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It would be nice to have some of the tips and advice threads still available. I know I have a few older bits of gear with no contemporary help resources. It would be a shame for all of that collective wisdom to just vanish. Of course there was lots of trolling and sh@# posts - maybe they can stay as fond/traumatic memories, but it would be nice for that database to be publicly available somehow

Hmm...guess I should thought about that a bit more. That's obvious once I read your response. 🤔

Sort of. The lift is generated by the rib profile. The lower line controls the angle of attack.

I'll give this a try when I get some wind... From your comment I gather that the lower line controls the lift?

Hi and welcome to the forum. Before you start adding more to the tail, try resetting the bridle. Below is a picture of what I think is close to the kite you have bought. If so, then you will only need a Sharpie or Texta for marking the lines. Before going out to the field, undo the bridle knot (where they all come together). Tie an overhand knot in the end of each line - this makes it easier to handle when adjusting in the wind. Find the line to the middle Keel and use the Sharpie to place a mark about 30mm (Inch and a bit) from the knot for reference. On the field. Forget about the lower bridle line for now. Take the Left and Right lines and bring them together with the middle line. Adjust the two outside lines so the front of the kite is straight (not curved away or bowed towards you). If the kite spins or leans to the right, bring in the left side and let out the right side lines until it is stable. Do the opposite if it spins/leans to the left. Once the kite is stable, mark the two lines at the middle line mark. Then, take the lower line into the group and pull it in until the kite develops power and tries to climb. Be careful, too much and it will pull like a truck but sink back to the ground. When you are happy with the performance mark the line with the others, then tie an over hand knot just past the marks (so you can see if any line changes while tying off) Let us know how you go 😉

HI, new to the forum with some questions. I now have 3 parafoil kites. The oldest is a Premier Kites Parafoli-5. (30" x 19", 4 cell, ~11 foot tail) I've had it for years and it has always been a great flyer. Hold it up and it just goes, stable, no problem up all day tethered to a sand anchor. Even with a spinner down line. I recently purchased another Premier Kites 20" x 12", 4 cell, 12 foot tail. So far it has been disappointing. Not very stable at all, needs constant coaxing to go up and stay up. Seems to spin around almost constantly. The bridle angle seems pretty close to the same on both. I did try some extra tail and it seemed to settle down somewhat. I can easily make a longer tail, or even more strands in the tail, but is there some thing else I can tinker with?

Just like a winch or anything else with wrapped lines, it should never be stored with high tension. Bring the kite down either hand-over-hand (always wearing gloves) or using a block with a pulley or a large carabiner, or whatever else that can slide easily across the line without damage. Start at the anchor, and slowly walk toward the kite bringing it down one step at a time. For a strong-pulling kite it may take more than one person's weight and strength. Be very careful when doing it, as a gust of wind can cause it to re-launch. Make sure you never get the line wrapped around a finger or hand or under an arm during the process, and if the kite takes off with a gust let go instead of getting injured, which sadly occasionally happens. If you've been around the kite circuit for a while you'll meet people missing a fingertip or have had other major injuries, and hear the horror stories from years past where a few people have died and others needing major reconstructive surgery. When you've walked the line down, detach it when you reach the tow point. With the kite on the ground, it is easy to wind the line up with minimal tension, just hand strength to keep it on.

Hello! I've been searching the web trying to find some good books on kite making but somehow can't seem to find what I'm looking for (websites with clear directions ok too). I'm an artist and decided I want to see my work fly. I can sew a bit, but those skills are pretty basic at the moment. I have never built a kite so I know I need to start with basics. A long term goal is to make a traditional style dragon/centipede kite, so knowing how to make a round kite would be great. Once I get the hang of that and all the general basics, will try to string a few together. Anyway, I hope someone here can lead me in the right direction. Thanks in advance, David Here are a coulple of photos of what make me think about how they'd look in the sky...

I am looking for the smaller version of the original Prism roll up bag.

I thought it would be a good idea.... I saw this new kind of reel for kites - a ring about 10 inches with a handle in the middle and a knob on the outside ring. I put up my 8 foot box delta with it, and it almost broke my wrist. With the kite up only about 200 feet, it was pulling so hard, I could not reel it in unless someone else was working with me to take up tension on the string. So I guess my question is what is the best equipment to use for a larger kite like this?

