Topics from the flying field to the computer.

Race Kite Prices - Why are they so expensive?

2012-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

If you have looked into a high performance race kite, then you have obviously discovered that they are not cheap! Many people ask how come a Vapor or Yakuza GT costs nearly double the price of the same size power kite of a different model? For the most part, they are made from the same manufacturer, the same materials, similar bag.... Why the huge increase in price?

Well, I have asked these same questions to our manufacturers because I too was wondering why the huge swing in prices. Here is a summary of what I have learned over the years with kites and kite design.

One thing that many probably don't realize is that a vast majority of the power kites on the market are designed with one single kite and basic kite design. Take the Beamer or the Hornet just as an example. The designers usually make one physical kite, usually in the 3 or 4 meter sizes, design it on their cad system, work out all of the details as best as possible, then go to the cutting room and hand cut / hand sew / hand build / hand bridle that one kite. Then it goes into the field for real life testing and flying. The errors are found, and then the kite goes back into the cutting room, ripped apart, re-cut / re-sewn / re-bridled and then tested again. Once that kite seems to be decent, it is passed on to many other pilots who spend as many hours as possible on that kite to once again work out any defects or issues.

Once the kite has proven itself worthy of getting the logo of the manufacturer stamped onto it, it then goes into production. They take the final design and then simply scale it up and/or down for all the different sizes. Larger kites may get a re-design if the performance is not up to par, usually this is very minor and will only result in the addition of a few more cells and/or sometimes the bridles will be tweaked on the larger sizes. Even with these small mods, the kite is still based off of the same original main design. All of this effort can take thousands of man hours and a year or even longer to get a final design. Once the final design is done, they are produced in mass numbers and shipped out all over the world. They may even take that same basic design and do minor changes/tweaks/adjustments/improvements and use it for several years of kite models. The major expense of the initial design and R&D is a one time expense.

Race kites such as the Yakuza GT, Prodigy and the Vapor are not produced this way. Instead, every single size is produced by itself and is it's own design. It is not just scaled up or down from a single basic initial kite. By scaling the initial kite, the larger sized kites end up with thicker profiles, fatter leading edges and wider cells. To keep the race kites performing as fast and as powerful as the original size, the development process above is literally followed for every individual size in the entire lineup. Because of the severe competition levels that these kites will be put against, it just doesn't work to have one size that is optimally refined while all the other sizes are acceptable. Every size must be personally designed, tweaked, the profiles are all different, the width of each wing size will be configured at it's optimum performance and the size and number of cells will be perfectly selected for each size kite so that every size kite is at it's optimum performance level. If it takes one year or even longer to produce basic power kites, it could take 4-5 years or even longer to produce each individual size of a true high performance race kite. This is also the reason that many models will be upgraded each year or every other year while race kites seem to stick around for 4-5 years before seeing a new model or major overhaul.

All of the R&D done on race kites are done at the extreme racing level, which also takes much more time to refine and develop than just flying the kite at the local park and seeing if it will drag you around without collapsing or overflying. When testing, the weather has to be cooperate which we all know can be very frustrating by itself, add that to having to have qualified skilled pilots who can push these kites at their fastest and most extreme edge. Limited testing time makes production even harder and more time consuming. Not only that, but its not good enough to just be able to fly back and forth through the window, the R&D to get a kite to perform at its maximum power while being at the furthest edge of the window is beyond time consuming and exceptionally difficult. Then to have to do that for every individual size... the time involved is astronomical.

Last, you have to figure in the amount of sales compared to the amount of investment and cost. Lets face it, race kites don't sell nearly as much as the other models; partly because of the cost, partly because of the expertise needed to handle them and where/how they are going to be used. Race kites are usually only purchased by people who are at the top of their skills and/or are competing. Because of the small amount of race kites sold, compared to the huge amount of cost to produce the product - you end up with a kite that is exceptionally expensive to buy. The performance of these high end racing machines is incredible and every size performs at it's optimum level. They are a true work of art.

Is a race kite worth it to you? Well, only you will be able to reply to that question. Be warned though, once you fly one of these high performance machines it is hard to go back to the others. Especially in the buggy on long runs. The race kites have so much more performance that it is hard to not justify having at least one in your arsenal of power kites.

Hope this helps shed some light on how kites are priced and what goes into them.

Till next time....

Kite Surfing - How To Learn?

2010-11-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

So you want to go kite surfing?

I would seriously look into getting some kite surfing lessons. Even though it may seem like a lot of money right now, in the end it could save you a lot more and even your life. :)

Kite surfing is an extreme sport, first you need a HUGE kite to generate enough power to get you up planing on your board. Without the proper knowledge of how to setup, launch, land, control, power and depower your kite you are putting yourself in a huge amount of danger. Now lets add in the fact that you may not be aware of the surroundings or wind conditions at your local area - and you get yourself a recipe for disaster! As an example, we have a launch area here that is somewhat sheltered by trees and the surrounding areas. What this does is give you a false reading of the wind conditions. The winds on the ground where you are standing may feel like 12-15 mph....a person who is unfamiliar with this area will probably launch up a 13-15 meter SLE or 16-18 meter LEI kite....BUT the winds about 30-40 feet up are much stronger and when the winds on the ground are 15 the winds above are usually 25-30 mph. Launching a 16 meter in those winds is very dangerous. Only an experienced person who is familiar with this particular riding spot would know that. A certified instructor will know their area well and will have kite surfed on it regularly. He/she will know what the wind conditions are now and what they will be in an hour or so from now. They will know what to watch out for, what turbulent or currents you will need to be aware of and if there are any other (underwater) dangers that you will need to know about. Think about a sharp rock just a couple inches below the water could do if you wipe out?

The other thing to think about when you are trying to save money is that when you are learning you WILL eventually smash your kite into the ground, every beginner will crash quite a few times before getting the hang of it. With the costs of surf kites usually starting around 1,000.00 plus for the basic package, do you really want to buy your new kite and then start slamming it into the ground and possibly destroy it before you even get a chance to get up on your board? With a lesson you get to not only beat up on rented gear but you get the opportunity to try several different sizes or brands while you learn which will give you tons of shopping knowledge before you have to drop your own hard earned money on a kite. Also, the kite is only half of the package. Your board size, shape and type will play a huge factor on your overall performance and your learning curve. Too small of a board will make it much more difficult to get on plane and ride. A huge board will be easier to get up on but you will soon outgrow it and want to move to a smaller one. There are literally thousands of kite boards on the market to choose from and every one performs differently. By taking a lesson the instructor will size your body weight up to a board and kite configuration that will work best for you...and he will usually have the ability to change your board and or kite as conditions change to get you the best chance of getting up on a board and actually completing your goal which is to RIDE! If the instructor screws up your board size, it is super easy for him/her to just swap it out with the right one on the spot. Unless you have the cash to purchase several different boards when you are first learning, this is a luxury that you can only get with lessons. I know several people who are very talented riders who still pay for a lesson just so they can try out several different boards. In the long run it ends up saving them hundreds if not thousands of dollars that would have been spent on gear they couldn’t use or just wasn’t up to the “hype” that the manufacturer advertised about it.

Another thing to take into consideration is the length of time it will take you to finally get up and ride (your ultimate goal). I do know that there are some people out there that are pure naturals who can get a setup and within a few tries are up and riding.....but.....in the real world with normal riders a self taught rider will usually take one to two months (or even longer) before they are up and riding and another month or longer before they are proficient with transitions (turning) and going upwind. Most of the riders I know who have taken a lesson are usually up on their board within a week and are working on transitions and going upwind good within the first month.

I don't want to sound like a poster child for lessons (I am not an instructor) but the truth is that they are the cheapest, safest and fastest way to learn to kite surf. In the long run it will save you time and money to take a lesson. It may even save you some time in the hospital which will always cost you more than the lessons and your kite/gear.

Now, there are some things you can do to save a ton of money on your lessons. The first is to learn to fly a kite! Get yourself a good quality dual line or quad line power kite with a control bar and learn to fly it. The better you are at controlling your kite the less time the instructor will have to take teaching you to fly. Most of the time when a student goes in for lessons and they already know how to fly the instructor will watch and if he/she feels you are skilled enough with the kite and controls, if they are comfortable then they will start to work on your water starts, water re-launching and maybe some board control. They may even take you out in the water and start working on body dragging on your first lesson. If you don't know how to fly then your entire first lesson will have you on the beach learning the basics such as left and right turns, hooking up your lines (rigging), landing, launching the kite, safety systems & releases, etc... Nearly all of this can be self-taught and you and your friends will have a blast learning to fly. This can be done at your local park at your own time, so no need to try and schedule in time to get the basics of flying down....and no need to waste your time and money paying someone else to teach you how to fly a trainer.

I highly recommend a quad line kite because that is what you will be using on the water. Dual line kites will work but if you haven't flown a quad line power kite then you will need to learn this before you step into a full blown depowerable surf kite. One of the best kites to start off with for water use is the HQ Hydra. This is a water-relaunchable trainer kite that can be used on both the land and the water. The Hydra is the perfect kite for learning the basics of kite flying while also allowing you to learn how to do some body dragging and water relaunching in the water! The Hydra is a great trainer. Another kite that work well is the HQ Scout II Series kite. Although the Scout is not really considered a “trainer”, the smaller sizes (3 & 4 meter) can be used both for land boarding as well as a trainer for the water. This is a great kite that will usually cost less than $350.00 (depending on the size) for the entire package including kite, safety leash, lines and control bar. This is a super fun kite that you can fly constantly at your local park and learn the basics of quad line flying, control bar system, safety system, etc... and even use on a mountain board or buggy in the stronger winds, giving you even more experience in power kiting that you can translate to the water. It also comes with a link line that you can hook into an optional harness should you choose to go that far. You will use a harness for kite surfing so this is one more thing that you can learn without having to pay an instructor. Even though this kite will be considerably smaller than the ones you will use for surfing, it packs a ton of power in the right winds and can drag you all over the place. Depending on the size it will also be able to lift you off the ground so be cautious when learning and start with light winds and work up from there. There are other kites on the market as well as the HQ Scout and Hydra, just look at them all to make sure they are quad line, come with a control bar and are the right sizes for your wind conditions. Talk to your local kite shop and they should be able to get you a size that will be fun to learn with and powerful enough to keep it exciting.

When you are confident with your kite and know everything about it, then look for an instructor who will be able to teach you on the big surf kites. One of the things you want to look for in an instructor is what gear they will have for you. Do they have a huge assortment of different sized kites and boards for different conditions. How old is their gear? The kites that were produced 3 and 4 years ago are poor kites compared to what is available on the market today. Today's kites produce smoother power, are more stable in the air, launch easier and have better safety systems. Find out about scheduling and what will happen if you get out on a day that the wind is non-existent. Make sure that your instructor knows that you already know how to fly a quad line kite on a bar and see if they will be willing to work with you to get you out on the water faster or if they will insist that you spend your first lesson flying on the beach. ***this is a huge safety concern and every instructor will want to make sure that your skills are good enough, so even if you tell them you know how to fly they will probably want to watch you to make sure for themselves*** Make sure that your instructor is adamant on safety and stresses that you will be safe and teaches how to use all the safety gear properly. Find out how many people will be taking lessons at the same time as you? I have heard of some instructors who will try and book 5 to 10 people at a time. I don't really like this idea and would prefer to pay a little extra for personalized lessons that are geared around my skills and talents, not the average skill of my "group".

I hope this information will help you as well as anyone else who is interested in kite surfing. Kite surfing is an awesome sport that is arguably the most exciting sport on water. As a last note of advise, do it safely and you will be able to do it for a long time to come.

Good luck and I hope this helps you out.

Cheap Kites VS. High End Expensive Kites

2010-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

So obviously, I am not that prompt on keeping up with my blog posts.....for my own satisfaction I will say that I am concentrating on quality over quantity....yea....that may work for now. I will try to be more diligent on getting more blog posts up for all of you in the future...but I can't give you any guarantee right now. :)

Ok, so I get tons of questions asking what the real difference is between a "cheap" stunt kite and a high dollar stunt kite is. The reason the question is asked is because to the normal shopper, both kites appear to be made from the same materials, have basically the same shape and look to be built about the same way. Of course there are obvious differences such as the higher end kites already having things like Yo-Yo stoppers installed or more detail to the leading edges, nose and back of the kite to reduce snagging points....but other than that, what really makes those high dollar sport kites cost so darn much??

Well, hopefully after this blog post you will have a much better idea as to why this is so.

The biggest difference between a "cheap" kite and an expensive one is usually the materials that are used to produce it. Most high end kites are produced with Icarex or Ripstop Polyester material. These materials are quite expensive to purchase and run the cost of the kite up much more than say Toray or Chicara or even standard ripstop nylon. Also, different materials have different types of coating on them to help protect them against UV damage as well as being somewhat water repellent and the coatings also effect the amount of porosity (how much air can blow through the material). The higher end kites usually have much better coatings that allow the kites to fly better in different wind conditions. Also, the more expensive materials such as Ripstop Poly and Icarex PC31 allow nearly zero stretch so your sail will stay stiffer over longer periods of time and will have less tendency to stretch out which can effect the way the kite flies. It has also been mentioned that Icarex "slips" through the air easier with less drag....well, I haven't really had any solid evidence on this so take this bit of info for what its worth. Regardless, Icarex usually costs about 4-6 times more per square yard than Ripstop Nylon. As most of the kite is the sail, just making a standard kite will cost the maker over 4 times as much going to Icarex over ripstop nylon. Like pretty much everything, the nicer materials usually cost premium. Ripstop Polyester or Icarex aren't necessarily chosen because they cost more, truth be is that they are stronger than ripstop Nylon and lighter, meaning that the designer can build a larger kite that weighs a fraction of what a kite with Nylon would weigh. This allows the designer to move the weight of the kite around to where it needs to be to perform tricks better while not adversely effecting light wind performance.

