wind range of 100 foot tail on a dual line.

[rexracer]

Maybe now that hurricane season is coming...

That'll do it.............. , but let's not kid around, with "Mother Nature"

No kidding here! By the time they get up here, it's usually only wind and rain left. Usually the day before the rain hits, and 2 days after, I get the best winds we ever get here!

[rexracer]

Maybe now that hurricane season is coming...

That'll do it.............. , but let's not kid around, with "Mother Nature"

No kidding here! By the time they get up here, it's usually only wind and rain left. Usually the day before the rain hits, and 2 days after, I get the best winds we ever get here!

Not to make light of big storms...Sandy really did some damage last year on the coast, but other than some minor flooding from heavy rains near me, the only real effect for my town was great flying weather as the low pulled out.

[RobB]

It's true... there is always great flying weather a few days before the storms, the wind after the storm is good, but pretty choppy. I can still see damage caused by Sandy, BTW. It's still all around me, as close as my back yard. They just found another guy that was killed in Sandy a couple of weeks ago, so yeah, respect Mother Nature...

[Guest joel]

I actually flew my new 100' tube tail today for the first time, using my snapshot 2.5,, winds were probably 10 to 15 and I got it up just fine. but the line that came pre attached to the tail snapped mid flight and fluttered 50' down wind... wasnt happy haha. definitely slowed my speed foil wayy down.

[Michael E. Allen]

Great question wish I could help out but I am to much of a newbie. I was going to ask the same question with an added twist. I have heard that a 100 ft tube tale has the potential to cause problems with the spine of the kite. I am not sure if it is true or not. Plus I would like to know the proper way to connect tube tales to both a dual line and a quad?

Sorry did not mean to hijack your topic.

[Reef Runner]

Great question wish I could help out but I am to much of a newbie. I was going to ask the same question with an added twist. I have heard that a 100 ft tube tale has the potential to cause problems with the spine of the kite. I am not sure if it is true or not. Plus I would like to know the proper way to connect tube tales to both a dual line and a quad?

Michael, Every kite is different. Some kites have attachment points, sewn on at the factory. Some don't, and you have to get creative. As for the damage, I think that was mentioned, when someone attached a tail, up in the middle of the spine, near where the bridle lines were attached. Attach the tail at the bottom of the spine.

As for the wingtips, make up a couple of short pigtails (3"-4"), and lark's head them to the loops, down near the wing tip, where the tension line or bungee is attached. Then lark's head your tails onto the knot in that pigtail. What ever you do, when attaching to wingtips, make sure you do the exact same thing, on both sides, to keep everything balanced.

As for the spine, you can usually attach something, like a pigtail, to the very bottom of the spine, by lark's heading to the bottom of the spine, or to the piece of velcro, that is usually found at the bottom. Here is an explanation, and photos, of how I made a tail attachment point, on my new Delta Hawk. I did this before I ever took the kite out to fly. Flew it for a while, then decided to try a tail. It worked perfectly, but of course, there's not a whole lot to go wrong here. Oh, and I didn't have any idea what, if anything, I might attach to this kite. All I was doing, was creating an attachment point (a pigtail) that I could attach anything too. I do this on a lot of my dual line kites............

http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/5402-delta-hawk/page-2#entry36946

Just don't get too hung up on there being a "correct & proper procedure", for doing this. A lot of this is simply trial and error. Again, don't forget, this is not "rocket science". We are playing with kites. Have fun - be creative. You can try just about anything, on a temporary, or trial basis, with a few simple pigtails, and if it works, great, if not, try something else. When you hit on a solution, then you can make some permanent changes, or "not".

As for attaching tails to the Rev, there's the upper wingtips, and the lower ends of the two upright spars, and maybe the center loop. I don't think that I would hook anything as big and heavy as a 100' tube tail, to any of these points, but a simple, light weight streamer, or two, shouldn't present a problem. Again, as on the dual line kite, if adding two streamers, make sure whatever you do, is balanced, from side to side.

An inexpensive item, to experiment with, is surveyor's ribbon. You can get a full roll of it (Lowe's or Home Depot), for a very small investment, usually in orange or pink, and then make yourself all kinds of permanent, or disposable tails. Again, just get creative, get yourself a roll of surveyor's ribbon, make up a few pigtails, and have at it. I make up tails, using several pieces (layers) of surveyor's ribbon (maybe 4 or 6 pieces, cut 8', 12', 16', or more). I put the pieces (one end from each piece) together, fold them over a couple of times for thickness, and insert a small brass grommet through the folded area, to create an attachment point for the tail. Then I take a sharpie and label them, up near the grommet end, (i.e. 6/16, which means 6 tails X 16 feet). When done flying, just fold them up, or simply put them in a stuff bag, and use them over and over. When they wear out or become frayed, cut them off, or throw them away and make up some more. Oh, and you can attach them using snap swivels (like used for fishing) that you have tied, or pigtailed to the kite, or just lark's head pigtails through the grommet, and then onto the kite, where you may have added another pigtail. There really is no right and wrong here, just use common sense, that is, unless the kite manufacturer has provided you with attachment points on the kite. If so, snap in there, or attach a pigtail. You'll figure it out Just try something, and if it works, great ! If not , try something else.

