ChessGirl

Thanks for the ideas. I also emailed HQ for advice and got this reply: As far as the pocket goes the best way to fix it is sew it back together. This is the only way to make sure it wont come apart under pressure. Any type of polyester thread will work fine. The pockets do not need to be the same depth this minute change will not affect the performance of the kite.

My standoff punched through the bottom of the nylon pocket on my delta hawk and I would like to repair it. Is there a particular type of needle and thread I should use? Is there a sewing technique or knot tying technique I should use? Do I need to use a machine, or can it be done by hand? I will end up having a marginally more shallow pocket as a result of this repair. Is that a really significant concern?

I got my kites out for the first time in a long time yesterday, and tried to launch solo in 23 mph wind. I wish I had remembered your launch trick. I got no flights in, and then I spent hours at home untangling my lines.

Well, it wasn't my experience. The estimate is what I actually paid, and I just checked to see what actually posted to my checking account. I paid more than the cost of the parts for standard shipping, and this was to Texas. I'm paying about $25 for a $5 part with standard shipping.

I got my upper leading edge and ferrules. I didn't realize I needed the lower leading edge as well. The product description sounds like the upper leading edge is the whole leading edge. Now I have to pay shipping again? Not happy about that. Prism's shipping is way more expensive than it seems it should be, as in 500% the cost of the part.

Those pics of the pig tail are nice. I was planning to loop a heavy duty zip tie through that velcro strap or around the lower spine. I might still try that.

How long is that tail you are pulling........... 50 feet. I think it is 8 inch diameter, and is just too big for skywriting.

Thanks for the idea! I have found I can order the flagging tape in all kinds of checkered and striped patterns as well. There is a lot more variety than I expected.

Well, I broke my first ferule. It bent and I tried to bend it back and it snapped. None of the parts in my kite repair kit helped. I ordered a new leading edge and a couple of extra ferrules from prism. Meanwhile, I took the leading edge out, flipped the upper half around, and reinserted it. Then I used epoxy to connect the two parts of the edge inside the remaining half ferule. Seems to have worked great as a temporary fix. I just can't fold it up for travel until the new leading edge arrives.

I've decided that I am going to experiment with tieing pieces of flagging tape together of different colors. Is there any reason that wouldn't work well?

Here is a short video of it with the tail made from surveyor's flagging tape.

Well, I can now say that surveyors flagging tape works great as a tail! :-) I just wish I could get it in a transition color scheme. Has anyone tried dying this stuff?

That setup with the custom 3 point bridle looks interesting. It's for use in wind, indoors, or both? Also, I don't think I understand the part about the tension line and the nock ends. Is that part of the custom 3 point bridle setup?

Thanks! I found the 18 foot lines at the Prism site and ordered two sets, one for me, and one for a family member to whom I plan to give a 4D this year. :-)

Assuming I want some shorter lines, how is the best way to go about obtaining those? Do I have to make them or is there somewhere I can order custom length line sets? Also, the 50 foot lines that come with it are 50lb spectra. Should I use the same line, or a different line?

I received a Prism 4D today and flew it for a few minutes in very light winds that would not have been enough to launch any of my other kites. I was really surprised at how much faster it is than my other kites. It was also noisy and had a lot more pull than expected in such light winds. I've seen in some videos and posts elsewhere that people are using all kinds of line length sets, like 20 feet and 7 feet, with this kite, and I was wondering what what these sets are good for. For example, are they just for indoor flying? As far as tricking this kite, is it necessary to add yo yo stoppers to get it to do the few tricks people say it is capable of doing? Finally, I like to use tails with my dual line kites, so I am wondering if there are any microlite tails out there that I could look at getting to use with this one. Any advice?

I use an ink pen with a clip to roll up the tail, but I want something that will work faster. I'm sure you will be happy with the Hypnotist. I recently ordered a Jazz because it fits in a suitcase. I'm at the beach right now, and I had to bring my E3 and Delta Hawk in a guitar case and pay an extra $25 to fly each way. I don't think the Jazz will have any problem handling the tail.

I've been flying some Gomberg tails lately on an E3 and a Delta Hawk using 85 foot and 100 foot lines. I have a 50 foot snake, which is much larger diameter than the skywriter tube, and a 100 foot skywriter ribbon. I find the larger diameter tube is not that great as a tail. I want to order one of the tubes like you have ordered. The skywriter ribbon is excellent, and, on the E3, I find it doesn't make the kite hard to keep in the air in low but steady winds unless I am using it at the beach and it is getting wet and picking up sand. Even then, I just have to get some good steady wind. I like to fly the kite alone at first, and then if it doesn't keep coming down due to low wind, I will put a tail on it. Here is a video of the E3 with the skywriter ribbon where I was struggling to keep the kite in the air due to low wind that kept dying out on me. The ribbon did not make it appreciably more difficult to stay in the air. I have to have some pretty strong wind to use the Delta Hawk in any event. I think the Hypnotist ought to do it for you. It is really similar to the E3. Have fun!

The Gomberg one is $75 and you get to choose the colors, but you have to wait about 6 weeks for it to be made, if I understand correctly. I'd be reluctant to buy that premiere tail without knowing the diameter, and I can't find anywhere that lists it. I got a large dimeter Gomberg snake and I think it is too big for skywriting. Gomberg sell the 3 inch diameter tube for skywriting, so that is what I've decided I'd like to get.

Do you think this might be the tail? http://www.gombergkites.com/e-tube.html "We also supply custom colored three inch diameter tubes in a 100 foot length. These are ideal tails for sport kite"sky writing". The cost is $75." I ordered a 100 foot skywriter ribbon from Gomberg today. I'm thinking about ordering the 100 foot 3 inch tube in custom colors to match my Delta Hawk.

Does anyone know what kind of kite and tail these are?

Here is a short video of the delta hawk and gomberg snake from this past weekend. https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=463571980402420 The snake arrived with a metal fastener but no swivel, and I attached it to the kite at the loop of harness that circles tightly around the spreader at the spine. Is there a better way to attach it? It seems to make the kite more difficult to control. Also, it is clear I need to get a swivel involved somehow.

Ok, I guess I need to get a stake. Thanks!

Well, here is another newbie question. Is there a trick to winding and unwinding the lines so they don't come out all twisted up the next time you want to fly? Should I just wind them onto separate winders to keep them from twisting?

The wind was pretty low last night. I flew the E3 and there were times it sang and times the wind died to the point I had difficulty keeping it in the air. So I am guessing, from your diagram, that the Delta Hawk is set for high wind and I just needed to set it for lower wind. But it still probably would have come down at times due to low wind.