The second and usually the most unrealized cost is the time that is put into producing a high end kite. With some kite manufacturers, they can spend up to two years or even longer fine tuning and perfecting a design before they are satisfied enough to put their name on it and sell it. The designer makes sure the kite is absolutely the best it can be in all areas. Each re-design and tweak can be as simple as moving a tow point, changing the bridle, swapping out rods, repositioning the stand offs or upper and lower spreaders, etc... - all that can usually be done on the same prototype. But other redesigns such as deeper sail, different aspect ratio, longer spreaders, different curvatures in the leading edges, etc... all mean that the maker has to sit down and re-build a whole new kite. Most of the time the new rebuild replaces the older design and the old design is trash canned and no good to anyone. As mentioned above about the cost of material, this can add up pretty quickly and start to get very expensive.

I know of some kite makers that have worked on a kite for over a year and a half and have gone through hundreds of re-designs, resulting in building the same kite (with new ideas) two or even three dozen times. When the finished design is finally ready to market, you are not just paying for that one kite but actually having to pay a portion of the 30 - 40 different kites that were needed to get to that one final design - not to mention the hundreds of hours it took to get the kite finished. Total cost of building one high end kite could be as much as $20,000.00 or more if you added up all the hours, all the materials, the packaging, shipping, marketing, labeling etc.... Divide that cost over 75 to 150 kites that will be sold over the next two or three years (hopefully more will be sold but that would be pushing it), you end up with a kite that costs the kite maker to build about 150.00 to 200.00 each. The one kite you are purchasing may only cost about 30-40 bucks in materials....but you aren't really paying for that one kite, but paying for the designer and builder to produce a kite that is absolutely a dream to fly which includes everything else listed above. With most high end sport kites costing around $250 to $300 from your local dealer, you can see there is very little profit in them for the actual builder. Most high end kite builders do it more for the love of flying than profits...and many of them still have to keep their day jobs to make normal everyday ends meet.

Another factor in cost is the frame materials. Most high end kites will use a hand wrapped carbon or even a tapered wrapped carbon frame. Tapered rods can be designed into the kite to give the kite much more response and stiffness in different ares over normal protruded carbon rods. Again, wrapped carbon costs about 10 times more to make and is usually made by hand. Tapered Wrapped Carbon...well, thats even more. And if that isn't enough, some manufacturers such as Skyshark will even go one step further with their Nitro rods which are Tapered Wrapped Carbon rods that are sanded smooth and then lacquered for the ultimate in sexyness. If you are going to purchase a high end kite, you may as well get the best looking rods in it. :) Most mass produced kites will use protruded carbon rods or even fiberglass rods which are not quite as nice as the wrapped carbon and not nearly as strong or as light. Protruded rods are all straight rods and can not be made tapered which is another drawback when choosing rods for a particular application. Most higher end kites will use a combination of wrapped and/or protruded carbon. Again these rods are not only stronger, but are much lighter allowing the designer to position the weight of the kite right where it is needed to perform the way they want the kite to perform.

Now a "cheap" kite takes about oh.....20 minutes to design and finalize. Plug it into a computer, cut a demo, take it out and if it goes up in the air then its ready to go into production. People who design "cheap or mass produced" kites usually don't care if the kite can do everything....or even care if it can do anything. As long as it goes up and looks pretty, its done. Not only is there no real R&D costs, but the materials are usually whatever is cheapest at the time.

As said before, when it comes to high end kites and "cheap" kites...you really do get what you pay for. Now I am not saying that if you purchase a high end kite such as a Skyburner or Blue Moon you will instantly become the next worlds best pilot and be able to do everything under the sun....but the high end kites will allow you to learn faster and be much easier and nicer to fly - and if you are working on tricks, the high end kites will do those tricks much easier and smoother. Some tricks just can't be done on a "cheap" kite. One thing is for sure though, if you can't do a trick on a high end kite, chances are it isn't the kite that is holding you back.

There are some really great kites that are inexpensive. I would not call these kites as "cheap" because these kites are actually made by some really good kite designers and are made from some really good quality materials - "cheap" to me means they are kinda junky kites. There are some very nice kites that are not junky or "cheap" but instead, very affordable. Some of these would be the Premier Nighthawk, Premier Wolf, Premier Jewel, Premier Addiction, Prism Quantum, Prism Nexus, Flying Wings Acrobatx, Flying Wings Silver Fox Series, Skydog Crossfire... and I am sure some others that I can't seem to recall right now. All of these kites are very capable of doing a majority of today's tricks and most of them can be purchased under or slightly more than $100.00 - and they also come with good quality lines and flying straps!!!

So an affordable and capable kite doesn't necessarily have to be a "cheap" kite that you can't grow with.

Hope that helps!

Till next time......

Power Kites - Handles or Control Bars?

2010-03-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

So the question always seems to come up from time to time for power kites, Handles or Control Bar?

I fly both styles, fixed bridle on handles and depower on a bar. It really depends on what you are wanting to do with your riding as to which one is better. I can list a couple of pros/cons that I have experienced and hopefully it will help.

Fixed bridle kite on Handles:
This combination is usually the easiest way to control the kite, turns are much faster and more precise. Fixed bridle kites are usually smaller per wind condition and the kites can fly and deliver plenty of power in less wind. They are much more efficient in the air than depowerable kites. Fixed bridle kites on handles are usually easier to setup, launch and land. You can find tune the brake lines during flight by adjusting the position of your handles.
For buggies, this is usually the preferred method as you can rip the kite around pretty much anywhere in the wind window and still be under complete control. You can spin the kite faster without the huge swooping downstroke of power. Fixed bridle kites usually have less lift than depowerable kites so you have less chance of getting yanked up out of the buggy but still have plenty of speed and pull. This is not to say that a Fixed Bridle kite won’t lift you, any decent power kite will launch you off the ground in the right (or should we say wrong) wind conditions.

