Some questions from a beginner

[jsockhouse]

I’m just getting into some more complicated kites and have a few questions. I was originally in the market (still am) for a lifting kite like a foil. I have bought some tube tails that are 20 feet and the bigger laundry pictured below. Since I can’t find the foil I want I ran into a  10 ft ddc kite. The into the wind stratosphere see picture below. It says it can hold 6 tails but wondering if it will be able to do the tube tails and the laundry I bought. Also it’s recommended to use 150# line I have 200 and 250 is that’s a big difference in weight that would affect flying? Should I use heavier line with laundry or no? 

[frob]

At that size the kite will lift quite a lot, but it depends tremendously on the wind.  On a light wind day the kite will struggle to stay aloft even without a tail. On a strong wind day with gusts at 15 or 20 MPH you'll probably be wanting to anchor the kite down due to strong pull.

From what I can see, the Stratosphere has six attachment points, but that doesn't mean all six should be loaded down. It should have no problem holding a few tube tails. Adding line laundry in addition to the tails will depend entirely on the wind.

The added weight from moving to 150# dacron to 200# or 250# dacron shouldn't be an issue in good wind. In light wind where it could matter you would also be struggling to keep the kite up anyway, and it wouldn't be a matter of tails dragging it down.

[jsockhouse]

Awesome thanks. That’s the impression I got I just didn’t trust myself  😳 

[Edmond Dragut]

also if recommended line is 150 use 200 for safety but on the same time that is the maximum weight of lifting, any tail and line laundry is adding theirs own puling so...i am nor so shore the Hibridoid will be to happy

[jsockhouse]

Little confused, so I shouldn’t use over 200 pound line for line laundry? Why is that? What does it do that would make the bigger laundry “unhappy”

[mebeatee]

This will come over time and experience. Like wind speed ratings, line strength ratings can be fudged. I like to fly on the "lightest line" I can get away with generally, but also will put up heavier line to slow things down a bit. This applies to all my kites....single, dual, and quadliners.

A good way to do this is to not worry about any line laundry initially, and fly the main or lifting kite on different line strengths and winds to gage the pull and speed of the kite and how it feels to you and your comfort zone. Then add stuff on accordingly while repeating the process....and it is a wonderful process!!!!

bt

[jsockhouse]

8 minutes ago, mebeatee said:

This will come over time and experience. Like wind speed ratings, line strength ratings can be fudged. I like to fly on the "lightest line" I can get away with generally, but also will put up heavier line to slow things down a bit. This applies to all my kites....single, dual, and quadliners.

A good way to do this is to not worry about any line laundry initially, and fly the main or lifting kite on different line strengths and winds to gage the pull and speed of the kite and how it feels to you and your comfort zone. Then add stuff on accordingly while repeating the process....and it is a wonderful process!!!!

bt

Sounds good to me! One thing I will say…is rather not send out a kite into the ocean because I “experimented” and lost. Are there line symptoms when they are under stress and I should pull it in ASAP? I think I read somewhere that lines can buzz when under to much stress and about to snap? Is this true and any other symptoms I should look for besides physical things like line damage before it goes up? 

[Edmond Dragut]

ok, let’s start with basics. If the kite is having 150 lbs. line recommendation that means the kite on the highest winds manufacturer find the kite to pull 120-130 lbs. and is give you some reserve. Now adding any more dragging to that line like a laundry you must to add at least from the anchor to laundry cumulate both pulls. let say the laundry is 10 lbs. himself and is having 50 lbs. pull you need to add to that line from 150 another 60 lbs. so you will go on 210 lbs., again at least to the part from anchor to the laundry. If the laundry is 100 lbs. weight and pull you have 250 lbs. and so one.

Another thing you need to take on consideration is the pull capability of the kite. A 150 lbs. pull kite will lift or not a 50 lbs. laundry? The answer is YES but on certain wind conditions witch you will find them experimenting.

line damage usualy you will find it to late, after a breack or after fly sesion. why ? new lines are having a limites elongation and if we do not speack about higher than 700lbs you will not here any sound or sign of that. At high weight lines when elongation reatch the limit you will start hearing not a buzz a really high pitch note comming from the inside fibers under brided cover. the buzz is not elongation is just vibration under the wind 

[jsockhouse]

Great info thanks!