Getting Going

[FrostyDogs]

Hi,  just starting off with kites and picked up a REV EXP and three days ago had so much wind had to put kite away. Or was going to break it.  And now the weekend is here and we have 0 nada ZIP not a gust of wind LOOL.  Have downloaded all videos and want to fly but just not going to happen this weekend.  Can see ya need a few kites one for 0 wind and one for 15 or more wind. 

What is game plan in summer when winds are low ??

Think my EXP kite the right side always wants to drop and not total sure why playing with string length but it just always has less power with right wing.  Have maybe 10 hours total fly time could be just stretching some and the left and right are not same.  Time will tell on trying to understand just what the deal is.

Thanks for any pointers on why right wing is low on power.

 

 

[riffclown]

Check out JB's line Equalizing Video.. It is a great start and a life long lesson in line maintenance..

Sent you the link..

[FrostyDogs]

Thanks will look them over again it is wild how just one inch diff in them makes huge diff.

 

[riffclown]

A trick I've seen Khal do many time to check the entire chain of Handles, Lines and Kite is to put the kite in launch position, Place the handles together exactly side by side and launch, If the kite rises vertically, you are good to go.. If it drifts or turns then adjust, lines, knots or bridles accordingly..

Everything might be perfect line wise and you might find the smallest kink in the bridle or the knot is twisted or some other thing you wouldn't notice otherwise....

 

New lines especially might need to be equalized a few times before they are "locked in" pretty well..

[makatakam]

Hi, FrostyDogs, and welcome to the forum. All parts of the kite and bridle, left and right, must be symmetrical to within at least 3/16 of an inch. Dead on is ideal. The flying lines should be of equal length to within a 1/4 of an inch, and again,  dead on is better. Check that none of the frame members is cracked, and that they are not a mixed set. Check all the bungees for equal and adequate tension. If it still wants to drop on the right, the sail may be stretched if the kite was purchased used. You can compensate for the drop by bringing the top line on the side that wants to drop in one or more knots towards the handle. Ideally go to a festival near you and have an experienced flyer take a look at it.

Where in Iowa are you? Illinois Kite Enthusiasts (IKE) is a club that I belong to, and if you can get to any of the festivals or club flys in this area we can help. Take some pictures of the kite in the field with the lines attached and some good detail shots of the tips and post them here. Maybe we can spot what causes the problem.

The wind can be there or not, anytime, anywhere. Most flyers have kites that are suitable for whatever the wind throws at them, which means at least three or four kites in the bag. Once you get the hang of the EXP, you will have a better idea of what you may need to handle the prevailing wind conditions in your area. The EXP is a good start, and will handle more than half of the winds you encounter.

Good luck. Smile, have fun, and don't forget to breathe.

[FrostyDogs]

Thanks riffclown just took the lines and put screw driver in ground and walked them out 10 times to make them lay nice and flat...  Then found out that top left line now is like 2 inch longer it must of stretched out Thursday in the high wind day.

Just went for a fly and now on launch it goes almost straight up still some dog wag to the right.

Thinking of making a plywood test stand have kite lay up on it and then goto end of handles and just see what the deal is.

Iam very lucky got to rent the farmers field so just have to grab kite and cross gravel road and FLY on top of 40 acre field.

makatakam my location is just north of Cedar Rapids Iowa about 30 miles keep me posted if there is something by the river so it be half way drive would be cool.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE HELP !!

 

[riffclown]

I'm glad you got it straightened out.. Enjoy that kite

 

[FrostyDogs]

Got a SkyDog 5.0 also wind is picking up some almost scared to fly it now WOW it pulls

[Wayne Dowler]

Close is good, but equal is better. Most lines, even from the start, are rarely even! Few make exact linesets. It's you that has to check! 

riff's method of checking is a great field check to see how they influence flight. Nice thing is it can be done at anytime. 

Breathe!!!!

[FrostyDogs]

Yep find it interesting that 1/2 inch in 65 feet can make that much diff but it sure does. Think from now will just do the check then fly. 

 

[riffclown]

45 minutes ago, FrostyDogs said:

Got a SkyDog 5.0 also wind is picking up some almost scared to fly it now WOW it pulls

Please tell me this isn't your only foray into powerkiting.. That's a lot of kite to start with.. either way.. Please be careful with that kite.. A 5M kite can seriously hurt you.  Don't be a statistic..

[FrostyDogs]

Been good nock on wood. LOL and your profile pic what you flying a REV with big handles LOL

[riffclown]

In my profile pic I'm flying a 2.5M Bullet (bottom) if I remember correctly.. With those handles it was either the 2.5 Bullet or the 4.5.. I've also been flying Powerkites for quite some time. I didn't start with a 5M.. My first Power kite was a 2M and then followed by a 4M once I learned the respect for what the wind could do..

My HQ Crossfires and my 8M HQ Toxic all have HQ Handles..

Flexifoil Bullet 2.5 By riffclown

 

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[FrostyDogs]

WOW 8M that must pull like a Train !!

 

[riffclown]

8M Toxic at the Wright Memorial By riffclown

 

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Here's Chris Shultz from HQ Kites flying my 8M at the Wright Memorial.. and yes it does pull like a train..

The 4M Crossfire pulls too..Chris Shultz again flying my 4M at the Rogallo.. (Jockey's Ridge) Probably a +300ft Scudding Exhibition

 

[riffclown]

But bottom line when it comes to the powerkite scene.. Please practice Safety over Adventure until you know yours and the kite's boundaries.. That way, if you're going to take a risk, you are aware of it fully..Be Safe..

[FrostyDogs]

Ya 1st time up with the 5 had brakes on 4th knot and now have it moved up to 1st knot I only fly it right now in like 10 mph winds or under.  It wants to fold up in two in low wind and not fill the air channels.  YES it truly is big kite but in lower winds great fun need to pick up like a 2.6 think that would work great.  Have a small 1.3 from HQ that got a few moths back in strong winds thing is like a dart left right great fun and not like your going to break anything on it like on a frame kite. Trying to post a pic but it not letting me.

[riffclown]

One thing about a big kite, You'll learn and know the Wind window very well out of necessity alone..

[SHBKF]

Nothing quite like a 7 meter hot launch.  First one I did I immediately went into a scud toward a parked vehicle I thought was far enough away.  Deployed the kite killers, landing the sail.  I packed it up & pondered the situation a bit.  One good gust & I would have had a superman day with that 7 meter Blaze.

[FrostyDogs]

Yep from about 8 to 11 clock it pulls like CRAZY but right over head it just sits there. Working left and right up high not bad at but get close to ground and going left to right ya better run or let go. If had a buggie with skates on it on lake would be tons of fun this winter.

[riffclown]

Try to avoid trusting it directly overhead. A good gust comes along and you are 10ft (or more) off the ground with very few good options. Try to explore the left and right edges of the window. Easier to react to uncertainty there.

[SegelFlieger]

"Pulling" back to the subject of line equalization...

I have a very precise way to make my own line-sets.  There are parts of my procedure that can also apply to "line equalization".  I will summarize them here.
 

Materials needed:
~4 feet of 1/8" shock cord
1" square of scrap Dacron or other padding material.
forceps, or suitable clamp
5 tent stakes.

I make and equalize my lines under tension.  It is important to provide equal tension to each line. You will find that you become frustrated if you lay out four 120' lines (rough cut), grab all of them in your hand and pull some tension, cut them all to the same length;  trying the procedure a second time you will find some of your lines are longer or shorter by 1/4 inch or more.
I designed a Tensioning Tool and method that prevents this problem from happening and it is really quite a simple design (even if the explanation seems long).  This is not a "field fix" and it does take some time... but if you find a day with No Wind and want to do something kite-related, this is something both rewarding and practical that you can do to get that "kite fix" on those days.

Step 1.  Make a Tensioning Tool.
Create a set of Tensioning Shock Cords.  I use 1/8” shock cord.  Cut four 10" lengths and seal the ends by melting them with a lighter. Tie a knot at both ends.  Sew a "mark" stitch close to one end (I use red thread).  Tie another mark stitch exactly 3 inches away from the first. (note, I used a more accurate method of suspending each piece of shock cord with a 2 lb weight and then defining my "mark" threads, however the shock cord is probably uniform in "stretch per length" for these short lengths.  For this purpose you can probably get away with just tying the "mark" knots with the cord relaxed).

Make 4 staggered tethering lines out of a material that wont stretch, I used bridle line.  Tie a loop in both ends of these with enough length to tie larks head knots.  Tie each of these to the Tensioning Shock Cords with a larks head knot.

You will also need a clamp, I use forceps, and also a small piece of Dacron or other material to protect the lines when you clamp them (explained later).

This picture should help clarify what I just described:
Picture of Tools

Step 2. Setup one end of your lines (Fixed End)
Lay out your lines and place one of the tent stakes in the ground, deep, so it wont pull out.  Loop all four ends of your line set onto this one stake.  This is the end that you will NOT be adjusting.  The "Fixed End".

 

Step 3. Setup the Adjustment End of your lines
At the other end of your lines, tie a larks head knot from your lines onto each Tensioning Tool.  One line at a time, pull the tether with a tent stake inserted at the end until the marks on the Tensioning Tool are exactly 4" apart (stretched now and under tension).  Insert the tent stake in the ground (deep) so that it does not move and verify that the marks are still 4" apart.  Do this for each line.  You will also see why the tether lengths need to be different to allow each stake to be put in the ground while keeping the lines close together.

 

Step 4.  Equalize the lines
With each line under equal tension as described in Step 3, clamp all four lines close to the  Adjustment End with the Tensioning Tool.  Make sure to use padded protection between the lines and your clamp so that you do not damage your lines.  This is where you use the piece of 1" square Dacron.
Once the lines are clamped you may now remove the four tent stakes at the adjustment end.  Untie the sleeving from each line and push it towards the clamp that holds your four lines.  Pull the "Adjustment Ends" of all four of the lines together with very little tension and either cut the ends to a new uniform length or mark them with a sharpie where the new equalization point should be.  (note, cutting the lines also requires having to melt the ends to keep them from fraying.  Just mark the lines if you do not feel comfortable melting your line ends).

Step 5.  Finish your lines.
Remove the clamp.  Move your sleeves back to the equalized mark (if you marked your lines), or so that a equal amount of line is exposed beyond your sleeves (1/8th inch or so if you cut your lines).

Re-tie your end loop at the Adjustment End.  Insure that the End Loop Lengths are exactly the same length between all four lines (knot to end of loop) and that the amount of line exposed beyond the sleeve is also exactly the same for each line.

Step 6. Double Check (optional)
With all four lines still secured at the Fixed End and the clamp removed, reattach all four lines to the Tensioning Tool cords and pull each line under tension until the red thread marks are 4 inches apart.  All the lines should now be the same length.

Hopefully my experience is helpful but it does require some work.

SF

 

 

[FrostyDogs]

SegelFlieger Thanks for the info. Had that idea yesterday when working with lines to stretch then with a light weight.  So lines take a set.

[SegelFlieger]

2 lbs of tension won't be enough to set your lines, you probably already know that.  2 lbs is enough to equalize your lines though once they have been set or used for a while.  I should have also mentioned that step 6 (Double Check Line Length) could be performed first in order to check your lines to see if they need to be adjusted.

SF

[SHBKF]

An intermediate step could be an option if you fly dualies like I do.  Fly pairs of your new line set using a full size dual line kite on a day with decent wind.  Enjoy them while they take a set.  Then proceed to give them a final adjustment for duty as a quad line set next time out.  If you fly "right handed" you might swap lines left for right from time to time as your dominant hand will tend to give harder inputs which eventually sets it further.  Least that is what I notice about my line sets.  I checked eleven sets of dual lines the other afternoon & had to equalize six of them.  I have a swivel round eye bolt snap fence stapled to a hitching post in my side yard.  It's real handy for quickly attaching a set & walking down toward the apple tree where I sit in the grass to make the adjustments.  A three quarter inch correction is not uncommon on a line set that has been in use for some time.  Just some thoughts from out here in the sticks.   SHBKF