Newsgroups: rec.kites Subject: Re: Stunt kite question Message-ID: <17653@umd5.umd.edu> From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Date: Sun, 20 Dec 92 22:46:49 EST Organization: University of Maryland at College Park In article <1992Dec21.013743.21060@ultb.isc.rit.edu> jdc3538@ultb.isc.rit.edu (J.D. Cronin) writes: > >A recently completed stunt kite flies OK except for one annoying >quirk: If one line is pulled too far for a turn, the kite goes >parallel to the wind and drops from the sky. Without trying to sound condescending, the most obvious solution is to not pull your arm too far back (or to do so slowly so the kite isn't forced into a stall). There are actually a number of kites that do this--I have a lot of trouble with my Extremes for this reason. The Extreme can do very tight angles with a lot of precision, but it takes practice to know where to move your arm without stalling the kite. >What causes this? To some extent, it's the bridling. One thing you might try is to adjust the length of your outhaul (aka "static line"). If you look at the bridle, it should be made of 2 pieces of line. The clip to which you attach your flying line is somewhere near the middle of one of the lines, and can be adjusted. The third line, usually from the clip to the lower spreader hence "outhaul" (though on a few kites, including the Phantom and the EFM, the third line runs from the clip to the t-fitting. The generic term static line also covers those situations). In any event, it may be worth trying to shorten your outhaul (I may be mixed up, but I think it's shortening that helps in your situation). If you can get a look at a North Shore Radical or Extreme, you can see how they use a loop of line and a nifty hitch to create an adjustable outhaul. Unfortunately, it's a bit complex to describe in text. But I do feel it's the best way to have a completely adjustable outhaul which you can use to fine tune a kite's bridle. If you do adjust the outhaul, you may also need to move the clip on the main line of the bridle... >Are there any books that cover stunt kite >construction and behavior? There are a bunch of books out there, including a few specializing on stunt kites. One of the better books I've seen is the new translation of "Stunt Kites to Make and Fly" by Nop Velthuizen and Servaas van der Horst. Many of the other books which have gotten good review are in German, with no translations currently available. However, the plans should still be easy to follow if you've experience in building stunt kites. >How about an expert system to predict >how a given kite will fly? None that I know of... Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Show what you are / Be strong, be true | | | Time for you to / Be who you are." | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | --Happy Rhodes |