Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 07:12:40 -1000 From: aholm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Alison Holm) Message-Id: <3htcm8$c51@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> Organization: The Ohio State University Subject: flying in the cold Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but very windy. it's depressing to look out on a bright sunny windy day and not know if your kite is going to fly apart in the cold. if anyone has any sugestions i'd appreciate it. thanx scott = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 09:33:28 -1000 From: silent1@ix.netcom.com (Donald Qualls) Message-Id: <3htku8$ibd@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> Organization: Netcom Subject: Re: flying in the cold In <3htcm8$c51@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> aholm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Alison Holm) writes: > >Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in >freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for >ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but >very windy. it's depressing to look out on a bright sunny windy day and not >know if your kite is going to fly apart in the cold. if anyone has any >sugestions i'd appreciate it. > > > thanx > scott > My experience with other ripstop applications indicates the material remains flexible and keeps most of its strength to 0F or below. Watch out for windchill, though! You're much more vulnerable than your kite! -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | silent1@ix.netcom.com | If knowledge is power, why don't scientists | | Owner/Operator of | rule the world? | | TableTop Publications | Because they treat truth as a virtue! | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | All opinions expressed are my own, and should in no way be mistaken | | for those of the reader. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 07:53:03 -1000 From: jburka@Glue.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Message-Id: <3htf1v$1o1@geog20.umd.edu> Organization: Project Glue, University of Maryland, College Park Subject: Re: flying in the cold In article <3htcm8$c51@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, Alison Holm wrote: >Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in >freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for >ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but >very windy. Define very windy... Two weeks ago, a bunch of KAK folks were out for the First Sunday, flying in wind speeds higher than the temps (mph/degrees F). Several bags, flexis, and a stack of spin-offs. Last week I was out in temps a bit below freezing with winds about 15-20. I broke one stick of 2100 (flying a 6' wing) during a ground axel sort of thing -- and I should have known better to play near the ground when it's too hard to get a stake into it! I've flown countless times in sub-freezing weather without any problems... Of course, the other option is to find a large, open indoor space. ;-) Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | Pithy, insightful quote to be inserted | | | when one occurs to me. *If* one occurs | |jeffy@glue.umd.edu | to me. | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 15:54:20 -1000 From: hayden1009@aol.com (Hayden1009) Message-Id: <3hub8c$abu@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: flying in the cold Alison Holm writes about cold weather flying. 1st of all wonderful people live in cold climates, too. That said, I have more trouble with the vinyls in the cold than I have ever had with my sails. Oh, yeah, the spars also seem more brittle and easier to break (especially the beman in my phantom). Alice Hayden 8^) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 07:40:26 -1000 From: sasaki@netope.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <3i02ma$5dh@netope.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University Subject: Re: flying in the cold In article <3htcm8$c51@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, aholm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Alison Holm) writes: |>Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in |>freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for |>ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but |>very windy. it's depressing to look out on a bright sunny windy day and not |>know if your kite is going to fly apart in the cold. if anyone has any |>sugestions i'd appreciate it. My first advice is to dress warmly, but you probably already know that. It is easy to get caught up in flying and not notice that it is really cold out there. One of my team mates had frostbitten toes and cheeks. She seemed okay and noticed the damage after she got home. Ripstop nylon and other kite sail materials aren't noticeably affected by the cold. I've heard reports that some spiral wound graphite had problems in the past, but these are all supposed to be fixed in the latest spars. One thing to keep in mind is that plastic fittings get very stiff in the cold. I used to make spreader connectors and T fittings out of rubber tubing for use in the cold. It worked much better with the rubber, but the rubber would mark the fabric, so I stopped doing this. Many people make fun of the heavy line that I often make my bridles out of. I do this because it is much easier to adjust a bridle made out of 220 pound dacron than one made out of 150 pound Spectra. -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@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: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 07:17:33 -1000 From: Wespestad_Eric@pcp.ca (Eric Wespestad) Message-Id: <1995Feb16.171733.22658@pcp.ca> Organization: PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. Subject: Re: flying in the cold A previous poster remarked on the difficulty of getting a stake into frozen ground... Well, being a fool, I quite often go flying in **extremely** cold weather (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). The main problem I had to solve (other than keeping warm) was getting a stake into the frozen ground. Here was my solution... I now carry a rechargable power drill for pre-drilling a hole for the (aluminum tent) stake! --- 510,100-10A St. N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4T3 403-270-8466 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 13:54:15 -1000 From: dnelisse@freenet.niagara.com (Dru Nelissen) Message-Id: Organization: Niagara Peninsula Free-Net Subject: Re: flying in the cold Alison Holm (aholm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) wrote: : Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in : freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for : ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but : very windy. it's depressing to look out on a bright sunny windy day and not : know if your kite is going to fly apart in the cold. if anyone has any : sugestions i'd appreciate it. : thanx : scott Us crazy Canuks are flying kites at low temperatures all the time and the these temperatures do not appear to effect the ripstop sail. In fact we were flying last weekend, where the temperature was about 10 degrees F and the winds were gusting up to 40 M.P.H. and we had no problems. Given the temperatures you described, you should have no problems, except maybe keeping warm. Warm winds on your backside....... -- Kite Surfing on the NET............................ Dru Nelissen.....Quadflier = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 09:48:25 -1000 From: kblackbu@galilee.ulaval.ca (Kenny Blackburn) Message-Id: Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Subject: Re: flying in the cold The best thing I've seen for winter stakes are ice screws available at Rock climbing and ice climbing stores (generally outdoor equipement). These go in an out without pre-drilled holes or use of hammers... And they stay on most of the day! Hey, there made for supporting people on ice, they better be good! Kenny kblackbu@phy.ulaval.ca = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 15:33:21 -1000 From: Matthew Ward Message-Id: Organization: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL USA Subject: Re: flying in the cold On 15 Feb 1995, Alison Holm wrote: > Unlike all the wonderful people that live in the warmer climates, I'm stuck in > freezing Columbus, Ohio. I was wondering if anyone knew the temp. range for > ripstop nylon. i'd like to fly but its consistantly between 20F and 35F but > very windy. it's depressing to look out on a bright sunny windy day and not > know... I've flown many a time in below freezing, even below zero, snow, slush, freezing rain, you name it, and the only things that i noticed are that vinyls and fittings of all sorts become stiffer and more brittle, and the spars may be a little more brittle but if you are going to fly it, your going to break it someday, so you might as well not worry too much about it... I've never heard of nylon ripping prematurely on any day, that's usually the toughest, longest lasting part of the kite (unless you play bumper kites a lot) so put on some mittens, get some hot chocolate in a thermos and have fun, because cold air is dense, and that makes it easier to fly... Matthew Ward = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 22 Feb 1995 07:30:02 -1000 From: Adrian Pierorazio Message-Id: Organization: Queen's University, Kingston Subject: Re: flying in the cold On Thu, 16 Feb 1995, Eric Wespestad wrote: > I now carry a rechargable power drill for pre-drilling a hole for the > (aluminum tent) stake! I found that a corkscrew works great and fits in your pocket! I bought one of those folding jobbies that put the screw into the handle, stick it in my pocket when I'm flying and I can pull it out anywhere. Also, most of the fields I use would be denied to me if I started drilling holes all over their land!!!! You haven't lived until you've flown in -40 (same in F and C)! Adrian = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =