From: n342584 Subject: Could someone please explain Date: Fri, 31 May 1996 09:46:14 -1000 Organization: Newcastle University Message-ID: <4onia6$s4v@whitbeck.ncl.ac.uk> Please could some one please explain the difference between peels, foils and flexis. Thanks = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Date: Fri, 31 May 1996 20:20:30 -1000 Message-ID: n342584 writes: >Please could some one please explain the difference between peels, >foils and flexis. Thanks Uh... I think you need to *see* them, but for starters: Peel. Completely soft power kite. Reminiscent of an elliptical paraglider canopy. Lots of bridle lines. Ram air inflated. Pulls like a truck. Flexifoil. Unique hybrid power kite. Single semi-flexible spare along leading edge. Ram air inflated cells. Rectangular plan. Partially hooped front elevation. Reflex aerofoil (pulls up at the front, pushes down at the rear to balance forces on lreading edge). Very fast and efficient. Bridled only to the ends of the spars. Pulls like a motorbike. Foil. Generic term, usualy referring to any ram air filled aerofoil profile kite. The only site that I can think of that has good pictures of both Flexies and Peels is BFK's excellent on-line catalogue: http://www.bfknet.com Andrew -- Current *obscenity* laws adequtely cover the issue of distributing child pornography on the net. The Communications Decency Act targets *indecency* including sites covering breast feeding, HIV guidance, lyrics, medical research, ancient and modern art as well as naked buggying = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: gengvall@aol.com (G Engvall) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 00:07:13 -1000 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Message-ID: <4op4oh$79@newsbf02.news.aol.com> In article <4onia6$s4v@whitbeck.ncl.ac.uk>, n342584 writes: >Please could some one please explain the difference between peels, >foils and flexis. Thanks I am stepping a little out of my league here, but I will give it a shot. Let's start with foils. A foil would be any kite that has an airfoil as a cross section. A Parafoil, FlowForm, Stratoscoop, Peel, FlexiFoil, Quadrafoil, Martin Lester Legs.... BTW - An air foil would be a section of the kite, that when viewed sideways, would have a top surface that was curved, and a bottom surface that was flat, creating Bernouli lift (air going over the top & bottom does so at the same speed, therefore spreads out on the top, creating an area of low pressure.) ***Note*** Flexi's (Flexifoils) don't really fall into this general description, because the majority of their curve is on the bottom (surface closer to the flyer...). If you want to know the "why", ask Ray & Jeannie Murray when you see them... OK - Peels - A peel is an airfoil type dual-line kite with no spreader (cross stick) that is self supporting and open at the front of the airfoil, and holds its shape by means of a cross-bridling system where the right string connects to a series of bridles that spreads to the bottom of (almost) every rib on the kite. Likewise for the left bridle. An ideal "buggy engine" because the pilot does not need to deal with the vagaries of quad kite handling while also dealing with the vagaries of steering a buggy... Flexi's (FlexiFoils): Way cool dual line stunter (the fastest forward speed ever recorded for any stunt kite) Front part of foil is covered with screen to help keep out (most) foreign matter. The kite relies on a spreader (stick) along the front of the kite to keep its shape. Hope this helps. Ooops ! Almost forgot the obligatory disclaimer : While I do not profess to know Ray or Jeanne Murray, I have video taped them on occasion and do own five 6' Flexi's. I do not know, but have seen, and video taped, Peter Lynn, and various Peels, doing their various wonderful things (usually over Fritz Gramkowski). As for other Foils (and Foilers) I have known, all credit goes to Dom Jalbert, for creating the airfoil kite, and various and wonderful disciples of his, who have been kind and generous enough to support me in my meager attempts at building kites. good heavens gary engvall = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: KITEJAG@MOTHER.COM (John Gabby) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 05:07:30 -1000 Organization: Mother.COM Message-ID: <31b05836.2741691@NEWS.MOTHER.COM> On 31 May 1996 19:46:14 GMT, n342584 wrote: >Please could some one please explain the difference between peels, >foils and flexis. Thanks First a quasi definition of a foil...open to much criticism, I';m sure...in the kiting worl a foil is generally a soft kite that inflates due to air coming through the leading edge or leading edge vents and forms a more or less efficient airfoil shape which develops lift as moving air (wind) passes around it. With that out of the way, flexis and peels