Fixed Bridle on a bar:
In this combination, kite turns can be slower and usually will make large swooping turns through the window. Launching is usually a bit harder than with handles. It is much harder to get your brake lines adjusted during flight unless your control bar has an adjustable setup on it. Usually you set your brake line tension once and then leave it. The kite usually flies slower and the feel (turning and input) is less responsive. The kite has a mushy feeling unless flown in really strong wind. It is a bit harder to keep the kite powered up in light winds. The control bar does give you a lot more freedom with a ground board or snow board in that you can rotate your upper torso easier because you can fly the kite with one hand, letting the other drop back behind you for easier upwind riding and also much easier toe-side riding. The harness can be connected to your waist / pelvic area so your center of gravity is much lower. This allows you to direct the power easier into your legs/board and pulls less on your shoulders. The bar offers better safety disconnect setups and should come with a safety kite leash. It is also easier to control your kite while you manipulate your board/harness/etc with your free hand for setup. The kite is also less twitchy and usually more forgiving during flight. Although you do lose some of the tight responsive control when putting a fixed bridled kite on a control bar, this setup is usually preferred by mountain boarders and snow boarders. This setup can also be used in the buggy as well but is not the preferred setup. The control bar is usually easier for beginners to learn on as you only have to hang on and turn right or left, you do not have to worry about brake tension or angle of attack. The kite basically flies like a two line kite with a safety leash.

Depower on Bar (handles are not recommended):
Depower gives you the most lift/hangtime over fixed bridle kites mainly because of the overall design of the wing, not because of the control bar. Depowerable kites have a very aggressive lift to drag ratio and are usually designed more for jumping than for speed. They also have larger wind ranges in which they can be flown in because of their unique ability to be depowered on the fly. They excel in gusty conditions, allowing you to adjust your power instantly when gusts or lulls come up during flight. They have the same advantages as fixed bridle on a bar but usually take more wind to fly than a fixed bridle kite of the same size. They generally are slower in turns than fixed bridle kites but can be flown quite aggressively when they are flown in their optimum wind range. Usually one depower kite will cover the same wind range as 2 or 3 fixed bridle kites. The safety release systems on depower kites are awesome. The Re-ride system developed by Ozone and now used on basically every depowerable land kite allows you to kill the kite completely while leaving the bar attached to you. This pretty much eliminates the tangled mess you use to get when activating your safety. Depower kites cost quite a bit more per kite than fixed bridle kites but they usually come complete ready to fly with matching bar setup and lines. Depower is usually the preferred kite with aggressive landboarders and snow kiting and is standard equipment on every major brand of kite surfing kites.

Basic generalizations:
Least expensive - Fixed bridle with handles
Most responsive - Fixed bridle with handles
Widest wind range - Depowerable kites with control bar
Biggest lift - Depowerable kites with control bar
Easiest to learn / fly - Fixed bridle with control bar
Most expensive - Depowerable with control bar

Each kite is designed for specific purposes. The best way to find out what kite or configuration is best for you is to talk to your local kite dealer or contact us at www.awindofchange.com / customerservice@awindofchange.com We can help you choose the best kite for your application.

Hope that helps. Till next time, Happy Winds!!!

Tuning your power kite for best performance.

2010-01-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

How do I tune my power kite and why isn’t it already set up right from the factory?

So why isn’t your kite handles and lines pre-set from the factory? After all they should know what setting is best for the kites they are producing ... right??

The problem is that everyone has a different flying style, therefore there really isn't ONE setting that works for everyone. Some people hold the handles nearly perpendicular to the ground and others (like myself) hold the handles so the bottoms are almost always pointing at the kite. Because there could be over 4 inches or more of travel between the two positions you will almost always need to re-adjust your brake lines when switching from one pilot to another.

The best thing to do is just try a bunch of different settings until you find one that works best for your flying style. This is really easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes.

First, if you do not already have knots on your leader lines (the long lines running from your handles to where you attach your flying lines to) then tie a series of overhand knots about 1.5 to 2 inches apart starting with the first knot closest to the handles and moving outward to the ends of the leader line. Most power kites come with handles that have long leader lines on them so you can add in additional knots if needed.

If by some chance your leader lines are very short and you can't get 5 or 6 knots in them then add on 4 leaders appx. 12 inches long (one to each leader off the handles) and add the overhand knots to the new leaders. To make the leader extensions, get a length of leader line appx. 12-14 inches long, tie a loop in one end and larks head that loop to your short leaders on your handles. Basically your just extending the leaders out longer for more adjustments.

Now, the actual distance between the one knot to the next is not that important as long as the knots are EXACTLY EQUAL from the right handle to the left handle. If one knot is closer on one handle than the same knot on the other handle your kite won't fly straight.

Ok, we got our new leaders and a bunch of adjustment knots, lets start tuning the kite to your flying style.

Once you get your knots in your leaders, start by attaching your top lines to the furthest knot from the handles with the standard Larks Head knot. Attach your brake lines on the closest knot to the handles the same way. Fly the kite. This setting will usually make the kite feel very "heavy" (a term used when the kite just won't climb up to zenith and just stalls out). Basically when you pull on the top lines to launch, the kite heaves itself off the ground, stalls and drops back down....it just wont fly and acts like there isn’t enough wind to launch. - Move the larks head knots on the bottom lines (brake lines) out to the next knot from the handles and try launching again. Keep moving the brake lines out each time until you find a setting that allows the kite to launch and fly with the best speed while still being able to safely stall the kite and brake it for landing. If you set your brake lines to far out (too loose) then you will not be able to stall the kite and land it, your steering will also suffer. If you adjust your brake lines all the way out and you are still stalling the kite to much, start adjusting your top lines in towards the handles and continue.

By placing the knots on the handle end it allows you to make simple adjustments to the kite without having to go to the kite each time. Changing your settings is super simple and only takes a couple seconds to do. The nice thing too is that in the event your lines stretch out you can make a very simple adjustment instead of having to re-adjust all your lines. This also helps for setting your kite up for different wind conditions. In stronger winds you may want to drop the brakes out a little so the kite races to the edge of the window faster. Stronger gusty winds will put a lot more force and resistance on the brake lines of your kites and may cause the kite to drop back into the power more. For lighter winds or gusty/turbulent winds you can bring the brakes in and stall the kite a little more so it doesn't overfly in the gusts.

With proper tuning of your power kite you can get the kite to perform at its maximum level and also make it easier to control. Remember that over time your flying lines may stretch out and this will change the amount of tension you have on your brake lines which could negatively effect the way your kite is performing. If your kite feels like it isn’t flying as good as it should, play around with your line settings and you may discover that you are choking the kites true performance. You may want to try adjusting your kite a little even though you might think it is perfectly fine. Many time people don't even realize they are choking their kites performance.

Hope this helps. If you need any more info on this just let me know.

