Kite Wind Speed Range Rating

[Phil in Ottawa]

When they say a kite is rated for a specific wind speed range (e.g., 5-32 kph), what is the maximum wind speed rating based on?

Is it the design of the kite, the size of the kite, the materials the kite is made out of, the strength and/or the length of the line it's being flown with?

Would going to a stronger weight line (e.g., up to 150lb from 100lb) increase the upper wind speed limit? Or are you stuck with the maximum speed because of the specific kite you have regardless of the line?

Thanks,

Phil

[Wayne Dowler]

Sometimes it seems like a figure just pulled out of thin air!! I use my own judgement on wind range, not trusting some advertising figures. Max range is a number theoretically you can fly at, but is it really practical?? In most cases, pretty useless unless used as an indicator!! IMHO!!

[Hadge]

The 'minimum ' usually means the absolute minimum the designer can get the thing into the air in perfect conditions, the maximum is the speed the second before the kite explodes! Mere mortals need to take these figures with a pinch of salt!

Design and materials have a lot to do with the kite wind performance. Lines makes a difference in as much as an Ultralight kite isn't going to fly well with a heavy 150lb line - too much drag but it won't increase it's top speed rating. Realistically a duel line kite isn't going to trick well at much above 15 mph even if it's vented, better to get out something you can paint the sky with instead.

[RobB]

For a dual line kite...

Top wind range- when the wingtips start to shudder & shake, it's time to land & put the kite away before it gets broken.

Bottom wind range- if you can't get the kite to fly, that's beneath the kite's wind range. Some pilots will be able to get it to fly, some won't. Bottom wind range isn't so dependant on the kite, more the pilot. I've heard of people that can get a vented kite to fly indoors...

Hope this helps, like the others said above, take the advertised wind ranges lightly. They're meant to give you an idea before you take the kite out of the bag, or before you buy it.

[SHBKF]

Yes, the shuddering right before the "CRACK". Seems like I saw kites shake several times without heeding the warnings. Finally I learned to fly to the side & land. Wind ratings for kites remind me of temperature ratings for sleeping bags. They are a guide to help you choose what might work for you. There are many variables to consider, sleeping pad, tent or bivouac bag, clothes, hot drink as you retire, wind, humidity & so on. I have a thirty eight degree bag that I am easily comfortable in down to twenty five or so. But my twenty degree bag barely makes it to twenty. I have a forty below bag "just because I can".

[makatakam]

Sometimes the stated wind range is what the defines the best performance limits of a particular design. In other words, the kite can be flown below and above the specified range but it will not allow peak performance, kind of like the power curve of an automotive engine. It is where you will find optimal results. Not enough RPM, no go. Too much RPM, engine cooks.