are both foils made by different manufacturers. The flexi (short for flexifoil) is quite popular for general flying and has a stiff spar in the leading edge. The kite is manufactured in Great Brittain. The Peel is primarily a buggy kite, contains no spars and is manufactured in New Zeland by Peter Lynn. There are a number of other foils including, but not limited to, Chevron, Sputnik, Quardrafoil, Quad Track, Sky Tiger, Green's Wildwings, and a number of others I can't recall at the moment. All these kites develop tremendous amounts of lift, translating to pull on the lines, and should be approached with some caution. If you want to take up flying foils, please find someone who knows what they're doing and get a lesson or two. Flying strong pulling foils can be great fun and a great work out...it can also be hazzardous to your health and hurt a bunch...knowledgable assistance is the difference. Hope this helps...and for real serious definitions and possible help learning foils, in the UK contact Andrew@tug.com John = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: jburka@Glue.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 12:21:44 -1000 Organization: Project GLUE, University of Maryland, College Park, MD Message-ID: <4oqfpo$66k@geog25.umd.edu> In article <4op4oh$79@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, G Engvall wrote: >***Note*** Flexi's (Flexifoils) don't really fall >into this general description, because the majority of their curve is on >the bottom (surface closer to the flyer...). If you want to know the >"why", ask Ray & Jeannie Murray when you see them... Yeah, they'll be hanging out with Corey Benson. Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | Pithy, insightful quote to be inserted when one | |jburka@glue.umd.edu | occurs to me. *If* one occurs to me. | |http://www.wam.umd.edu/~jeffy/html/home.html | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: pp@win.tue.nl (Peter Peters) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 21:49:22 -1000 Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Message-ID: <4ou5e2$rc2@svin09.win.tue.nl> In article , andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) writes: > >Andrew >-- >Current *obscenity* laws adequtely cover the issue of distributing child >pornography on the net. The Communications Decency Act targets *indecency* >including sites covering breast feeding, HIV guidance, lyrics, medical >research, ancient and modern art as well as naked buggying WHAT no pictures of naked buggying ? THAT DOES IT ! I'm gonna add a ribbon now. ( oops, I alread had one...:-) ). Peter -- Peter Peters, pp@win.tue.nl, http://www.win.tue.nl/~pp/ Like kites.... look at http://www.win.tue.nl/~pp/kites/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 10:09:45 -1000 Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Message-ID: In article <4op4oh$79@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, gengvall@aol.com (G Engvall) wrote: > ***Note*** Flexi's (Flexifoils) don't really fall > into this general description, because the majority of their curve is on > the bottom (surface closer to the flyer...). If you want to know the > "why", ask Ray & Jeannie Murray when you see them... Um, this isn;t quite true. A reflex airfoil, like a Flexi's, has a curved "mid-chord" line. Thats the line from the middle of the leading edge to the trailing edge, taken through the airfoil. The Flexi airfoil section has just as much curvature "above" this line as any other foil section. It's just harder to visualize. So how do you know if the mid-chord line in a given kite is curved? Well, for one, I just told you ;-) It's very hard to determine, just looking at a foil. The flexi shape, for instance is *very* close to an upside-down Clark-Y, a very common model aircraft airfoil. So, how's it different? I honestly don't know. Take your master's degree in Aerodynamics. Specialize in reflex airfoil sections. Report back here... ################################################################### Dave Culp Speedsailing | e-mail to: daveculp@bdt.com 312 Flaming Oak Drive | Pleasant Hill, CA 94596 | http://www.bdt.com:80/home/daveculp/speedsail.html #################################################################### = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: birdofplay@aol.com (BirdofPlay) Subject: Re: Could someone please explain Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 22:25:03 -1000 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Message-ID: <4p0rsv$kqi@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Sounds like another good reason for printing "real" magazines. Of course we'd hafta get 'em of the back shelf ! ;^} Or maybe we could "float" this one as ... Medical Research - A N D get govt funding birdofplay@aol.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =