Ultralight Freestyle Kite Build - Plans?

[Fearoflightning]

I live in an area with fairly intermittent winds, so I have to travel some distance to have a good flying day.  I need an ultralight.  I've been bitten by the freestyle bug and want a pretty capable kite, but I am a poor college student for the next few years.  I do however have access to many engineering labs - including one with some fancy sewing equipment used for making aerospace grade fabrics.  I've seen it used for some parachutes before.  This got the wheels turning...

I'm usually pretty quick to pick stuff up, so I figured I could learn how to make such a kite.  What is the best way to learn how to make a freestyle kite?  I have found several websites with plans that seem like they might fit the bill if I was to use lighter sail material and lighter spars (le quartz, etc...).  Do y'all have any suggestions?

Also, where might I find a detailed (preferably video) overview of how an UL delta is put together?  Where do I buy the materials?  Is there something I've missed during my googling?

Thanks!

[Breezin]

 Got my rip stop sail material from china. Real cheap. If your going for a high end frame and sail Kites and Fun Things would be a good place to start. Fly market has good prices and some really good sales at times.Ali Baba has good prices on Crystal tubes. They're in a lot of Freilein kites I believe. LM Toys in Malaysia has some amazing deals sometimes. From reading and looking at completed builds I think you're on the right track with the Le Quartz. Most days my winds are not very stable unless high. My best kite for roller coaster winds is the Mind Trick vented by far.It has a DT 10 and a DT 12 LS for different wind conditions. It'll fly in 4 to 35 mph. Trick from 5 to 25. I don't recall any Le Quartz vented kites. How to vent has many opinions. The one I value most comes from Sky Sport Design. He designs  a kite and figures out where to vent after he's done. Doesn't design specifically for vents.He posts on GWTW as Fearless Object. Interesting discussions on his kites.Read up on the Fearless Light vented. Widest tricking wind range of any UL I've read about.If forced to have 1 kite I would get the Fearless 2 light vented and a 2nd stronger frame to swap out in higher winds. Like 25+. Using your school equipment and access to aerospace minds venting a Le Quartz could be pretty quick to figure out. Put vent covers and wind brakes in the design. A Sky shark P 200 frame with a 3pt LS could get you a 2 to 15 mph range. With vents and brakes up to 20 with bumpy winds being smoothed out. I have that frame in a SUL that flies in 2 to 15 pretty easy. It's tough.Sweet spot is 3 to 10. Had it a little higher in gusts but not a smart thing to do.Took to that kite faster than any kite I've flown. 1 kite won't do it all but with good planning I think building your own Le Quartz could get you damn close. Karelah and Krijn have some excellent vids, pics and posts on the Le Quartz. Keep us updated in your progress. It'll help motivate me to get back on my sewing machine  😊 📐.

[John Barresi]

A couple of supporting links (always welcome if it’s directly to the benefit of the inquiring party)...

http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/index.php

http://www.kiteplans.org/

[Fearoflightning]

Thanks for the links and Input!

I'm having trouble finding info on the flight chracteristic differences between the kites.  For instance, how is a nazco or asmara going to fly different from a L' Organic, L' Quartz or an axis mutatis?  What are things to look for and things to avoid?  

Also, is it feasible to take any kite design and make it out of a lighter fabric and lighter frame to lower the weight and turn it into an UL or SUL?

Also, I should mention that I own a prism Zephyr and I'm trying to come up with something that can handle low intermittent winds better.

[jaydub200]

Worth looking at Kareloh's website.  He has some great links to open source kite plans:

http://www.kareloh.com/kite-plans/

The Magnet, Magnet 112% and the [Return} are definitely worth considering.

[Breezin]

Since I got my Tekken SUL my Zephyr has been a bit neglected. When first flying it all the negative things I'd read about it not being a true UL but more a light standard seemed true. As Iv'e gotten better the kites usable low range has dropped to  2 to 3 mph. Winds were roller coasting today from 0 to the highest  measured at 16 mph. Stayed on the Z with stock line set. Thought about getting lighter spreaders but haven't and probably won't because of my other kites. I've flown my Tekken in 15 mph plus gusts on 50# lines but I'm heading to the edge in a hurry. Close in size to the Z but the pull is a lot lighter. Think the Z  or Pro Dancer SUL could break the 50s at 8 to 10. For me the Z has been a very methodical learning process. No great epiphanies just very rewarding as I progress. For example today I did a combo sequence I'd never done before. What The, into Oh No,directly to the LOOK OUT ending on the WOW Lucky,Lucky,Lucky. Great fun.Changing the frame just a little can change a kite for the bad more often than for the good I've heard. BUT being a poor student it couldn't hurt to much to try. Sky Shark P200 spine , lighter spreaders and a 50#  x 80' Shanti line set might get you what you're looking for. I wouldn't go any lighter on the spine because of the weight of the rest of the kite and balance issues .That opinion is from reading not experience. I've got LPG 50#x 120' but they say Shanti is thinner, lighter and stronger. Shanti will be my next 50# x 80' and then I'll have more nerve to fly the Z on 50s. Should be even better from 3 mph down. If the frame mods don't work out for you build a kite that has the same spine and spreader specs or a little smaller.Spent some of my kite fund recently buying a few older kites. Thought about selling the Z quite a bit to fund a boutique UL. Glad I haven't and don't think I will any time soon if ever. Kite demands patience and a easy touch from me below 4. Taken awhile to learn that but well worth the effort.