flying lines?

• Subject: flying lines?
• From: mark@murder.demon.co.uk (Mark de Roussier)
• Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 07:05:12 +0000

In article <9401151521.tn111229@aol.com> <kyteman@aol.com> writes:
> Braided kevlar is great kite line, especially for controllable kites, WITH a
> couple of warnings:
> 
> 1.  It's abrasive, and will cut lines and flesh with ease.  It'll even cut
> itself in a knot, requiring sleeving.
> 

Yup, all true AFAIK. A claimed side effect of it's properties is that it is
subject to catastrophic failure i.e. it's hard, it don't stretch, so when
it gives it does so completely and without warning. No personal experience 
of this however. I've broken enough Spectra to think that it would be tricky
for something to fail noticeably faster !

> 2.  It's subject to ultraviolet deterioration.
>

This problem is usually handled by waxing. Indeed, I've yet to come across 
unwaxed kevlar, which is really the only sort I'd consider using for multi-
line stunters. I've flown two sorts of kevlar on single line kites. The first
is an unbraided type, used also by archers for making bowstrings ( using 
several strands at a time ). The breaking strain is in the small 10's of 
pounds. I've tried stunting with this - forget it ! After a couple of wraps 
it's uncontrollable, IMHO. For single line work it's fine for real light wind 
stuff - I know Dan Leigh uses it for deltas quite often, and it comes in
quarter - mile spools I think !

I've also used some 150kg ( >300lb ) waxed stuff from Germany. The problem 
with this is handling the stuff - it can stick to itself and to your gloves
just enough to give trouble. And because it's thin for its strength, that 
also makes it difficult to handle under tension. The wax also makes it 
impossible to sleeve yourself - the friction between it and the sleeving 
means you can't pull the sleeving along the line. 

> Most fliers have given up kevlar in favor of Spectra, which is a long-fiber
> high-density polyethylene.  Much more slippery, nearly the same low stretch,
> don't need to sleeve it, and holds up well in UV.  It's sold as Speedline,
> Spiderline, and others.
>

You don't need to sleeve the whole length, but it's *soft* stuff, so you need
to sleeve places where it wraps round hard stuff i.e. the ends of the lines.
 
--
Mark de Roussier

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