Date:	Mon, 7 Jun 1993 19:44:28 -1000
From:	jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka)
Message-Id: <1v18vs$cp@umd5.umd.edu>
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Subject: 3-D Flying article, Mark II


Here's a revamped and updated version of my 3-D flying article of a year or
so ago.  It's lengthy, but I feel it's pretty informative.  If you have
any questions about something in it, feel free to write me!  I hope some
of you find it useful...

Jeff

---------

Old Style/Beginner's 3-D flying:

3-D flying (which I originally heard of as a javelin, but that only
names the throw, not the catch...) is a technique mostly only done
with Revs that involves taking your kite out of the spherical surface
it usually flies upon.

The most common trick is a catch-and-throw, which as I said is 
referred to as a javelin.  As far as I know, Lee Sedgewick was the
first to do it (at least in competition), and the move's been around
for over two years.

To do this move:

a)  fly your kites on short lines.  I'd say lines between 20' and 50' 
are best; 50' is pushing it...  The bigger the kite, the easier it is 
to do with longer lines.  That is to say that it's very tough to fly
a Rev II 3-D on 50' lines, but not too hard with a Rev I.

b)  fly the kite to the top center of the window and park it.

c)  give a sharp yank on the top two lines.  For the Rev I, it's 
usually sufficient just to jerk the handles really far back with all
pressure on the top lines.  For the Rev II, it's best to quickly put
one handle into the other hand and then use your free hand to grab the
top lines about 2-3 feet from the handles and yank.  The kite will
suddenly start falling out of the sky right at your face at an
alarming velocity.  For me, the hardest part about learning to catch a
Rev was learning not to flinch as the kites come toward you.  I find
it particularly unnerving with a 9' kite.  Don't worry, though-- the
kites are quite gentle when they hit your hand.  All you do is put one 
handle into your other hand (if it isn't there already), reach up and
catch the kite.  The main advantange to the second yanking method 
(grabbing the lines) is that you have far more velocity directly
toward you so the kite tends to fall right on the flier, making it
possible to catch the kite without taking a single step.  This is
particularly important with the Rev II--the kite is so light that it
tends to get moved around by the wind as it falls.

d)  You're now holding the kite in one hand and two handles in the 
other.  First check to make sure the lines, where they are attached 
to the bridle, are clear.  Often you'll notice that a line is tangled 
somewhere.  Always clear your lines before throwing the kite.  If you 
don't, you'll probably have to stake your lines and walk down to the 
kite to fix it.  It's so much simpler to clear the lines when you've 
already got the kite in your hands!  Hold the kite by the right wing 
tip and balance the center of the kite with your left hand (which is
also holding the handles).  Toss the kite downwind, being sure to
follow through to the left as the kite leaves your hand.  If you don't
follow through and give the kite that bit of spin (just enough to
rotate the leading edge so it is perpendicular to the wind direction),
you are more likely to tangle your lines.  The effect of all this is
that the kite floats downwind to the end of the lines.  It then stops
and grabs wind, always inverted, so you have to be ready to give it
some reverse to help it start to fly.  Depending on the throw and the
wind conditions, you may need to step back a bit.

Once you get the hang of the throw, it's a great way to launch the 
kite--no need to worry about staking it down.

------------
3-D in '93:  new tricks for experienced flyers.

The Javelin, as described above, is a pretty nifty trick and will 
probably surprise lots of people.  But it's really only part of the 
story.  What I'm about to describe are some modifications and hints 
for much more serious 3-D flying--the sort of flying that can really 
blow some folks' minds!  When I first started flying 3-D two years 
ago, the generally accepted technique was to park the kite as high as 
possible directly above you and directly downwind.  This is no longer 
necessary...

Most of what I'll describe here are (reversible) modifications, 
intended mainly for a Rev II.  The modifications and style of flying 
are really meant for experienced Rev flyers.  I've had people walk up 
to me and say, "I've got one of those kites but I _never_ move my 
arms like *that*!"

These modifications are largely lifted (with appreciation) from Lee 
Sedgewick and Dave Brittain.  You'll find that they'll not only
improve your 3-D and radical flying, but also help you fly your kites
in a much lower wind.  I now fly a "stock" RevII in winds some folks
might consider a bit low for a RevI.  Thanks also to Dave Arnold and 
Ron Young for ideas, inspiration, and competition.