Hi everyone. I see there are a few familiar faces from the old Kitebuilder's forum here 👋. My name is David and I'm a kite-aholic. It's been a few years since my last build, but with support and encouragement from forum members I intend to remedy this situation. Big 'O' is still waiting. 😉

The spar pieces for my Rev XX are too long to fit in a large suitcase, even diagonally. I decided to build a couple of frames so my kites would fit in a piece of carry-on luggage. First, it's important to understand how roll-wrapped carbon fiber tubes are made. Carbon fiber fabric is impregnated with resin, and wrapped around a mandrel. The fabric can be any type of weave, or even a combination of different types in layers. Plain weave Twill weave The fibers of a plain weave make sharp turns in close proximity to each other, which reduces its strength slightly. Twill weave is the most common carbon fiber pattern. Rather than alternating between top and bottom every row or column, the alternations are in a 2x1 pattern, which provides a bit more strength. The finish after some light sanding is matte. Glossy tubes are made by adding a super-fine sanding step at the end. You can also get pultruded tubes, which aren't woven at all. The fibers are parallel to the length of the tube. Pultruded tubes are very stiff against bending, but weak in terms of being crushed. A roll-wrapped CF tube is made by wrapping resin-impregnated cloth around a mandrel, vacuum sealing or taping the assembly, then heat curing it. The mandrel is a highly-polished metal rod, so the inside diameter of the CF tube is precisely controlled. The outer diameter is determined by the initial thickness, and the amount of sanding done afterwards. Medium sanding will produce a matte finish. Following this with fine sanding produces a glossy finish. The spars on my rev XX kites are 9mm outside diameter, and 8mm inside diameter. You can get 50 cm carbon fiber tubes from Aliexpress in a wide variety of outside and inside diameter combinations. Usually they come in pairs, for a total length of 1 meter. This is more than long enough for one spar of the largest quad kites. Just search for "carbon fiber tubes." Be careful - sometimes one vendor will allow you to choose from a wide range of sizes, and also between twill and plain weave. And you may also have the choice of matte or glossy. I prefer matte, as it is better for gluing. You generally have to sand the gluing area anyway, so maybe it isn't important. The outside diameters are usually slightly larger than the specified dimension. This is great, because you can sand the pieces down for a perfect fit. You can cut a carbon fiber tube with a cutoff wheel on a rotary tool. Carbon fiber generates a lot of fine particles, so it's a good idea to have a powerful vacuum near the action. And you may want to wear a mask. Finally, eye protection is a must - not just for CF particles, but the cutoff wheel can break and send shards flying. Mark your length by wrapping a piece of painter's masking tape around the tube. The rotary tool can't quite make a flush cut when the piece you are cutting off is more than a few cm. No problem! Cut it off just a bit longer than the marked length. Don't worry about it being nice and flat. Try to prevent the small piece you are cutting off from going into the vacuum. You may be able to use it for a ferrule on another frame. Now make a precision cut right at the tape. With practice, you can get a clean, flat edge. If you would like to clean it up a little bit, wrap the other end of the spar with tape and put it in a drill. The tape is to provide grip, and to prevent scratches. Now sand the end with one hand, while holding the drill trigger with the other. To make an interior ferrule, sand the outside a little bit at a time, until it has the right fit inside your main tube. Don't go too quickly, or you may remove too much material, and the fit will be sloppy. Once you are happy with the diameter, bevel the edge for easy insertion. Flip the ferrule around and sand and bevel the other side. Before you glue a ferrule into a tube, try to scuff the inside of the tube. Remember that it came off of a very smooth mandrel! Mark the insertion depth of of the ferrule with a piece of tape. Apply some 2-part epoxy to the inside of the tube with a toothpick, being careful not to get epoxy on the outside. If you do, wipe it immediately with a paper towel. And if it gets messy, put some rubbing alcohol on the towel. Slowly insert the ferrule into the tube using a screwing motion. This helps spread the epoxy around. Don't back the ferrule out once you've started to insert it! The epoxy on the ferrule will make a mess on the second insertion. Glue the ferrule into one half spar. Don't glue the other half spar onto it. Remember the goal is to make spars that you can pull apart and fit into a small piece of luggage. I made a frame for my Rev XX kites with 9x8x50mm tubes. The ferrules are made from 8x6x50mm tubes. This is the simplest configuration for that particular kite - an internal ferrule connects two 9x8 pieces, each cut to half the length of the total spar. The center leading edge spar has an internal ferrule on either end as well. Note that the center leading edge is a different length than the other spars. Make all of your measurements carefully! Unfortunately the 9x8 mm tubes are not common, and tend to be more expensive than the other sizes. Another one of my kites has 8x7 mm spars. They are lighter and more flexible than the Rev spars. So an 8x7 set made for my full sail XX seemed like it would be a fun project. The internal ferrules are made from 7x5 mm tubes. Those are used to join each spar half, and also for the joint between the center leading edge tube and the outer leading edge tubes. I didn't want to use an external ferrule anywhere inside the leading edge, as they may rub against the leading edge of the kite. Since the kite still wants 9x8 mm tubes for the plastic fittings at the outside ends, and at both ends of the vertical spars, I chose to cut the 8x7 mm spars short, and extend the length with external 9x8 ferrules. I've flown the 9x8 mm frame in very heavy winds, to the point where the person next to me said that the kite might explode. I haven't tested the 8x7 mm frame in heavy winds yet. The 9x8 mm frame is indistinguishable from the stock Rev frame. My expectation is that the 8x7 mm frame will be more flexible. Here are the weights of the various frames, not including the Reflex springs: Rex XX Stock Frame: 96 g 9x8 mm frame: 100g 8x7 mm frame: 88g The 9x8 frame is just a tiny bit heavier than the stock frame, which makes sense because of the extra ferrules. The implication is that the stiffness should be very similar. The 8x7 mm frame is appreciably lighter than the stock frame, even with its extra ferrules. Once you arrive at your travel destination, you may find it convenient to tape the two halves of each spar together. This make assembly and disassembly much easier. Try building some travel frames, and post your experiences here!

