Stacking Question

[mrfixit]

Ok maybe this is where I should ask my question.  I want to know how far to stack kites?  Not only eddys,but others as well.  I am working on dual line , and quad liners.  Like eddys , sleds, deltas, and others.  I make all my own kites, I have been doing this for years. I just lately thought of stacking them.

 

Mike

[riffclown]

@mrfixit I split this off into its own topic so you can get the maximum visibility and hopefully the responses you are looking for.. I love stacks and fly both dual and quadline stacks a LOT..

Stack distances vary widely based on kite type. Single/Dual/Quad.  There are many rules and we've all heard 2/3rds and 3/4th as well as other wisdoms.. The only real rule is it can't be so tight that it interferes with the airflow of the kite behind it and it can't be so long the stack loses cohesion.  The kite stack lines MUST be equalized or the stack will inherit a bad wobble.. You HAVE to tune.. The general rule of thumb will serve you well but be aware the option are as varied as the kites you choose..

 

For SLK, the stacks tend to self correct so a single stack line to train them all is usually the way to go,,Enough space to allow the individual kites to fly is quite sufficient most of the time. Stacking SLK Cellular kites is probably quite tricky but I have no experience with that particular aspect of stacking.

Dual Line kites tend to use from 3-5 stack lines.. once the stack gets past around 5 kites, you have to consider either a ghost frame or strengthening the frame of the front kite.

Quad Line Kites.. The 2/3rd of the LE is a great place to start.. Anything longer and the stack will stop acting like a single unified stack.. Shorter is very doable but you HAVE to take time and tune..

Soft kites have to be designed to be stacked OR you have to modify them to do so..  

Short answer is there is no short answer to your question.. Start with rule of thumb and individualize your stacks from there.. Premade stack lines are the way to go if you are uncomfortable making your own..

[Guest LeeBB]

This Is Some great Information, Looks Like I’ll be trying to stack a couple Micron Prism together Someday.  I think the visual from these stacks are amazing and the traction must be a treat as well

[wen]

Also, take turns slowly at first until you get a feel for how much the stack wobbles and how much you can do without the last kite losing air.

[SparkieRob]

For my Rev stacks, I use the 4 foot train lines. That would be 8/15ths I think, 7.5 foot wing. The bottom train lines on my last kite is 40-50mm shorter than all the rest to apply a little brake to pull the stack tight.

With them, shorter train lines they will pull you less.

 

Edited for clarity...

 

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[SparkieRob]

Oh, and on my dedicated stack I reverse the last sail so it can be "seen" by the people watching! Stacks draw a crowd!!

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[8thelephant]

On 8/14/2019 at 4:27 AM, SparkieRob said:

Oh, and on my dedicated stack I reverse the last sail so it can be "seen" by the people watching! Stacks draw a crowd!!

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Great tip Rob! I've gotta try that the next time out with stacks.

Aside from the great info already mentioned here, I'd just like to add that making the stack lines equal lengths can be critical for most Dual-Line and Quad-Line kites. If the winds are smooth, the kites are the right distance apart, sails/frames are in good shape; and you still get a little wobble....your stack lines could be a little off.

My Neutrino 3-stack did some violent wobbling upon it's 2nd launch (gusty day+newbie silliness) and I discovered that one of the stack line hooks had managed to attach itself to the upper spreader instead of the leading edge which shortened that line about 10mm. This was very hard to control

I've since replaced the hooks with pigtails+looped lines which works wonderfully.