4linekites help 4 line kite

[Bruce prall]

I bought a hengda 2.4  4 line kite tried to fly it two days and failed.

It would go up a couple of feet turn left anddown.the lines were all different lengths I made them all the same. Should the top and bottom lines be the same length? When I put the handles to get her and Launch it dose the same thing to the left and down.

How do you trim a kite to launch stright? 

[John Barresi]

Hi, I deleted your duplicate posts on this subject - please be patient, folks will assist as they come online.

[riffclown]

First I will tell you up front that the Hengda Quad is not of the same manufacturing standards of many other quads.. I do own one myself and while it isn't a bad kite the lines that come with it rarely make it to standards.. All that being said there is still hope. Please take all of this as a genuine effort to assist and not an insult to your kite. I own one myself and all of this advice is based on personal experience.

First and absolutely foremost, make sure ALL four lines are of equal length. Differences as little as 1/4" can have adverse effects. JB's Line Equalization Video is invaluable here. Because of the lines the Hengda comes with, you may have to repeat often until the lines are all equally stretched out.. The materials they use are more susceptible to stretch and line creep. Not insurmountable but you need to be aware of it. I highly suggest considering some Skybond or LPG lines in your near future..

2. Suspect everything.. make sure the Bridles aren't wrapped, tangled or twisted. Measure from the attachment point for the line to the face of the kite. Also keep in mind the vertical spar go in the back of the kite and support the sail itself. Hopefully you already knew that but if you didn't, lesson learned and don't tell anyone..

Check the top two bridles. They should be equal to each other and a perfect mirror pair. The bottom two bridles should also be equal to each other.. Laying the kite out flat and tugging on the bridles just enough to lift the kite should give you a visual clue. Repeat with the bottom bridles.. If everything is good (read symmetrical) there you are ready to test fly again..

IF the Bridles are off and you can't fix them, a replacement Bridle for a Rev will work on the Hengda.. Inspect the material of the kite first to make sure you are prepared for the additional investment.  Kitelife sells replacement 1.5 bridles and they will work just fine on the Hengda assuming the sail is properly symmetrical.. Fold it along the vertical middle and make sure the halves match.

Failing all of that, find an experienced flier to help tune your kite for you.. Be prepared as some fliers frown heavily on what is commonly referred to as knock-offs. Hengda is a less expensive sail for a reason.. It's not a bad kite, but for beginners, the inconsistencies among sails can make the learning curve exasperating. Fly other people's kites for a bit if you can and learn more about what makes the quads tick so you can tune your kite to meet your needs.

If this is your first quad, consider seriously getting a used EXP or Similar starter kite and learning from that point. Not saying the Hengda won't work for you, just implying that the venture into quads is much easier when you only have yourself to suspect when the kite isn't flying the way you want.. The Hengda CAN be adjusted and will meet some aspect of your needs once you become more proficient. FWIW, I keep a Hengda that I have installed replacement bridles on, in my bag and have used it to share with others. 

Good Luck and Welcome to KiteLife.

 

[makatakam]

Hi, Bruce, and welcome to quad-line kiting, AKA the dark side. 

Ok, so you don't get a Lamborghini at a Volkswagen price, unless you get extremely lucky, but that doesn't mean the VW won't get you where you want to go. It will just take a bit longer.

Yes to everything Riffclown said, and then a couple more things. I will repeat some of what he said so please be patient. Be aware that any one, or any combination, of the things discussed here will give your kite a "mind of its own".

Symmetry is everything, starting at the kite and all the way to and including the handles. Take the leading edge frame rod completely out of the sleeve. Fold the kite in the middle so the left and right tips come together exactly. The outside edges of both halves ideally should line up perfectly. Left and right side should be a mirror image of each other. If not, note which side appears to be larger and we'll address how to adjust for that later on.

Next, check the frame. In this style of quad each frame member is usually the same length. The center piece of the leading edge will have a ferrule at each end, but the tube minus the ferrules should be the same length as the other four. Check each of the five frame members for splits or cracks by holding it by the ends and twisting firmly. If there are any, you will feel and possibly even hear the defect. If any are cracked or broken they must be replaced. When you assemble the kite to fly it the ferrules that connect the leading edge members MUST be completely seated. If one is not, then the kite will do exactly what you described.

After the frame comes the bridle. Get your measuring stick and check if every leg of the bridle on the left exactly matches the length of the corresponding bridle on the right. Don't worry about anything less than 1/4 of an inch. Anything over, make them match. When assembling the kite to fly and as you attach the flying lines, make sure that there are not twists or tangles in the bridle. Again, a perfect mirror image, left and right, is the ideal.