Fixed Bridle vs. Depowerable Bridle

2009-08-21T13:43:00.002-07:00

One of the most common questions about power kiting is what is the difference between the different types of power kites. Snow and water kiting uses kites that are quite large in size while kite buggying will use a kite nearly half or even smaller in size. So I have put together a basic blog on the differences between the different types of power kites. This was an anser to a post on one of the online kite forums. Hopefully it will help clarify these differences and help educate anyone else who may have the same question.
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What the heck is a fixed bridle and why would you depower a power kite?

For a little bit more clarification.....and because you are most likely a beginner (which is very welcome on here) and also because there are tons of lurkers on here who have not yet asked the excellent questions that you are asking, I will go into a bit more detail on this one.

First lets explain what a Bridle is. The "bridle" of a kite is the line or network of lines that run from the sail of the kite or skin to the point where you attach your flying lines to. This can be a very complex network of lines that "V" off into several other lines which eventually attach to the kite....OR, it can be a very simple one or two lines that runs from the edge of the kite to your flying lines. Basically any line or lines that are permanently attached to the kite that you hook up your flying lines (or control lines) to is considered a bridle. There are many different types of bridles on the planet, for this purpose we will only be discussing the two most common bridles used in power kites which generalizes the kites into two classifications. This would be the "Fixed Bridle" and the "Depowerable".

A "Fixed Bridle" is basically what it says. The bridle is "Fixed" or permanently attached to the kite and is set up in such a way that it should not ever be changed. In most cases it is not recommended to change or adjust a Fixed Bridle. A Fixed Bridle is usually set up from the factory to give the optimum performance of a sail shape. By altering the bridle you will alter the shape of the sail which will usually negatively affect the performance and/or stability of the kite. To put it in simple terms, a "Fixed Bridle" kite is one that the bridle of the kite is permanent and the physical length and settings of the bridle cannot be changed during flight. With multiple bridles (dual or quad), you have the ability to change the angle of attack of the overall kite wing, but the actual shape of the bridle and sail is in a fixed position.

The other type of bridle setup that is discussed is a "Depowerable" bridle (also referred to as a "Depowerable Kite"). The easiest way to classify this type of bridle is an "Active Bridle System" that can be changed on demand from the pilot during flight. This type of bridle starts out similar to the "Fixed Bridle" in that the majority of bridle lines are still attached directly to the sail, but this type of bridle will usually be quite a bit more complex and usually incorporates additional pieces such as guide lines and pulley's to make the bridle active and adjustable during flight. With this type of bridle, the pilot will have the ability to change the physical shape/curvature of the sail as well as change the overall angle of attack during flight and pretty much "on demand". The most common setup would be with using a free floating control bar that can be pushed/pulled to change the curvature of the kite (through the active bridle) while you fly. The basic operation is that when you pull the bar towards you, you don't change the angle of attack of the sail but instead pull in the trailing edge of the kite (bottom) as well as the middle of the kite while the leading edge stays constant - basic terms, your changing the actual curvature of the sail while the kite is flying in the air. This is done at a ratio that will allow the kite to increase or decrease power while still maintaining stability and control. Think of it as having a large bed sheet and holding it in the wind. If you hold onto the very top of the sheet and let the rest of it hang loose, the bottom of the sheet will be picked up by the wind and it will just flap away in the wind with very little power. Now have someone else grab onto the bottom of the sheet and start to walk back towards you, pulling the sheet so it catches the wind. The Sheet will billow up and start to produce power. This would be similar to what is being done on a depowerable kite while you pull the bar towards you. You are "cupping" the kite in the wind to create more power. When you let the bar out, you spill the wind off the sail and the kite becomes "Depowered". Because of the overall design of depowerable kites, they generally produce less power per size than a fixed bridled kite. Remember that the curvature of a fixed bridled kite is set at maximum power all the time. A Depowerable kite needs to be adjusted by the pilot to find the optimum power setting for the current winds. Also, because a depowerable kite needs to be able to stay flying and maintain stability when not set at the optimum setting, extra design and material must be used to keep the kite inflated and flying at settings that are far from optimum (when the kite is depowered). This comes at a cost of overall performance. Because of this factor, depowerable kites are usually quite a bit larger in size than fixed bridle kites to produce the same power, Depowerable kites are usually slower and not as agile as Fixed Bridle kites because of their larger sizes and increased mass in the air.

To put it in a nutshell and in simplest form. Fixed bridle kites have the bridles that are in one "Fixed" position and (in most cases) should not be changed. Depowerable kites have an active bridle that can be altered on demand from the pilot during flight.

Fixed bridle kites will produce a lot more power per size and be more efficient. Depowerable kites will produce less power per size but will have more wind range that they can be flown in because they can dump the wind and power as it increases.

Fixed bridle kites are set in the power they deliver in a given wind/speed. Depowerable kites can give bursts of power on demand by powering the kite up in excessive wind conditions. (Think getting big air on your board at any time!)

I hope this helps everyone understand the differences between fixed bridled kites and depowerable kites a little better.

Happy Winds!
Kent

Old School vs. New Pilots & New Kites

2009-08-04T14:10:00.001-07:00

So, I have been having a little trouble getting my wonderful Wife out on the flying field with me to enjoy this awesome sport of kite flying (ok, I am obsessed). It’s not really her fault though, most of the difficulty comes from our young ones that not only demand constant attention but love to get into everything they shouldn’t and/or disappear the second you turn your head. But chasing the kids all over the park isn’t the whole problem, I honestly feel that some of the problem is today’s kites.

Today’s kites are not bad, in fact they are pretty darn awesome compared to the kites of yester-year. Not only are they now designed using ultra high tech computers with 3D cad programs but they are built with space age carbon fiber & graphite, and lightweight high tech poly molecular sail materials such as Icarex and ripstop nylon....all for prices that are a fraction of what you use to have to spend to buy a professional competition quality stunt kite from the “Old School” days. But I feel the problem that we (the kite flyers) and the industry have created is that today’s kites are designed to compete against each other on which one can roll up the easiest or which kite can do the latest comete or multi lazy susan’s or jacob’s ladders. If a kite of today isn’t capable of doing all of the latest high end tricks (that most pilots have trouble doing anyways) then it is “black flagged” or said to be not a good purchase. This type of new school trick flying usually means the kite needs to be able to pitch (flip) onto its back in a moments notice and/or that the kite spins (rotates) quick with the simplest of tugs. All flight characteristics that a new pilot just learning to fly can get very frustrated with as it usually ends up with the kite flipping out of control, line snags or tangles from excessive spins and/or lawn darting into the ground unexpectedly.

