pulling commands, this can be sharply reduced using bridle lines with a spectra or kevlar core, because they generally stretch much less than polyester lines. - longer bridle lines make it easier to adjust a kite's bridle as shifting the knots by a few millimeters changes the angle at which the kite is held to a smaller extend than on a shorter bridle - longer bridle lines are often necessary when flying stacked kites, because the pull of the line is brought onto the kite spars at a better angle ( a short bridle draws the spars closer to each other and thus breaks them easier ) - longer bridle lines are heavier than short ones (oh, are they ??), so if you need it extra-ultra-super-light weight ...... - longer bridle lines tend to tangle up with all the edges and battens your kite may have ... - longer bridle lines are more expensive ... (forget it) So just judge on the pros and cons and pick your choice. Good luck with your Stranger, stranger.. Tobias. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 09:40:11 -1000 From: bwg001@carina.unm.edu (Brian W. Gordon) Message-Id: <40b2ur$pke@lynx.unm.edu> Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Subject: Re: Stranger bridling Peter Peters (pp@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl) wrote: : - what bridle settings do YOU use on your Stranger (if you have one : of course...) : Thanks, : Peter. On a whim I replaced my factory Stranger bridle with a turbo bridle... and I like it. The kite definitely turns tighter and seems to be a little more responsive. I replaced the main (adjustable) bridle line with a 4 foot (about 122 cm) line and tied it to the frame in the same fashion as the other bridle lines. I then made the extra "turbo leg" out of a 14 inch (about 35.5 cm) length of line folded over and tied at the ends so as to make a loop about 7 inches long. This is then attached to the main bridle with a larkshead at one end and the tow point at the other end. You don't have to use these lengths yourself, I just guessed at them. Give it a try, you might like it. Messing about with your bridles is fun, relatively cheap, easy, sometimes rewarding and always educational. Just remember to save the factory bridle or the bridle that works best. For more info on turbo bridles (or just about any other info about bridles), check out Nop's "Stunt Kites II". Here I am telling someone from the Netherlands about Nop's book. :) Keith Kidder = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 13:40:31 -1000 From: skyvis@shell.portal.com (Richard P Cornwell) Message-Id: <40bh1f$e52@news1.shell> Organization: Portal Communications Company -- 408/973-9111 (voice) 408/973-8091 (data) Subject: Re: Stranger bridling : In article <409pm3$cra@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl>, pp@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl : (Peter Peters) writes: : > I spoke to someone on the flying field two days ago who suggested : > that I'd use much longer lines on my Stranger bridle than I have right : > now. What I's like to know is : : > : > - what difference would that make (except for moving the tow point : > further away from the kite and enabling to set the tow point to : > positions you don't use) : I don't have a Stranger, but as general remarks for 2-line kites: : - longer bridle lines make your kite react more slowly to your commands : as the bridle lines tend to stretch a bit upon your pulling commands, : this can be sharply reduced using bridle lines with a spectra or kevlar : core, because they generally stretch much less than polyester lines. I don't think it has to do with stretch, as much as the distance of the pick point to the sail. Increasing the distance will reduce the angle the kite makes to the wind for the same pull distance. : - longer bridle lines make it easier to adjust a kite's bridle as shifting : the knots by a few millimeters changes the angle at which the : kite is held : to a smaller extend than on a shorter bridle Agreed. : - longer bridle lines are heavier than short ones (oh, are they ??), so if : you need it extra-ultra-super-light weight ...... Not by much. : - longer bridle lines tend to tangle up with all the edges and : battens your : kite may have ... Yes they can.... : - longer bridle lines are more expensive ... (forget it) The cost differnce is in the pennys range. Bridle line is not expensive. When the designer designs the kite, he should be trying all kinds of different lengths of bridle before he settles on the one he gos into production with. Tweeking bridles is the most time consuming part of designing kites. You can only do it in the correct wind conditions, then after you tune it, you need to check it across the wind range and then repeat until you get the kite to handle good across the wind range. Rich ========================================================================== Richard & Kim Cornwell skyvis@shell.portal.com Sky Vision Kites http://www.portal.com/~skyvis 415-112 No. Mary Av. Suite 111, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 733-9313 The 8' Flash Point's are now here...check out the Flash Fire. ========================================================================== = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 07:31:57 -1000 From: sasaki@netopd.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <40dfqd$hth@netope.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University - OIT/NSD Subject: Re: Stranger bridling In article <409pm3$cra@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl>, pp@wsinfm04.win.tue.nl (Peter Peters) writes: |>I spoke to someone on the flying field two days ago who suggested |>that I'd use much longer lines on my Stranger bridle than I have right |>now. What I's like to know is : |> |> - what difference would that make (except for moving the tow point |> further away from the kite and enabling to set the tow point to |> positions you don't use) |> - what bridle settings do YOU use on your Stranger (if you have one |> of course...) The next time you are down near a stunt kite as it moves around take a good look at it, especially during turns or during tricks. If it is a delta wing stunter, you will see the frame flexing like crazy. Watch the lower spreaders as they curve and straighten out during turns. Another thing to watch is the pitching motion (nose moving towards and away from the flyer). I believe that much of the strangeness of the Stranger is due to it's bridle. The short bridles allow greater pitching movement in the kite. This allows the Stranger to move in ways that are impossible with other kites. I also believe that short bridles make transitions from straight lower spreaders to curved lower spreaders easier to do (the reverse is also easier) than with longer bridles. This means that stalls and stall based moves should also be easier to do. So, my advice is to get a good feel for what the Stranger can do with stock bridles. After all, you probably bought the Stranger because it was so strange. Then make up a set of new bridles and experiment. Brian Vanderslice's kite is similar in many ways to the Stranger... -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 90 Melrose Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Arlington, MA 02174 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-646-1925 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 01:54:51 -1000 From: plepez@ulb.ac.be (Philippe Lepez) Message-Id: <40fgeb$jdc@rc1.vub.ac.be> Organization: Free University of Brussels Subject: Re: Stranger bridling Marty, If I do read well your last post, when a kite flies, the lower spreader bend. This gives more 'billow' to the sail and reduce the angle of attack. When the kite is stalled, the lower spreaders are straigth again. This flattens the sail and increase the angle of attack. Because we are allready at a stall angle, the kite is still more deeply stalled. This means that the lower spreader shouldn't be too stiff. Nop, if you read this, is that the reason you suggested to use normal Exell spar for the lower spreaders of La Hembra instead of Ultra ? As a side note for those interested in the turbo bridle, I have the feeling that such a bridle put more stress on the kite frame because the vertical line is rather short. A'm I allrigth ? Good winds. Philippe. -- Philippe Lepez (CP 125), | | Good kite Universite Libre de Bruxelles, | Email: plepez@ulb.ac.be |+ Good wind 50 av. Roosevelt, | Phone: 32.2.6503553 |---------------- 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique. | Fax : 32.2.6503323 |= A lot of fun ! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =