Silver Fox Tail weight system

[Toyguy]

I posted this down in the General Topic, but I thought I'd post it here since this seems to get lots of traffic

I now own a Silver Fox 2.5 Std, thanks to a great deal at a second-hand outdoor gear shop. I realize it will be way beyond me for a while, but I have a few questions about it that I hope someone might be able to shed some light on.

In the bag, there were 2 brass sleeves and a fairly heavy black metal rod with a hole drilled into it to make it like the top of a tee. From looking on the web, I gather these are the ballast and tail weights. Under the velcro tail flap, there is a piece of tubing that slips inside the main spine, and the brass sleeves seem to fit this perfectly, but the Tee piece is very loose on it. One end of the inner tube is sealed with some type of tape, that appears to make the tube a friction-fit inside the spine. On this inner tube there is a sleeve that looks as if it might have originally been glued on, as there is a rough spot on the tube about halfway. With the sleeve at that spot, and the tube inserted into the spine, the assembly looks to be about the right length to reach the end of the velcro tail closure if that Tee piece were stuck on the end.

So the questions...

Should that sleeve be glued to the tube that slips into the main spine?

How are the weights used with this system? What holds them in place and keeps them from sliding about, etc? I am particularly curious about the Tee-drilled weight. Is it always just loose on the end of the extension tube?

Does the taped end indeed slip inside the main spine as a friction-fit or should it be glued in? Should it always be in place?

Is the kite generally flown with no weight by default, or did it use some of them in the factory setup?

How many weights came with your kite?

The kite looks to be very lightly used, with no discernable wear or breakage beyond maybe the weight system I picked it up for about half the retail price I see on the web, so if it sits in the closet a few months, I won't be too disturbed.

Thanks for any info on this thing. Web searching was unusually sparse on it.

Dave

[sky fish]

I have three ballast weights with my vented they just slide right on to the center T and are held on by the tail weight- the black metal rod with a hole drilled into it and the Velcro flap, yes it dose fit loose and the Velcro is what holds it on the Velcro and gravity keeps them from sliding around they don't have to be used it just depends on the wind condition though the tail weight should always be used.Trial and error will work best here . Should that sleeve be glued to the tube that slips into the main spine? Yes . Does the taped end indeed slip inside the main spine as a friction-fit or should it be glued in? don't glue it in it is easer to replace if it dose brake. I hope this helps Dave and if yours has the Beads on the bridle the slip not behind the red bead is for more precision and the blue behind the blue is for trick flying

[Toyguy]

Thanks for the update. I got only two of the brass weights, but that's no big deal. I am sure I can turn and drill one more if I feel the need. I did go with an o-ring above the brass weights to keep them from sliding around. That seems like it will do the trick.

Dave