I feel that the kites of today become rather intimidating to any new pilot, especially if they see someone doing those awesome tricks with perfection and then get handed the lines. Today’s kites can be hard to control for a new pilot, especially the high aspect ratio kites that are designed to trick very easily. Even I feel a little intimidated taking back one of my own kites after someone with much higher skills has just performed at the level the kite actually was designed for (yes, the kites I am currently flying are much more trick capable than the pilot is - hopefully that will change more over time). It is inspiring to watch what today’s kites are capable of doing and makes me work harder at mastering a trick...but I feel we may be heading off topic. This blog is about my Wife’s flying and progression, not my own. LOL

So, I had the chance to fly a friends Top Of The Line, North Shore Radical (NSR) a while back while it was on loan to another friend to take some pictures of it. This is a custom colored NSR that had been re-framed in specially wrapped Revolution Carbon Rods (extra strong). Surprisingly, this kite had very little if any air time on it at all and was in fantastic condition....for being nearly 15 some-odd years old. The NSR was a monster of a kite when it was first introduced. It was designed for competition and had a very aggressive sail design that produced quite an impressive amount of pull when the sail got loaded up. Another fun characteristic of this kite was that it produces a very low, Harley type thunder sound as it flies through the window. Old school kites all have one thing in common - they are FUN TO FLY!!! With some aggressive flying you could snap off perfectly sharp 90 degree turns and loud thundering figure 8's - this kite loved to be flown aggressivly. The flight characteristics are a somewhat slow, smooth and very solid feel through the lines, super stable, not “pitchy” at all, in fact this particular kite is rather difficult to trick with and is about impossible to do any of today’s new school tricks on. It can axle (with some work) and side slide, snap stalls are solid and perfectly square....but that’s about it folks! LOL.

There was a bunch of us at the flying field all taking (very long) turns putting the NSR through its paces. Everyone who had a turn on it had a huge smile on their face and didn’t want to put the kite down. Another thing I noticed was that as the NSR flew, a large crowd of “non” kite flyers gathered or stopped and stared as the kite thundered through the air. Now we fly at this park every Friday night and tonight was no different but we have never had a crowd of people watching any of the kites fly like they were during the NSR flight time. The noise was attracting them, as was the leaning back on the lines as the pilot controlled the power of the kite while it flew...it was FUN to fly...and not only was it fun to fly but it LOOKED like a lot of fun as well! No work, no complicated routines, no resetting the kite after a failed trick...just solid power, thundering noise and kite flying fun!

I was somewhat perplexed. Here there were over $2,000.00 dollars worth of high end stunt kites laying on the ground including a Quantum Pro, Widow Maker Custom, Deep Space, Mojo, Zephyr and one or two other high end stunt kites as well as some larger foil power kites....and everyone (including myself) was waiting to take a trip down the old school lane and fly this really cool NSR. It was an awesome night. Now to bring this blog back on track, I ended up making a deal with my fellow flying buddy and purchased this NSR from him because I felt that it would be the perfect kite to help get my beautiful Wife out flying more with me....and I was right.

After some work of luck, we ended up on a school playground with a grassy field next to the play area for the kids. The wind was perfect for the most part but a little light at times. I set the kite up, ran out the lines and with some hesitation by my wife, I ended up taking the maiden flight (not that I minded at all, in fact I was wanting to fly the kite the minute I got it out of the truck). The kite went up without a hitch and what made it even more awesome is that the school buildings off to the far right were shaped in such a way that the thundering sound of the NSR echoed through the empty playground which really enhanced the experience. My Wife had a huge grin on her face from the nose and with a chuckle said “That’s a pretty cool kite!”. After a couple passes, I landed the kite and (reluctantly) handed the handles over to my Wife who was apprehensive to say the least. “I don’t want to break it.....Maybe you should just fly...etc...etc... With some reassurance (persistence?) she finally took the handles and put the kite in the air. At first the wind was at a low and we got a tangle. I quickly straightened out the kite and got it reset as the wind picked back up. Another good launch and the kite shot to the air and she started to pass the kite back and forth high in the sky. The kite thundered softly as it moved back and forth and it wasn’t long before my Wife was rocking it through the center of the window, enjoying the pull, control and the echoing thunder of the kite. The grin on her face was enough to tell me that this was a good choice.

We spent a good hour or so flying and had a wonderful time together - with her using up the majority of the flying time (which was perfect and right in line with my evil plans - LOL). When asked, she said that she would love to fly again soon, which made me very happy to hear.

So I began to ponder over the last couple weeks and this super fun NSR. Has the kite industry been obsessed with a self destructing desire to only produce the best kite ever that practically tricks by itself - and has this desire to do the latest and greatest tricks somewhat shoved the “fun” factor off to the side? For the experienced pilot maybe not so much, but for a new pilot looking to just have some simple no-stress fun flying a kite....I think so. I wonder if the manufactures of today could (or would be daring enough) to make a basic “fun” kite similar to the flight characteristics of the NSR and be successful (profitable) with it. With the cost of building product overseas and today’s designing techniques, I can’t see how it would be over expensive or much of a risk. I strongly feel that we need a kite like this to help get more people involved in this awesome activity. We have some very awesome high end trick kites that can do pretty much any trick you can think of....but we don’t really have any kites available today that are just simple to control, easy to learn and down right fun to fly. New Tech tried to tackle this hurdle with the BLK - which stood for “Big Loud Kite” - it was a disappointment to say the least....but (I feel) not because of the public but because they chose to build the kite out of such poor materials (IMHO). The frame was a very thin flexible fiberglass frame which flexed and bowed under marginal winds. To compensate they added in a fourth leg of the bridle...which was at the wrong length and totally worthless out of the bag and the shop (or customer) had to manually re-tie and cut the bridle leg to length so it would work. The bridle itself was heavy and out of adjustment. Even after fixing all those things (on a brand new kite out of the bag) the kite still flew rather poorly and only started to make any noise at all when the winds were over 12 mph. Very disappointing to the customer and sales were rather disappointing to the shops. The kite was eventually discontinued. I was depressed with the poor design and flaws of the BLK and still feel strongly that if a kite was produced today that centered around “fun” instead of tricks that it would be a huge success. Just make sure that it is built with today’s quality and materials, fly’s correctly out of the bag, can fly in lighter winds (4-5 mph and up), and retains that “Old School” style, noise and arm-tugging feel.

Now I seriously doubt that I would ever give up my high end kites and only settle with the NSR to fly but neither would I toss the NSR to the side and never fly it again. There are some days when the old school kites such as the spin off, Hawaiian, Trick Tails, the NSR (and many others) are exactly what I want to fly, to forget about the stress of the work week, traffic, and other daily problems, or to take a needed break from mastering or learning a new trick ---- just have an exciting time flying that is nothing but pure enjoyable FUN!

2009-07-07T16:32:00.001-07:00

The Soul from Flying Wings is the latest high end sport kite designed for competition free-style performances and true precision.

