Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 09:29:26 -1000 From: kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) Message-Id: <3s77im$n8k@goodnews.wv.tek.com> Organization: Tektronix Colorado Data Systems, Englewood, Co. Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane RC servo to push the shutter. It all works fine if the wind is just the right speed. If the wind is a little on the heavy side, the pull on the string is scary. If the wind is a little on the light side, the kite goes up OK but then it sails right over my head and glides to the ground. It occurs to me that some sort of mechanism that was controlled by the tension on the string and moved something the equivalent of an airplane elevator might even things out. I haven't been reading kite magazines. Is there an easy way to do this? Maybe someway of bending the kite with the string tension? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. Kit Richards, Denver = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 10:03:54 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) writes: >I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane >RC servo to push the shutter. >If the wind is a little on the light side, the kite goes up OK but >then it sails right over my head and glides to the ground. Hmmm... there's an interesting problem - it flies up, then the weight of the payload makes the kite overfly... My first guess would be to make the kite hang further back by either: - bridle further back - add tails, drougues or spinners to the kite (not the line!) to increase the drag Take a leaf out of Cody's book, he used sails across the back of the kite to increase the line tension by adding drag. If I were desiging a lifting kite, I'd got for a 1.0 lift/drag ratio to get a tight, stable 45 degree line. nb: this is advice from observation, not practice. Andrew -- New to rec.kites? START HERE! | To: www@kfs.org send an email message like this->| Subject: service /-\ () >< () |\/| () >< () /-\ | http://www.kfs.org/kites/welcome/index.html note: A 1 hour local evening call costs 20more after BT's latest price-cut. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 17:10:08 -1000 From: amirault@laraby.tiac.net (Richard Amirault) Message-Id: Organization: The Internet Access Company Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) writes: >I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane >RC servo to push the shutter. >It all works fine if the wind is just the right speed. >If the wind is a little on the heavy side, the pull on the string is >scary. >If the wind is a little on the light side, the kite goes up OK but >then it sails right over my head and glides to the ground. >It occurs to me that some sort of mechanism that was controlled by the >tension on the string and moved something the equivalent of an airplane >elevator might even things out. Most of us have setteled on using different kites for different wind/load conditions. It's MUCH easier, believe me. And I hope you're waiting until you have a stable flying kite BEFORE you attach your camera to the line! Good winds Richard in Boston amirault@tiac.net = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 07:38:55 -1000 From: rstone@atl.com (Rob Stone) Message-Id: <1995Jun22.173855.29629@atl.com> Organization: Advanced Technology Labs (Bothell, WA, USA) Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control In article , Richard Amirault wrote: >kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) writes: > >>I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane >>RC servo to push the shutter. >>It all works fine if the wind is just the right speed. > >Most of us have setteled on using different kites for different wind/load >conditions. It's MUCH easier, believe me. > >And I hope you're waiting until you have a stable flying kite BEFORE you >attach your camera to the line! > >Good winds > >Richard in Boston When I first read this, it sounded to me like the load was directly attached to the kite frame. Is this the case? If so, suspending the load from the line might get rid of the unwanted effects. Life's a breeze, Rob Stone = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 07:31:44 -1000 From: kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) Message-Id: <3setq0$b56@goodnews.wv.tek.com> Organization: Tektronix Colorado Data Systems, Englewood, Co. Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control In article <1995Jun22.173855.29629@atl.com> rstone@atl.com (Rob Stone) writes: >>kitr@commando.cds.tek.com (Kit Richards CDS) writes: >> >>>I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane >>>RC servo to push the shutter. >>>It all works fine if the wind is just the right speed. >> > >When I first read this, it sounded to me like the load was directly attached >to the kite frame. Is this the case? > >If so, suspending the load from the line might get rid of the unwanted effects. > >Life's a breeze, > >Rob Stone The camera is attached to the kite frame. The kite seems to be a much more stable platform than what I could come up with to fasten to the string. It is a cheap camera I bought used for $10 and it has survived many landings. I would like to try to keep the camera on the kite so I think maybe I'll see what the effect is of changing the length of the cross pole. If that seems to have the right effect I could try a spring loaded cross pole that would vary the pitch with load. I think if I want to get serious about photography from the air I would be better off using a teathered balloon in still air. Kit Richards, Denver = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 02:31:57 -1000 From: hayden1009@aol.com (Hayden1009) Message-Id: <3sh0jt$ia3@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control Have you ever seen some of Craig Wilson's photos? He is a professional photographer who has joined a profession and a hobby with some stuning results. He feels that with a kite he can control the exact altitude and get in much closer than he could be other means (I went to his lecture at the convention). He has also had articles and photos published in THE AERIAL EYE. There was some real neat stuff of the statue on the top of a Madison government building. It is $10 for 4 quarterly issues to AKA members and $15 for 4 quarterly issues to non-AKA members. If you are interested contact Brooks (kyteman@aol.com). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 18:28:29 -1000 From: rock@netcom.com (Anne Rock) Message-Id: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services Subject: Re: Automatic pitch control Kit Richards CDS (kitr@commando.cds.tek.com) wrote: : I have built a 12 foot delta kite and attached a camera and an airplane : RC servo to push the shutter. : It all works fine if the wind is just the right speed. : If the wind is a little on the heavy side, the pull on the string is : scary. : If the wind is a little on the light side, the kite goes up OK but : then it sails right over my head and glides to the ground. Most kite aerial photographers attach the camera rig to the kite line, anywhere from 50 to several hundred feet from the kite. The primary reason I do this is so the kite is launched and up above the worst ground turbulence before adding a camera to the mix. I also often use a delta, have one that's about 10' and my favorite that is 15'. I use a drogue on the smaller one and a long (50'?) tube tail on the larger one, which tended to overfly until I added the tube tail. Check out the rec.kites archives: there's a directory 'kap' for kite aerial photography (ftp.hawaii.edu/pub/rec/kites/kap). I think there's a description for a Picavet suspension device which is easy to make and works wonders. It attaches to the kite line. If there isn't an article describing it, or the description isn't clear, send me email. And Alice has a good suggestion: The Aerial Eye is a great source of information. Anne -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Anne Rock | * * rock@netcom.com | * * Berkeley, CA | * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =