new kite, broken kite

[kitetarian]

I recently visited the Trennepohl's store Kites and Fun Things in Plymouth MI and purchased a Widow NG. The trip to the store was surreal. I got to see the workshop and all the high end kites I had only seen in pictures, even a prototype glider Jon was working on. Remarkable stuff, and I learned about the industry and kite making process from talking to them. Super great people.

I wasn't able to fly it until I got up to school in the Keweenaw Peninsula, where the wind off Lake Superior is constant and smooth. The first flight out was a learning experience, couple ground crashes, working on cornering and tracking and spin stalls. The second flight was Saturday, where I made a critical error in wind estimation. I thought it was around 4Bft, in reality it was consistently 20mph (the highest the kite is rated for) and gusting to 30 (that's bft 6-7 for those keeping score) Needless to say the kite pulled like a mack truck in the power zone and I could easily fly directly above me and to both sides of the window. The wind was whistling in the lines of my kite and the boat rigging docked next to me, so that should have tipped me off to stop flying. I was attempting to snap stall the kite at about 70% of the window when the bottom spreader exploded at the center.

Whoops

Now I have to figure out when I'm going to fly, because the wind frequently gets too strong for flying during the afternoon. I experimented with flying the snapshot late last night. Let me say, shooting stars and kites are a great combination. All in all, it seems I will be able to fly almost anytime here, which is awesome because I have a lot of things to work on.

[bbailey49]

Sounds like you're going to need a kite with holes in it

[Hadge]

Waaaayyyyyyyy too much wind!!

Don't worry, everyone break bits when they start - the good news is that kites are easy to fix. Try and fly between 6-12mph if you can while you are learning. If your kite has adjustment on the uphaul (top) line make sure it is set to the longest setting when it's windy.

[kitetarian]

The high wind also explains why I had trouble doing push turns, the kite pulled so hard it was difficult to pull the line back in!

I just ordered wind screens and a replacement spreader is on the way! I thought about getting a vented but that will have to wait until the kite fund recharges. Shouldnt the bridle be adjusted to the shortest setting to bring the nose forward and have the wind hit the sail at a shallower angle and reduce sail pressure? longer would bring the sail more perpendicular to the wind and increase sail pressure. That's how I visualize it anyway.

Also, for the best service and kindest people, check out kitesandfunthings.com, the Trennepohl's have been super great to me.

[SHBKF]

I have broken at least five kites in the last two years. Most were in the first six months. First one was a broken leading edge spar that was caused by a sudden unplanned "landing" on a beach in fairly smooth easy conditions. Just thought the kite would turn a little more sharply. All of the others were in conditions you have mentioned, at or past the limit of the kite's intended range & a bit past the flier's skill. But it was all great fun & luckily no sail damage. But breaking a kite with the raw force of the wind was the best. Anytime your kite seems to be flying a little funny it is time to land & check it. You may have a loose standoff or even a broken spine. If it is shuddering, quivering, shaking or something like that consider it fair warning. I have experienced a few sessions where landing was hard to accomplish because of the short narrow field & the high wind. Regardless, sounds like a great session. I call it makin' memories. Rock on, Rock on! SHBKF

[BrianS]

Shouldnt the bridle be adjusted to the shortest setting to bring the nose forward and have the wind hit the sail at a shallower angle and reduce sail pressure?

Yeah, that's definitely the way you want to go when you need to reduce pressure on the sail.

[Hadge]

In light winds you reduce the length of the uphaul line, pulling the nose forward giving a lower angle of attack (AoA) to 'catch' more of the available wind. In stronger winds increase the length of the uphaul, giving a higher AoA letting the kite 'spill' some of the wind reducing the pressure. That said, with some kites in very strong winds you may find that shortening the uphaul back to the light wind setting does actually help by depowering the sail.

[kitetarian]

ok that makes sense. I was having the problem of having too much sail pressure in high winds and thus need to lower aoa to not break the kite (which I failed to do)