Cutting the line

• Subject: Cutting the line
• From: Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com (Darrin Skinner)
• Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1993 12:34:58 -1000

-] From kites-request@das.harvard.edu  Thu Aug  5 15:22:46 1993
-] To: kites@das.harvard.edu
-] Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1993 20:39:54 GMT
-] From: brian@nds.com (Brian Dockter)
-] Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
-] Sender: kites-request@das.harvard.edu
-] Subject: Cutting the line (Was: Walk down device)
-] Content-Length: 1380
-] 
-] On Aug 5, 12:34pm, Patrick Prosser wrote:
-] > Subject: Cutting the line (Was: Walk down device)
-] > I tried putting a control line onto my 132 sq foot flow form.
-] > Essentially this line was at the FRONT of the kite, and
-] > it was intended that I could pull on this line and get the
-] > foil to "over fly". It didn't work. However I am 100% sure that 
-] > a line connected to (say) the bottom left hand corner of the 
-] > trailing edge will work. I should be able to steer the kite to the
-] > ground (I know this will work because a 1/2 inch adjustment on the
-] > bridle, all of 10m long, on the outside keel generates a significant
-] > list).
-] > === END OF EXCERPT ===
-] 
-] Why not attach the line at the center of the kite? When you pull on the
-] line, the kite should fold up on itself, and fall to the ground. (At the
-] very least, it should reduce the pull to allow the kite to be brought
-] down more easily.)
-] 
-] Brian
-] 

I've seen Bob Anderson (owner of the worlds largest Spin Sock) attach a line to 
the center of the trailing edge.  He runs the line up the fly line with enough
slack/play in the line so that it does not affect the normal flight of the foil.
He stakes this line to a SEPERATE stake. The idea here is that if the
main line breaks (or gets loose) the foil will fly downwind, the slack on the 
safety line will get taken up and the foil will end up flying from the line attached
to the trailing edge (no pull, no lift, no flight).

I've seen him use this _safety_ line to take the kite down in high winds (high winds
in Berkeley? NEVER! :) ) and it works quite well.

Darrin

-] 
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