Constructed completely from 100% light weight Icarex material with durable mylar and dacron reinforcements and framed in hand wrapped Dynamic Carbon Fiber rods, the Soul is a kite that can compete with the best of kites on the market and will allow you to grow with your abilities.

We had the opportunity to Demo one of the Flying Wings Soul's at our local field, allowing all of the pilots in our area discover this awesome kite. We sent our demo kite home with one of the pilots who didn't get a chance to fly it during our local fun fly and here is a copy of the review that was submitted to us from him after he had the chance to fly.

Flying Wings Soul

Highlights:

The Flying Wings Soul flew much better than expected. Fills sail nicely. Capable performer. Surprising high and low wind range performance.

To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting to like the Soul very much based on comments I'd heard from others. However, it won me over. When I showed up at the field I anticipated flying it for a half hour or so then pulling out one of my other kites (nirvana, deep space, quantum pro, etc) but instead I found myself with the Soul for the rest of the evening, well into the night (at our lit field). At each turn I was pleasantly surprised with the Soul.

My first flying impressions were rather ambivalent towards the kite, but this wouldn't last long. In the first 15 minutes I moved the bridle setting on the upper outhaul using the factory knots to the setting which leaned the nose of the kite farthest away. The kite also comes with two sets of outer standoffs, one shorter than the other. The longer of the two matching the inner standoffs. When I got the kite the shorter ones were installed but I quickly moved to the longer pair.

The reasons for my adjustments were because the kite felt a bit loose in the air. It fluttered about without much feedback through the lines, with a behaviour which I describe as bouncing off the air. It would tug at the lines one second then no pull the next. The bad news is Las Vegas has perpetually bumpy winds which can bring out the worst in a kite. The great news for the Soul though is that with the adjustments mentioned the attitude of the kite totally changed, able to deal with the bumpy winds gracefully.

Once finding the proper adjustment for wind conditions the Soul's sail filled nicely, providing a solid feel on the end of the lines. The bump and bounce went away and it became easy to tell what the kite was communicating. There was a nice, even steady pull on the lines. The Soul will fly clean straight lines, and turn promptly when asked without any over steer. In addition to flying well, the kite stalls well also. Snap stalls were precise and controllable, and side slides smooth and stable. In terms of precision, the kite is very predictable.

The Soul, for a kite with a full eight foot wingspan, fly's freestyle very well. It would fly to the limits of my capabilities without much trouble. Backspins, jacobs ladders, flic flacs, 540's, slot machines, rollups, and clean half axels were all easily there. With a bit more time on the kite, I feel cometes and wap-do-waps as well. Both are tricks I managed with the kite, just very dirty. However both are tricks I still need plenty of practice on. One basic function the Soul performs very well, which leads to many other tricks, is that it transitions very well into a fade. I'd go so far as to say it's a strong point of this kite. Since so many tricks require you to fade the kite somewhere in the trick, it's an important one to get (it) right and the Soul does it particularly well.

The Soul also sits in the turtle position where it's easily recoverable. Many kites out there can get themselves into a turtle which at least given my capabilities, exhibit a behaviour which to me seems like a bored cat. Once a bored cat turns away from looking at you, it may be possible through an aggressive overture to regain its attention but it quickly returns to ignoring you. Kites like this float back to the ground in the turtle position before I can regain flight. I'm pleased to say the Soul is not one of these kites. The nose sits just deep enough to provide a great level of control in the turtle. Utilizing the shorter standoffs, for the first time ever I managed a rising turtle. A manoeuvre which the shorter standoffs seem to be supplied specifically to enable. After having moved to the longer standoff, while not able to get a rising turtle, control in the turtle position was still easy and predictable. I've flown more expensive freestyle kites from bigger name companies whose kites don't turtle as well.

When the wind picked up the Soul gained some forward speed, but the amount of pull remained reasonable, positive, but not overpowering. The frame felt sturdy, without any appreciable flexing. On the other end of the spectrum the Soul stayed aloft into ultralight territory, remaining trickable in what I would guess to be 3-5mph.

The effort Flying Wings has put forth with the Soul is evident in its construction details. All the usual snag points have been covered including the upper and lower leading edges, nose and standoff connectors on the back of the sail are all smooth. The nose is particularly smooth in the example I flew. Tip wraps were still occasionally an issue, not because of the snag points but rather the shape of the kite itself keeps the wingtip pointed away from you on the ground instead of pointing straight at you. It doesn't mean you'll have to walk to the kite to clear it, but you might spend a little more time clearing it than on some other kites. Another nice touch in terms of construction detail is on one particular section of the bridle, there's a piece of clear tubing. It appears to be in place to eliminate wear on the lower spreader from the bridle rubbing on it. The Soul also comes with double yoyo stoppers on each side, which also prefer to point towards the rear of the kite, freeing the leading edge for tip drags or reducing the possibility of shearing off a stopper in an aggressive ground recovery. I'd like to have seen a more positive method for tensioning the leading edges than the old tie it yourself method. The nocks have a knot recess in them and would be nice if they were used. Instead the instructions say to just make it all taut and put an end cap over things. I tied my own knots and fit them into the nocks. The leading edges are sewn with a straight seam instead of a multistitch zig zag or serpentine stitch like most other kites. I don't know if this would be an issue over the long run, but it's different enough from the norm to be mentioned. Flying Wings is known for poor standoff connectors at the sail and the Soul is no different. Otherwise the construction is well done, including extra Mylar and Dacron reinforcement under the nose.

Overall I was very impressed with the Flying Wings Soul. It gets into and holds a fade as well as any kite I've flown. It was more entertaining and capable than expected and a quite fun to fly. More time with the Flying Wings Soul is something I'm looking forward to.

Darren M. Las Vegas, Nevada
June 2009
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Thank you Darren for writing this review for us. I hope it helps anyone looking to get one of these excellent kites.

Till next time...
Happy Winds!
Kent

Buggy Basics - Upwind Turn

2009-06-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

So my next blog centers on buggy basics 101. Well, this may be better in advanced riding techniques than buggy basics 101 but I like the catchy name so we’ll stick with that. Downwind turns are easy to do and most everyone can do them without much help, it just takes a bit of practice and seat time in the buggy. The upwind turn is a little more difficult and technique plays much more importance...so....here is my explanation of how to do it.

BUT...before we spin into the upwind turn, a good friend of mine Carl a.k.a. “Popeye the Welder” mentioned that walking through the upwind turn a couple times on foot will help you understand what is happening during the upwind turn and may help you get this trick under control and more consistent ... so grab your kite, walk through the turn a couple times - pretending to be in your buggy and if you feel comfortable, buggy it out. :) So....how do you do it??? Read on.