At this point we check the bungees and endcaps. Each corresponding pair - leading edge tips, upper uprights and lower uprights - should be the same distance from the sail. When the kite is assembled, the upper endcaps should not protrude more than 1/4 of an inch above the leading edge, and although this is not critical at the outset, it will make a difference when you begin doing inverted side slides close to or on the ground eventually. When you assemble the kite, make sure each endcap is seated completely on the frame and there are no twists or tangles in the bungees. Remember, symmetry is everything, and even the upper upright caps should ideally mirror each other, with the bungee running to either the inside (toward the center) or the outside.

Now we come to the flying lines. The ones that come with most kites manufactured in China are not "premium" grade. This doesn't mean they won't work. It just means that you'll have to do some extra work to make them work. First, go outside and anchor one end of lines with a stake or on something else that will not give when you put 75 pounds of tension on the lines. Don't let the end loops cross or twist when you check the length at the other end. Go to the other end and stretch and put about 75 pounds of tension on each line individually for two to five minutes. Now check if they are all the same length. If you have 1/4 of an inch in one or more you should equalize them. Watch the line equalization tutorial if you don't know how to do this.

Ok, we're done, right? Wrong! Let's check the handles and leaders. The handles should be bent at the same angle -- if not, adjust by making the shallower one match the other by giving it some more bend. Don't try to unbend the one with the deeper bend. You may crack it, and a little "extra" bend helps just a bit when you are learning. The leaders on top should be exactly the same length and the knots on each should be spaced identically. Top leaders should be 5 to 7 inches longer than the bottoms and have at least six knots spaced at 5/8" intervals. You can make the tops longer by tying a loop in similar line, untying the leaders from the handles, tying the loop to the handle, and larksheading the leaders to the knot in the loop. The bottom leaders can be left as they are, but if they have only one knot, tie in another, or two if there is enough room.

Not too complicated, huh? It's not rocket science -- it's kite science! Much easier than rocket science. If everything is perfect, the kite will launch and fly straight up as long as you keep the handles in the same position. If something is a little off the kite will have a tendency to turn slightly to one side. If more than one thing is significantly off on the same side this tendency increases exponentially with each one. What that means is that if 3 things are off on the same side of the kite, it will have 8 times the tendency to turn. Some of these issues can be resolved quickly on the flying field by moving the line attachment point. So, if one line is considerably longer you can bring it in one knot on the leader. If the kite wants to turn left, as in your case, bring the upper left line in a couple knots, or let the upper right line out a couple. In other words, you want to speed up one side or slow down the other, or a little of both. 

So, this is all you need to do to make it fly correctly. Other option is to buy better made kites, which also feature better quality control, parts availability and access to the manufacturer's warranty. The lack of quality control and good materials can leave a very sour taste in the mouth of a beginner, and possibly just give up in total frustration. I don't intend to disillusion you as you begin this venture but it is the nature of this beast, with which you are not yet very familiar. In time you will come to know exactly what is causing any peculiarity as soon as you launch, and be able to adjust for it in a moment. 

There are hordes of kite fliers in California. My recommendation is to share a field with an experienced pilot at a festival near you, and there are many all up and down the west coast, especially if what we looked at here doesn't resolve the issue. Don't let frustration get the better of you. We all had all the problems you have now and survived to tell about it. You will too. 

Good luck. Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe. 

[dragonfish]

Welcome Bruce. 

You've got great advice from the above posters already. I'll add two more things. To check the bridle, you don't even need a measuring stick. Since the frame is already out of the kite, and the sail folded in half from previous steps, you can simply compare the right and left sides of the bridle side by side. And check for extraneous knots in the bridle that may be shortening one side. The pigtails you attach the flying line to can sometimes wrap around the bridle and form an extra knot. That is enough to cause the kite to favor one side. I've had such a knot form spontaneously between packing a kite up and setting it up again, and the kite didn't feel right when I flew it. Good luck.

[Bruce prall]

I want to thank ever one for there help.

I bought a revolution from Dave shenkman the kite connection the Friday befor the 4 of July and have been flying it.  I can keep it up in the air but have a lot to learn. Thank you  everyone. 

Ps I returned the other kite

 

[makatakam]

Cool. If you can, fly with Dave or check with him for locals who can give you hand, unless of course you're not having any problems. If you learn alone, as I did, it will take twice the time it would as sharing the field with an experienced flyer.

Keep us up-to-date on your progress. Any questions -- we're waiting with the answers.