[Stryker48]

Great question wish I could help out but I am to much of a newbie. I was going to ask the same question with an added twist. I have heard that a 100 ft tube tale has the potential to cause problems with the spine of the kite. I am not sure if it is true or not. Plus I would like to know the proper way to connect tube tales to both a dual line and a quad?

Michael, Every kite is different. Some kites have attachment points, sewn on at the factory. Some don't, and you have to get creative. As for the damage, I think that was mentioned, when someone attached a tail, up in the middle of the spine, near where the bridle lines were attached. Attach the tail at the bottom of the spine.

As for the wingtips, make up a couple of short pigtails (3"-4"), and lark's head them to the loops, down near the wing tip, where the tension line or bungee is attached. Then lark's head your tails onto the knot in that pigtail. What ever you do, when attaching to wingtips, make sure you do the exact same thing, on both sides, to keep everything balanced.

As for the spine, you can usually attach something, like a pigtail, to the very bottom of the spine, by lark's heading to the bottom of the spine, or to the piece of velcro, that is usually found at the bottom. Here is an explanation, and photos, of how I made a tail attachment point, on my new Delta Hawk. I did this before I ever took the kite out to fly. Flew it for a while, then decided to try a tail. It worked perfectly, but of course, there's not a whole lot to go wrong here. Oh, and I didn't have any idea what, if anything, I might attach to this kite. All I was doing, was creating an attachment point (a pigtail) that I could attach anything too. I do this on a lot of my dual line kites............

http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/5402-delta-hawk/page-2#entry36946

Just don't get too hung up on there being a "correct & proper procedure", for doing this. A lot of this is simply trial and error. Again, don't forget, this is not "rocket science". We are playing with kites. Have fun - be creative. You can try just about anything, on a temporary, or trial basis, with a few simple pigtails, and if it works, great, if not, try something else. When you hit on a solution, then you can make some permanent changes, or "not".

As for attaching tails to the Rev, there's the upper wingtips, and the lower ends of the two upright spars, and maybe the center loop. I don't think that I would hook anything as big and heavy as a 100' tube tail, to any of these points, but a simple, light weight streamer, or two, shouldn't present a problem. Again, as on the dual line kite, if adding two streamers, make sure whatever you do, is balanced, from side to side.

An inexpensive item, to experiment with, is surveyor's ribbon. You can get a full roll of it (Lowe's or Home Depot), for a very small investment, usually in orange or pink, and then make yourself all kinds of permanent, or disposable tails. Again, just get creative, get yourself a roll of surveyor's ribbon, make up a few pigtails, and have at it. I make up tails, using several pieces (layers) of surveyor's ribbon (maybe 4 or 6 pieces, cut 8', 12', 16', or more). I put the pieces (one end from each piece) together, fold them over a couple of times for thickness, and insert a small brass grommet through the folded area, to create an attachment point for the tail. Then I take a sharpie and label them, up near the grommet end, (i.e. 6/16, which means 6 tails X 16 feet). When done flying, just fold them up, or simply put them in a stuff bag, and use them over and over. When they wear out or become frayed, cut them off, or throw them away and make up some more. Oh, and you can attach them using snap swivels (like used for fishing) that you have tied, or pigtailed to the kite, or just lark's head pigtails through the grommet, and then onto the kite, where you may have added another pigtail. There really is no right and wrong here, just use common sense, that is, unless the kite manufacturer has provided you with attachment points on the kite. If so, snap in there, or attach a pigtail. You'll figure it out Just try something, and if it works, great ! If not , try something else.

Attaching a tail to the bottom of the spine is not the best idea as it will affect the way the kite flies and turns and potentially put unnecessary strain on the spine. It's a much better idea to attach a pigtail from the T on the lower spreaders and spine which is the kites pivot point, then attach your center tail to the pigtail. You kite will fly and turn much better. (my 2cents worth!)

GOOD LUCK!

[Michael E. Allen]

Thank you Stryker 48, I learned the hard way about flying a ribbon tail on my Prism E 3 in wind I should have not been flying in. I had landed the kite at the side of the wind window, staked down my lines and while I was walking to the kite to break it down the wind shifted just a little bit and the kite launched into the air then took a hard left and dived into the ground. I think the combination of the tail and wind speed plus the nose dive is what caused the spine to snap. So no more of me pushing my luck in strong winds.

Still have yet to get me a REV but when I do I think the only tails I will put on it will be the surveyors tape as Reef Runner mentioned earlier.

Thanks for your 2 cents that could be worth a lot more.

[spblat]

I bought an HQ Delta Hawk last year for high wind situations and several times I've had 150 feet of tail on it. Padded straps, 120' of 150# line, a Gomberg 96' transition tail and a narrower 50' tail, also from Gomberg. Holy cow that turns heads

[Reef Runner]

Yep, the Delta Hawk definitely rocks in high wind situations. I got the Red & Black model, and that thing pulls like a freight train......