Speed is the key to the upwind turn.

In an upwind turn, there is a point where you will be facing directly away from the kite. This is when your buggy is turning away from the kite pointing dead into the wind as it crosses over to the new heading. If you don't have enough speed or if your kite is down to low in the window you will have an ejection. The ejection will be the kite ripping you backwards out of the buggy, usually bringing the buggy over on top of you while the kite does a fantastic power loop down through the window, dragging you backwards across the ground....kind of fun if you are into pain and don't like your skin where it is at. :)

The trick is to plan your turn well ahead before you begin it. As you start the upwind turn and before you change your heading, drop the kite down into the power to build up speed, shoot the kite out to the edge of the window as you start your turn upwind. The speed in which you turn upwind should match the speed of the kite heading out on the edge of the window. The kite will pull you around and begin the upwind turn for you - remember your going to shoot the kite out and past the normal edge of the window, using the buggy to keep the kite under power. Higher aspect ratio kites help with this as they can get out on the edge of the window further than the lower aspect ratio kites. Once you start passing the point that your kite stops accelerating then you need to start raising the kite to the apex while continuing your turn (normally at this point you would be frantically down-turning the kite to get it back in the wind window), don't down turn, instead use the buggy speed to keep the kite inflated and bring the kite overhead to the apex as you turn the buggy away from the kite. If your kite will fly in 5-6 mph winds, then having the buggy travel in an upwind turn at 5-6 mph will keep the kite flying even though the kite is not directly in the wind window - this is why speed is important for the turn to work. You don't want a ton of "Hail Mary" speed where your going to go balls out, just enough speed so that the buggy can complete the full turn without any power from the kite. If you turn to sharp your rear wheels will spin out and you will stop - not good. If you turn to wide (slow) then you will head upwind and stop - ejection. The speed should be constant and comfortable depending on the wind and your buggy speed. Faster speed, wider turn. Slower speed, quicker turn.

Now, when you get to the apex of the upwind turn, things start to get very hairy. The problem is that your kite will be heading overhead (and behind you), your arms will be extended out to the opposite side (direction you traveled from) than where the kite is going to go (and where your arms will need to be in the direction you want to go) and you will be putting a twist in the lines (you didn't loop the kite, you looped the buggy). This all happens at the time you are facing away from the kite - directly pointing into the wind. Here's a trick that works for me, as you start bringing the kite up overhead in your turn, bring your arms up over your head with it. Once you hit the apex of the turn you will need to flip your torso around to point into the new direction you are going to be heading and continue to turn the buggy around to match your torso. Once you flip (and after you regain your bearing and where the kite is) start to drop the kite down into the power in the new direction and it will pull you around to complete the turn.

If done properly, your skin will still be attached to your knees and elbows, the buggy will still have rubber side down with you on top of it (not the other way around), your kite will be flying with a twist in the lines but under control and you will have gained anywhere from 5 to 30+ feet upwind.

You can practice this without committing to it if the wind conditions are right. Just head out on a reach and gain a little speed, drop the kite on the edge and crank the buggy upwind hard while the kite is under power. Slowly bring the kite to apex just to get the feel. Once you star to slow down then turn the buggy back downwind on your normal reach and take off again. Do this a couple times and pay attention to how far upwind you can turn and where the kite is going. Once you get use to this and you feel comfortable with your speed and area, complete the upwind turn instead of turning back downwind, just remember to flip your torso around.

That’s about the best I can explain it...hope it is understandable.

If you have any suggestions on other buggy tips or things you would like to learn, let me know and I will try to “blog” them up here for everyone.

Till next time....

2009-06-18T17:43:00.002-07:00

Ok, this is my first post on our newly set up Blog and it originates from a topic discussion on one of the kite forums online. The topic was about line drag and the noise some lines make....specifically Q-Powerline. This Blog post helps explain whats actually happening to your lines and why they sing when you fly. The topic was saying that Q-Powerlines have more resistance because they vibrate so loudly. This post was to help clarify that common misbelief amoung kite flyers.

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Topic Post...

Q-Power line sings quite loudly compared to other lines.

The line itself doesn't cause that much drag. The sine wave caused by the vibration as air rushes around and over the lines is what causes the most drag. Your lines aren't just restricting wind from the diameter of the line but more from the entire sine wave the line is creating. The more the line vibrates, the larger the sine wave - thus the more restriction (and disruption of air flow) the lines will create. This is the same reason that a single strand of wire will cause more wind resistance than a 6" diameter pipe. The air flows smoothly over the pipe (kind of the same way it flows over your kite) but gets very disrupted and distorted from the vibrations caused by the wire. Most of the time your lines will be causing more parasitic drag through the air than your entire kite does because of the distortion of air from the lines compared to the smooth flow of air over the kite or wing.

All lines vibrate. Can't help it, they are thin, long and flexible. As air hits the lines they WILL vibrate!

The frequency that your lines vibrate will determine just how much resistance the lines will give. Lower frequencies produce a very large sine wave and are much larger and more disruptive than higher frequencies that produce a very tiny sine wave. Even though you can't hear any audible vibrations from your lines - they are still vibrating. If you can't hear your lines singing to you, then the vibration is in the sub-sonic frequency range and causes tremendous line drag and resistance. As the power of the kite increases, the frequency that the lines are vibrating at also increases causing your lines to start singing more audibly when they are stretched very tightly.

Q-Powerlines are designed to load up the braid of the lines faster which means that your Q-Powerlines will start singing at a very high pitch very quickly in lower winds (as compared to other flying lines). This high pitch vibration is a much higher frequency than what is obtainable by other lines and allows Q-Powerline to have much less resistance and parasitic drag than any other line on the market. Q-Powerline is the only known company that has actually wind tunnel tested their lines against hundreds of other lines and proven that their lines have less parasitic drag (military contract requirements).

Q-Powerline can be a bit loud at times and will sing much louder and start to sing quicker than other line. Some people take this as adding more drag or reaching the breaking strain of the line faster but that is very far from the truth. It actually gives much much less drag as explained above but, because the line is vibrating at a much higher frequency, it actually helps maintain the rated breaking strain of the lines more than a line that is vibrating at a much lower frequency (think of a line that is constantly being pounded on by huge whipping yanks compared to a line that is only being tugged on in very small inputs).

So, Q-power is more audible than other lines but has less parasitic drag overall and higher strength when under load.

Sorry to drag on about this.... (pun intended) Just some useless information for everyone to share next time your sitting around with your buddies waiting for the wind to blow. I need to get out of this office and fly!!!!!!

End Post
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So, there goes my first Blog post. Hopefully more will be coming soon. Let me know if you have any questions or comments and maybe we can even open up a new topic about them.

Happy Winds!