Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 09:26:46 -1000 From: cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk (Cathy McClay) Message-Id: <3ci85m$qi3@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk> Organization: Cambridge University Engineering Department Subject: Am I wrecking my kites? I must confess to being a serious lurker on this group for 8 months now and finally I've plucked up the courage to post! Although I've been flying 'kiddie kites' for a couple of years and enjoyed every minute of it I only bought my 1st sports kite last August. As I spend the majority of my weekends in Leeds I went to the Leading Edge Kite Company, and finding the very helpful I walked away with a Fizz Tempo which I really enjoy flying. However in recent gales I managed to bust one of the spars and decided that maybe it wasn't really suitable for Cambridge winds and bought a Fizz 3/4 size Bantam which I've had masses of fun flying this weekend. The problem is that I seem to crash my kites fairly regularly-probably 3 times in an hour and have so far broken 3 spars in 5 months. Is this excessive ? If so have you any tips as to how to improve my technique or do I just have to be less ambitious in what I try? Also, as I've not really flown other sports kites I don't know how they are supposed to feel in the air. Are these kites you would recommend as I haven't really seen them mentioned? If not what should I be flying? Thanks very much Cathy --- Cathy McClay Engineering Department University of Cambridge Email cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk Phone 0223 332798 Fax 0223 332662 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 13:21:18 -1000 From: mark@murder.demon.co.uk (Mark de Roussier) Message-Id: <787299678snx@murder.demon.co.uk> Organization: damage Subject: Re: Am I wrecking my kites? In article <3ci85m$qi3@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk> cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk writes: > I must confess to being a serious lurker on this group for 8 months > now and finally I've plucked up the courage to post! :) Howdy... > [stuff deleted...] > > The problem is that I seem to crash my kites fairly regularly-probably 3 > times in an hour and have so far broken 3 spars in 5 months. Is this excessive ? Not particularly. If you like power diving in the centre of the wind before trying a combination snap-stall 20cm above the ground followed by a three point landing, you're gonna bust more spars than folks who always glide out to the edge and let it flop. Ditto with ground work, IMHO. Ditto if your idea of a stiff breeze is the Met Office's idea of a force nine gale... On the other hand, if these spars are just snapping because the wind is too strong, you have either the wrong kite for the wind and/or the wrong spars for the wind. You can usually fit stronger spars in any given sail. > If so have you any tips as to how to improve my technique or do I just have to > be less ambitious in what I try? Just the normal boring stuff really - watch people who're better than you, and spend time practising. Videos can sometimes be useful, 'cos you can keep replaying the bits you don't get. Join a club and fly with them. For many folk , competition is the spur to improve. Download descriptions of tricks from Hawaii. > Also, as I've not really flown other sports kites I don't know how they > are supposed to feel in the air. Are these kites you would recommend > as I haven't really seen them mentioned? I haven't flown them either... > If not what should I be flying? Of the kites I know personally, if you're after a tricky kite that'll take some abuse ( I swear I've seen the leading edge bend >90deg ! :), and can handle ( indeed, needs ) a fair breeze, the Stranger fits the bill. -- Mark de Roussier ************************************ A nice man is a man of nasty ideas. Jonathon Swift. ************************************ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 20:12:25 -1000 From: larryn@cyberspace.net (Larry Navarro) Message-Id: <3cje09$4te@case.cyberspace.com> Organization: Cyberlink Communications (206) 281-5397 Subject: Re: Am I wrecking my kites? Cathy McClay (cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk) wrote: : I must confess to being a serious lurker on this group for 8 months : now and finally I've plucked up the courage to post! : Although I've been flying 'kiddie kites' for a couple of years and : enjoyed every minute of it I only bought my 1st sports kite last August. : As I spend the majority of my weekends in Leeds I went to the Leading : Edge Kite Company, and finding the very helpful I walked away with : a Fizz Tempo which I really enjoy flying. However in recent gales I : managed to bust one of the spars and decided that maybe it wasn't : really suitable for Cambridge winds and bought a Fizz 3/4 size Bantam : which I've had masses of fun flying this weekend. : The problem is that I seem to crash my kites fairly regularly-probably 3 : times in an hour and have so far broken 3 spars in 5 months. Is this excessive ? : If so have you any tips as to how to improve my technique or do I just have to : be less ambitious in what I try? : Also, as I've not really flown other sports kites I don't know how they : are supposed to feel in the air. Are these kites you would recommend : as I haven't really seen them mentioned? If not what should I be flying? : Thanks very much : Cathy : --- : Cathy McClay : Engineering Department : University of Cambridge : Email cmc@eng.cam.ac.uk : Phone 0223 332798 : Fax 0223 332662 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 10:37:54 -1000 From: larryn@ten-fwd.airpcs.com (Larry Navarro) Message-Id: <3cl0n2$50k@news.cerf.net> Organization: AirTouch Communications, PCS Group Subject: Re: Am I wrecking my kites? If you are crashing often it might be due to fast kites and slow reaction time When I start newbies on two line kites I put them on longer lines to improve their reaction time, as it makes the kite appear to move slower. For better techniques pick up one of the books by David Gomberg, Ron Reich or the Prism book. Good luck! Larry Navarro = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =