Throw Launching a Stack (with video)

[riffclown]

Those of you that hang out with me in the chat room know I've been talking about this for a while. I've done it successfully a few times with my Rev Stack...

With the new stack, and shorter stack line and 35' flying lines, I was able to hit it about 90% of the time. Today was the first time ever twice in a row and the first time for video.. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else even try this..

Enjoy!!

 

 

[szobelda]

Very impressive. Congratulations [emoji119]

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[riffclown]

Thank You.. Been working on it for a while but the secret to success seems to be shorter stack lines.. Means less can go wrong..

[John Barresi]

What, no catch?

[riffclown]

2 minutes ago, John Barresi said:

What, no catch?

Actually tried it.. Not ready for video yet..

[John Barresi]

I've done both catch and throw with a double stack of 1.5's on normal length train lines, there are a couple of photos by John Chilese (from Kite Party) wandering around...

The throw when I did it right, caused the two kites to separate and fly out to the end of the lines like a bi-plane, actually increasing hang time.

The catch is much trickier, basically requiring a quick catch of the first kite and fluid pass off to the lower hand, in time to reach back up for the second kite with the lead hand - alternatively, I caught low (1st) kite with my left (also holding both handles) and high kite with my right, like snap-snap.

[riffclown]

The distance between kites in my stack is about half of normal stack distance.. I'd really only have to catch the front and back kites to make it "look" right..

My one "successful" catch worked when I dropped the handles, and accidentally did just that.. i ended up with a kite in each hand and one suspended between.

But it took much longer to straighten everything out to relaunch..

[John Barresi]

Looking forward to practiced examples. 

[photomom]

Well, I'm very impressed!!!!!!!!!!!!  Wow!!!!!!!!!!

[SparkieRob]

Catch part.
I've caught a few of my 4 stack on 30 foot lines with 4.5 foot train lines. Most successful was holding my handles in left hand and hold that arm straight out. Right arm kind of pointing to the sky. And the catch part is like you playing Pacman with the kites. Positioning yourself to be quite centre really helps. That, and a shallow arc keeps it tight.

I saw the pics of JB catching 2 and it started from there with me. I sometimes just use a 2 stack on 30 foot at my local basketball court. Good fun.


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[riffclown]

For the basic start everything in the tutorial for catch and throw of course applies.. Adding the extra dimension of the stack means you have to think of each kite's throw somewhat individually until they separate and become a unified stack. For the Launch, I Split the kites at the front very slightly so they separate quickly.. If they don't start separating as soon as they leave the hand, the chances of the stack lines fouling increase quickly. Shortening the stack lines helps to decrease those chances. If they separate too quickly, the stack will stall out and fall to the ground before your get to the ends of the flying lines.. A bit of experimentation was needed to get the toss just right. Just a fingertip of separation at the toss works for me. 

Here are a few stills from the vid to show the kites going out at 3 separate angles and how it affects the glide of each one until just before they become a stable unit.. I'll be increasing my flying line length incrementally until I can do this on 65' and then 80' lines (Hopefully.)

..

[makatakam]

Really awesome. Would definitely be a crowd-pleaser intro to a stack routine.

[riffclown]

Thanks,, Found a bit of music on the YouTube site that actually seemed to fit the video well..Added that to the experience.

Side Note. Thank you @Bill Clay for throwing the link up on Facebook for me..

Found one frame in yesterday's video that show the stack fanned out nicely..

[Steve Jenkins]

Amazing!!! 

Just when I feel like I'm making a little progress, I see something like this! 

It's taken me all week to recover from watching JB fly on the NC beach last weekend. You veteran flyers make it look so easy. Well, to put things in prospective, a month ago I couldn't even spell Revolution and now I own three of them.

[riffclown]

5 hours ago, Steve Jenkins said:

Amazing!!! 

Just when I feel like I'm making a little progress, I see something like this! 

It's taken me all week to recover from watching JB fly on the NC beach last weekend. You veteran flyers make it look so easy. Well, to put things in prospective, a month ago I couldn't even spell Revolution and now I own three of them.

That's enough for a stack.  Seriously, I envy you for being  able to make the trip and spend the time with a master.. It was his B2 video with the catch and throw that inspired me to want a Rev in the first place.. I'm not a master but I do watch tutorials and I'm willing to try just about anything within reason. It's always fun to learn.

[Paul LaMasters]

Ha!, we all know that new kite acquisition feeling.  

My repaired 6-pack stacks of baby Ryvs (3 of them) are finally done and available for pick-up in Ocean City THURSDAY!  I left 'em with the kite doctor, gave him a whole year to work on 'em and no budget limitations.  They were built with automotive oh-rings and belt-loop styled attachment points (seemed brilliant at the time, no knots!) originally.  Dry rot and UV exposure poisoning have taken them out of action.  Everything had to be disassembled, replaced or repaired, but the toughest part is the stacking lines between them.  

Harold Ames made two 6-pack stacks (42 inch Skyshark UL Spine, leading edge and the skinnier part of a cut-down SS Response 12 for the down spars).  The train lines linked thru all the kites, each wing mounted independently to it and it was affixed to the bridle instead of the frame for more rigidity.  No knots were visible on the link lines either, the kites slid forward slightly and the knot was revealed from inside the end-cap, which was a flexible rubber fitting like you'd use on magic stick stand-offs,.. a little shock absorber, so you'd cut thru the cap if you affixed to it).  They flew inverted 360's on 100 feet of line in no wind!!  I promised Barbara (1999-2000) that if she let me get two stacks I'd never ask her for another kite again, ever!  In bigger wind or to fly them as a twelve pack stack you inserted point 125 carbon tubes into the first 2 or 3 kites at the leading edge to stiffen the frames)

The other 6 pack stack was made by Paul Dugard, only 36 inches of leading edge, pultruded carbon tube, you fly these babies when the port-potties are being blown over and the coast guard "won't go out of the harbor".  You fly these when you can't see you feet because these so much blowing debris, and your pant legs sound like part of the percussion section's marching band.  You fly these bubble bees with the width of your thumbs ONLY, remember to breath and watch the BACK kite, it has farther to travel.

I can't wait to throw one of these stacks on the lines and have a gas regardless of the wind.

The best part?  The doctor asking me  "do they all have to link together and fly as an 18 pack?"  No, that would be an extremely unreasonable expectation.  These baby Ryvs have been in our shed untouched since about '07, I can barely sleep at night waiting for Thursday to get here.

I'll try the catch with a 6 pack stack if I can get someone to offer sherpa assistance on the inevitable untangles.

Sunfest this weekend, if you want a try 'em out.  I know they can be repaired,....... again

[riffclown]

Sunfest?

[riffclown]

@Paul LaMasters

How did your stack throwing turn out..Is it going to be in your EIEIO???

[Paul LaMasters]

Tangled mess, not throwing a six pack

[riffclown]

I've thrown the 4 stack now successfully a few times in beach wind.. I hope someone got video.. I did have witnesses.   Would love to have "proof"

[Paul LaMasters]

I flew a quad/stack pairs routine with Harold Ames (the babies' builder) this past weekend at Blue Ridge Kite Fest.  He hasn't flown a quad in 4 years and not touched the babies for over 7!  I'm the one on the ground (in a tangled mess) before Hendrix finished the song though.  Those babies recognized huge sized Harold immediately and played nicely for him!

We hugged each other afterwards and then I showed him the new case crafted by Brianne Howard for these kites.  One side holds 18 and the other half is so far unused.

case two.pdf

[riffclown]

10 hours ago, Paul LaMasters said:

I flew a quad/stack pairs routine with Harold Ames (the babies' builder) this past weekend at Blue Ridge Kite Fest.  He hasn't flown a quad in 4 years and not touched the babies for over 7!  I'm the one on the ground (in a tangled mess) before Hendrix finished the song though.  Those babies recognized huge sized Harold immediately and played nicely for him!

We hugged each other afterwards and then I showed him the new case crafted by Brianne Howard for these kites.  One side holds 18 and the other half is so far unused.

case two.pdf

Were you throw launching them??

[Paul LaMasters]

My six 42 inch leading edge revs in a stack are never thrown, I'm too respectful of the level of effort that went into crafting them

you start your OIOU/Freestyle routine with that signature move and I assure you, I'll withdraw un-flown and probably everyone else will too!

you try that fancy pants throwing stuff in Hot Tricks and you'll be out in the first round, NO you save that for the final round, the final trick, it's a "beat that" moment, All or nothing!

[riffclown]

I was only asking because the topic of this thread is "Throw Launching a Stack".. As for me competing, It's very unlikely.. I do plan to be throwing a five or six stack before Summer though.. Hopefully I'll get video..

FWIW, we'll cross paths at some point.. You can try it with my stack..

[Paul LaMasters]

competition can be about measuring yourself against your peers, or it can be just a bunch of friends taking turns entertaining each other, you decide the level of commitment for yourself.  For 4 minutes you have to watch me regardless of my activities or commitment to the sport kite competition.

for me, it's always been about the fun aspects.  What did they do, what can I match it against from my own efforts?  what can I truly envy and incorporate as my own?  What can I share, that I have mastered?

Competition is where the cutting-edge takes place, all the best and newest stuff will be there, as well as your friends!  How can you not want to be included in that?

Some of my best times in kiting have taken place on the competition field.  I seldom win and it doesn't matter either way after an hour.  But sharing the laughs and comments while each other throws their efforts down,.. it's what makes a great weekend.  Don't go home angry because you didn't win.  Instead "take the best and dump the rest".

I'd love to spank your stack, but I doubt I could successfully launch 3 of 'em trained together.  More? I wouldn't even want to attempt!

Enjoy and get some video taken,.. "out takes" are more entertaining that success.  I'm reminiscing about Dave Shenkman's instructional video tape.  At the end are his failures and friend's comments about it.  That carries you thru the learning curve, or at least it did for me.

ENJOY the discovery of new techniques and thank you very much for sharing your passion with us all.

-plm