Most of these modifications serve the purpose of making the spar/line 
attachment points far more streamlined so as to reduce the risk of 
snagging a line either during a launch or during normal flying when 
your handles are close together.

1)  Handles

Most Rev flyers have probably experienced the frustration of snagging 
a line on the metal rings to which lines are attached on Rev handles. 
It is a simple matter to do away with those rings entirely and 
install a new attachment method.  Start by removing the rings (use a 
pair of plyers to pry them open).  Next, remove the vinyl endcap.  
You'll see that the handle is hollow, and there will be two holes in 
the side from the ring.  Use a file to smooth the edges of the end of 
the handle, then find a nail which will fit through the holes meant 
for the ring.  Cut the nail short so that when the head of the nail 
is pushed tightly against the handle, the other end is flush with the 
side of the handle.   Cut a small hole in the very tip of the 
vinyl cap and insert the end of a knotted loop of line through 
the hole in the cap.  Pull the nail far enough out of the handle so 
you can slip the loop of line over the handle.  Push the nail back 
through the other hole, and finally slide the endcap back on.  The 
final result will be a smooth handle end with a piece of line 
sticking out from the very end.  This line will have a knot at the 
end to which you can larkshead your flying line.

2)  Bridle

What bridle?  You don't *really* want a bridle on your kite, do you?  
It's heavy, gets in the way, tangles with your lines on 3-D throws, 
and slows down the kite when you're really banging on the lines,
jerking it this way and that.  Go ahead and remove the bridle, though
keep it handy should you ever want to reattach it.

3)  Spar endcaps

Again, we're trying to smooth things out so your lines won't get 
caught/tangled.   What we're doing here is approximating the 3-D kit 
>From Revolution.  First off, remove all the bungee, rubber grommets, 
and endcaps from your kite.  You'll need a slightly lighter gauge 
replacement bungee.  You'll next want to drill holes into the top of 
your endcap.  It'll need to be wide enough to accomodate two pieces 
of bungee *and* a loop of line to which you'll attach your flying 
lines.  Don't drill too big a hole or the bungees/attachment lines 
will slip right through.  Experiement with a small hole and enlarge 
it if necessary.  Be careful to drill at the center of the endcap and 
not at the edges; you can easily break the edge of the top portion of 
the cap (above the hole through which the bungee/bridle is normall 
attached).

When you reattach the caps to the kite, you'll do so with all knots 
inside the endcap.  Thread one end of the bungee through the new hole 
at the end of the cap.  Pull out enough through the cap to tie a 
knot, then pull the loose end so the knot goes to the bottom of the 
inside of the cap.  Thread the loose end of the bungee through the 
hot-cut holes on the sail, then thread it through the end of the cap. 
Tie a knot in the loose end, with the bungee as tight as possible.  
Perhaps the hardest part of this is getting the knots at either end 
of the bunge close enough to give enough tension on the sail.  
Finally, take a tied-off loop of line and feed it out through the end 
of the endcap.  This should have a big knot inside the endcap to stop 
it from slipping through, and a small knot at the free end to which 
you'll attach your flying line.  NOTE:  these loops of line are only 
needed on the 4 endcaps at the ends of the vertical spars.  The 2 
caps at either end of the leading edge just need the bungee.

The only "permanent" modification listed here are the holes drilled 
into the ends of the endcaps.  These in no way harm the kite and it 
is a simple matter to restore the bridle and bungees to their 
original state.

4)  Flying lines

50# or 80# braided Spectra is your best bet.  45# twisted Spiderline 
is nice in low winds, but the twisted line has lots of friction, 
effecting sensitivity of the kite.  I've been flying on a short set 
of lines originally put together for rollerkiting; despite 300# on 
top and 150# on the bottom, the kite flies quite well in low winds.

Your line length should be approximately 20-25'.  Those 5 extra feet 
make a very noticeable difference.  Try the kite with lines at the 
high end of the range and cut them down if necessary.  Use adjustors 
on your handles to tune your lines.

