Ancient Flexifoil questions

[Billy]

I used to be quite a kite enthusiast but, career, family and living in a area with the most frustrating winds imaginable (Orlando FL), interfered. Recently though, my interest has been revived. Holy cow a lot has happened since I used to fly! Anyway, I pulled out my 30 year old Flexifoil to give it a rip and it was, well, a less-than-satisfying affair. The cells on the outer sides don't really inflate and the kite tends to pull in on itself leaving the cross spar poking out about 7-10 inches on each side. It just does't have any snap. Am I doing something wrong? I have 2 cross spars for it: the original, a heavy fluorescent green fiberglass model and a newer carbon version. Any tips to help revive this old girl?

Billy

[Wayne Dowler]

Weren't there some anchor points on the ends of the sail that attach to the spar and keep it stretched out??? Of course you could buy one of the new dualies or BUY A REV!!

[--Pete]

You need to put your flying lines THROUGH the loops at either side of the sail, and then larks-head them to the spar OUTSIDE the spacers. This lets the flying lines keep the sail stretched out and the joints in the spar pushed together.

There is a very short video somewhere that suggests putting the lines through the loops, larks-heading them to the spar outside the spacers (as above), and THEN using each side of the loop in the end of your flying line to put a half-hitch over the end of the spar outside the larks-head. This keeps pressure on the spar joints even when the flying lines go slack, as when you do a roll with the sail. The person who posted it had been having trouble with the joints pulling partially out when the lines were slack. Then when the wind came back there was a risk of damaging the joints that were partially disengaged.

I never had this problem since I only flew when the kite was pulling like a bandit!

[John Barresi]

Here's the video that Pete is referring to.
 

(I'm pretty sure)

[--Pete]

Yep, that was it. Thanks for tracking it down. (I have to say, the wind looked too brisk for any problems with slack lines. It must have taken three fast steps and a huge arm-swing to make the lines slack on that particular day.)

I think a larks head would be satisfactory for the first attachment; the clove-hitch can't hurt, but may be un-needed. The half-hitches made with each leg of the loop really would make a difference, both to keep the fabric stretched and to keep the spar joints from separating.

I will look for my solution to the spar separation issue and get a picture posted. My method adds a bit of weight to the kite, so perhaps it is less satisfactory than Blane's method.

[Cyphert]

i always wrapped the ring around the spar and the line onto the ring. ill try the way the video recommends tomorrow. might do a stack of 2.

[Cyphert]

so i flew my flexifoils yesterday and i used the way they showed in the video. the extra half hitches are the best tip of the day!! the flexi flew great!! just like them better then the new ones. zippy lil guys! the lighter spar was the only one that worked the heavy bar didnt fly not enough wind. i forgot how the kite just sits there until it fills with air sits there until the slightest tension then starts to float a little pull and poof its off!!

[--Pete]

Still no picture, but my system for keeping the spar-joints together was to tape a bit of light shock-cord (1/8 inch bungie) from the right spar section to the left spar section, attaching just past the joints. Easy to pull apart for storage, yet pulls the joints together any time the spar straightens out in a wind lull. I did this on both my ultra-light and standard spar sets. (3-piece for the 10' Flexi.)

Good to hear that someone is still out there flying Flexis. (It's been a long time for me.)

A slightly updated link to the youtube video:

[Cyphert]

i went to fly my flexi foils the other day one flew well as normally and one barely did anything. took forever to fill up then flew up maybe 20 feet super slowly with 0 respons from any input. in good wind 10 plus. the other one whipped around just fine. i looked for tears or anything that would keep it from flying. the 40 year old flexi from england worked fine the newer 30 years old from texas didnt fly at all. i cant stack them together because one doesnt fly. i would love to get a big stack of these but any time i ever see then is in a raffle and it just breaks my heart. i would drop a pretty penny for these and a raffle making them 13 bucks wins. ill keep looking.

[rob103]

I have a half dozen 4' hot- shots...only fly in hurricanes,

I have 5 -8 footers, but three is all I have had the guts to stack. Kinda like trying to fly/stop a locomotive!

[John Barresi]

I used to have a 7-stack of 4-footers, serious fun indeed.

Five 8-footers would be insane. lol

[--Pete]

One 10 footer was more than enough in some winds. When you have your heels dug into the turf and are plowing two grooves while leaning back with your shoulders about a foot off the ground hoping you won't get flipped or pulled around sideways...

Scary, but exhilarating.

Then take it to the top of the window and slide it down to the side and crash it. (If you take it straight to the side you WILL get flipped or spun.) Then, when your thighs, forearms and biceps stop quivering as though you had just received an electric shock --- set it up to try again.

[Duncan588]

My 6ft flexifoil stacker has developed a problem. It's started flapping on each bottom corner. It's never done it before. Any ideas on how to cure it ?