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8.1 Spar comparison chart



For more information about the following table see article "Bending
spars with Coke can" in rec.kites archive.


Stiffness and Weight of Sport Kite Spars

                                                                   Outer
Spar                            Short  Relative ....  Scale Weight Diam
Type                            Name   Stiff. Weight  Fact.   g/m   mm   Rem
=============================================================================
Reference spar: Glassforms K75  K75      1.00   1.00   1.00    33   8.7  S/L
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFC 1580                        AFC1580  0.20   0.33   0.67    11   4.0   S
AFC 1700                        AFC1700  0.26   0.37   0.71    12   4.3   L
Clearwater 187-2                CW187-2  0.29   0.28   0.73     9   5.?   L
AFC 1800                        AFC1800  0.32   0.46   0.75    15   4.5   L
Clearwater 202-2                CW202-2  0.34   0.31   0.76    10   5.?   L
Beman Ultralite 13              BeULT13  0.38   0.36   0.78    12   5.0   M
AFC 1880                        AFC1880  0.38   0.45   0.79    15   4.8   L
AFC 1960                        AFC1960  0.45   0.49   0.82    16   5.0   L
Beman Ultralite 14              BeULT14  0.47   0.36   0.83    12   5.5   M
Beman Light 13                  BeL13    0.47   0.48   0.83    16   5.0   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 5           RCF5     0.49   0.45   0.84    15   4.9   M
Glassforms Prospar PS-15-278    PS278    0.57   0.63   0.87    21   7.1   M
AFC 2100                        AFC2100  0.58   0.60   0.87    20   5.3   L
Clearwater C252                 C252     0.60   0.41   0.88    14   7.?   L
Advantage 250/2                 ADV/2    0.60   0.49   0.88    16   7.3   L
Beman 5.5 mm (arrow shaft)      Bem5.5   0.64   0.52   0.89    18   5.5   S
Beman Ultralite 15              BeULT15  0.64   0.39   0.90    13   5.9   M
Beman Light 14                  BeL14    0.69   0.54   0.91    18   5.5   M
Beman Pro-Competition 14        BePRO14  0.69   0.54   0.91    18   5.5   M
AFC 2200                        AFC2200  0.70   0.66   0.91    22   5.6   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 6 Strong    RCF6S    0.70   0.96   0.92    32   5.9   S
Beman Strong 14                 BeSTR14  0.75   0.66   0.93    22   5.5   M
Beman Ultralite 16              BeULT16  0.82   0.42   0.95    14   6.3   M
Clearwater 282                  CW282    0.84   0.70   0.96    23   7.1   L
Glassforms Procomp CP-15-278    CP278    0.84   0.54   0.96    18   7.1   M
AFC 2300                        AFC2300  0.84   0.69   0.96    23   5.8   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 6           RCF6     0.85   0.66   0.96    22   5.9   S
Beman Light 15                  BeL15    0.90   0.63   0.97    21   5.9   M
Beman Strong 15                 BeSTR15  0.96   0.69   0.99    23   5.9   S
SkyShark IIIP (1994)            IIIP     1.00   0.41   1.00    14   7.1   L
AFC 2400                        AFC2400  1.00   0.76   1.00    25   6.1   L
Clearwater C253                 C253     1.06   0.57   1.02    19   7.0   L
Advantage 250/3                 ADV/3    1.06   0.75   1.02    25   7.7   L
SkyShark VP (1994)              VP       1.11   0.49   1.03    16   7.1   L
Glassforms Prospar PS-16-306    PS306    1.11   0.88   1.03    29   7.8   L
Clearwater 315-2                CW315-2  1.17   0.51   1.04    17   8.?   L
Beman Strong 16                 BeSTR16  1.22   0.77   1.05    26   6.3   M
Beman Light 16                  BeL16    1.23   0.75   1.05    25   6.3   M
AFC 2540                        AFC2540  1.26   0.88   1.06    30   6.5   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 6 Ultra     RCF6U    1.26   0.51   1.06    17   5.9   S
Clearwater 283                  CW283    1.35   0.70   1.08    23   8.?   L
Beman Pro-Competition 15        BePRO15  1.41   0.69   1.09    23   5.9   M
Clearwater 254                  CW254    1.42   0.85   1.09    29   7.?   L
Advantage 250/4                 ADV/4    1.42   0.93   1.09    31   8.1   L
Glassforms Procomp CP-16-309    CP309    1.43   0.76   1.09    25   7.8   L
Glassforms Prospar PS-19-352    PS352    1.54   0.98   1.11    33   8.9   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 7           RCF7     1.61   0.78   1.13    26   6.9   M
Clearwater 315-3                CW315-3  1.86   0.76   1.17    25   9.?   L
Glassforms Procomp CP-19-352    CP352    2.00   0.86   1.19    29   8.9   L
Clearwater 385-2                CW385-2  2.03   0.58   1.19    20   9.?   M
Phoenix/CarboFlex 8             CFlx8    2.10   0.93   1.20    31   8.0   S
SkyShark VIIP (1994)            VIIP     2.11   0.80   1.21    27   8.4   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 8           RCF8     2.17   0.96   1.21    32   7.9   S
Beman Pro-Competition 16        BePRO16  2.20   0.84   1.22    28   6.3   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 8 Strong    RCF8S    2.56   1.09   1.27    37   7.9   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 9           RCF9     3.08   1.05   1.33    35   8.9   M
Clearwater 385-3                CW385-3  3.25   0.78   1.34    26  10.?   L
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 9 Strong    RCF9S    3.79   1.26   1.40    42   8.9   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 10          RCF10    4.73   1.20   1.47    40   9.9   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 10 Strong   RCF10S   5.42   1.53   1.53    51   9.9   M
Vlieger-Op Exel RCF 11          RCF11    5.75   1.35   1.55    45  10.0   M
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                                S = Based on measurements by Simo Salanne
                                L = Based on measurements by David Lord
                                M = Based on manufacturers data



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