WARNING:  with lines this short, your kite will be *extremely* 
sensitive, particularly in steady, moderate breezes.  Again, these 
instructions are meant for folks who feel pretty comfortable with a 
Revolution.  

5)  Handle Size

In a nice, steady breeze, the stock Rev II handles are suitable, 
though Rev I handles will give you slightly better reverse control.  
In lighter winds, I recommend the Rev I Ultralight Handles ("long 
throw"), even for the Rev II.  The Revolution has an amazing ability 
to float, almost flat to the ground.  With the longer throw on the 
handles, it is possible to achieve this flat float with the kite in a 
pure inverted position.  With smaller handles, the only way to 
achieve this is through a longitudinal positioning of the kite, with 
the leading edge parallel to the wind direction.  Longer handles 
(such as Rev I handles with a Rev II) will take some getting used to, 
but you'll adjust quickly and then start to wonder how you managed to 
fly with smaller handles!

------

Flight Tips

With the kite set up as described above, you'll find that 3-D flying 
can be done in far more unusual styles and manners.  It is not 
necessary to park the kite overhead before drawing it in to the 
flyer.  The kite can be brought in from virtually any vertical 
position in the window, and even from the sides of the window, not 
just directly downwind.
  
Standard technique is still to place both handles in one hand (left 
hand for righties) and jerk on the top two lines with your free hand. 
the kite will come toward you quite quickly and is very easy to 
snatch out of the air.  Throws, too, will go much quicker.  You must 
move fast to get each handle back in its proper hand and ready for 
flight before the kite reaches the end of the lines.

One impressive move is to bring the kite in flat over the ground, 
instead of down from way in the air.  The best way to practice this 
is to land the kite on its bottom tips, leaning back.  Place both 
handles in your left hand.  With your left hand, launch the kite by 
pulling back your arm a bit with the tops of the handles tilted back. 
As soon as the kite clears the ground by a few feet, yank on the top 
lines with your right hand.  The kite will shoot across the ground 
right toward you!  Once you've got a feel for how the kite will react 
this way, it's a much simpler matter to pull the kite in from most 
any vertical position in the window.  You'll eventually find that 
this sort of 3-D flying can be done in widely varying wind 
conditions.  With the kite presenting such a small profile to the 
wind when it's moving toward the flyer in a flat position, it's a 
simple matter to fly 3-D in winds of 15mph or higher.
 
With an Ultralight I or II or Super Ultralight I in low to no wind 
situations, you'll find that it's a frustratingly simple matter to 
pull too hard on the kite and have it go soaring over your head.  
Believe it or not, this is a great feature.  Instead of worrying 
about catching the kite in this situation, quickly turn around and be 
ready to walk backward when the kite reaches the ends of the lines.  
This move is vaguely related to an Over-the-Top such as one does with 
an ultralight delta.  However, it is truly 3-D flying in that the 
kite does not stay at the ends of its lines.

In addition to the 3-D flying, you'll find that a Rev II set up as 
described can be bounced around quite a bit.  Strong, rapid jerks on 
the lines are quite effective in turning the kite in new and exciting 
ways.  It becomes a simple matter do to all manner of flat spins, 
bounces off the ground, rapid reverses and inverts, and so forth.
  
The impression I get from flying a bridleless Rev II on such short 
lines is very different from that of a delta or Rev on long lines.
Insted of feeling like I'm making the kite dance through my
manipulation of the lines, I feel like the Rev is a dance *partner*.
It seems to be much more of a symbiotic relationship between two very
different aspects or characters in a dancing couple.  Part of this due
to the interaction created by 3-D flying.  But part, too, is caused by
the heavy amounts of body language needed to finesse and strong arm
the kite where and when necessary.  It's a new style of flying, one
that's exciting and invigorating.  If you've gotten tired of doing 
the same old stuff with your Revolution and find that it's not coming 
out of the bag as much as it used to, give some of this a try.  I 
don't think you'll be disappointed.




-- 
|Jeffrey C. Burka     | "When I look in the mirror, I see a little clearer/ |
|SAFH Lite [tm]       |  I am what I am and you are you too./  Do you like  |
|jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu |  what you see?  Do you like yourself?"  --N. Cherry |



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