I had the bittersweet honor of being the last post.

Yep, that’s right.... As I recall Dan sold the shop et al to Steve Hall, and on it went for a while. Then Steve had health issues....see way above posts, and the “store” and site went away. A huge huge hole that never filled in many ways. There was also a forum on the Revolution site as well..... Does anyone remember rec.kites Oooh man there were some “characters” back in the day.......and some may say that those daze were the “golden age” of kiting.....especially given the amount of fliers, festivals, brick and mortar stores, printed magazines....... I guess, along with this fine place....thanks John!!!!....a bunch of folks went to whatever facebook or any of that other ilk is. Not pour moi thanks..... bt

I see mention of a "Steve" However I would swear that my first contact there was with a Dan Whitney (SP?) i recall that he dols off his shop some years alter. Does anyone else remember that as being the case? Ed - York Pa

Does anybody have some quality plans for building this kite or have followed plans and built their own? Size doesn't matter, small, medium, large. Whatever plan is easier to follow. Thanks in advance! Joe

Hi, Is this Vintage 'GO FLY A KITE' #15258 Rainbow Triplane 40" Wingspan 120' Flight Line or this of any assistance? Cheers Stephen

Pic(s) would help.... Have you contacted the store from where it was purchased as hopefully they will have knowledge of what they sell..... bt

I recently bought a kite from a shop called Sunsations, in Ocean City Maryland. The price tag listed the kite as "Kite Rainbow Triple". The kite is a triple wing (Tri-Plane), rainbow plane. I have two pieces- light weight, black, metal rods (for lack of better wording) that I can't figure out how they go with the kite. I can't find anything on-line about this. Any help would be appreciated.

That’s awesome about Lockout Lines! I’ve been really into Solitaire lately—it’s been a great way to relax and unwind. It’s interesting to see how you’ve taken Sudoku and added a unique twist. I’ve dabbled a bit in creating my own puzzles too, and it’s always exciting to see new ideas get showcased. Checking out Lockout Lines on Cracking the Cryptic must have been a great moment. It’s cool to see creative puzzle concepts getting some spotlight.

Thx 😀

Hi, Quadkites.org is now in 2 languages : English and French. From now on, you can read our content in English without an automatic translator: https://quadkites.org/en/ Here some examples of content: North american team maneuvers Build your quad line kite We hope you enjoy all our content for learning to fly, team flying and kite building. Share your suggestions and impressions with us. Alban