Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 02:40:07 -1000 From: Robert Christianson Message-Id: <3o2kr7$qvv@Owl.nstn.ca> Organization: Nova Scotia Technology Network Subject: Fighter Kites and the Ocean Yesterday I was flying homemade (bamboo and Icarex)fighter kites over the Bay of Fundy. The winds were very high, and I was flying a Large Indian Fighter that works quite well in high winds (I think partly because the nose is heavy, I have applied stunt kite webbing). I was moving the kite around, diving down towards the water and I did not bring it up in time and dunked it in! As I was slowly reeling the kite in through the water, the nose lifted out, and then the body of the kite lifted up. The wind caught the kite and it flew up and out of the water! This happened twice. I was amazed that the kite would fly out of the water and that the dunking in sea water did not wreck the kite! Later I was flying a Small Indian Fighter usually a very darting kite, and it was very stable. Could this be due the very high winds, or just the bridle adjustments? Bob = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 12:29:07 -1000 From: vraun@freenet.niagara.com (Vaino Raun) Message-Id: Organization: Niagara Peninsula Free-Net Subject: Re: Fighter Kites and the Ocean Robert Christianson (nstn1448@fox.nstn.ns.ca) wrote: : Yesterday I was flying homemade (bamboo and Icarex)fighter kites over : the Bay of Fundy. The winds were very high, and I was flying a Large : Indian Fighter that works quite well in high winds (I think partly : because the nose is heavy, I have applied stunt kite webbing). : Later I was flying a Small Indian Fighter usually a very darting : kite, and it was very stable. Could this be due the very high winds, : or just the bridle adjustments? : Bob It would be due to the winds. In higher winds a stiffer cross spar is needed to allow the kite to flatten and spin. The wind would keep the softer spar bent which would maintain the dihedral and keep it stable. When in Verdun last year I got some Indian fighters from a fellow from India and I noticed when he selected them that he gave me some of his softer ones which would make them easier to fly for the less experienced. Warm Winds... -- Vaino Raun..... St. Catharines, ONT vraun@freenet.niagara.com Canada = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 16:04:55 -1000 From: johnsen@eskimo.com (Brian Johnsen) Message-Id: Organization: Tethered Airfoil R&D Pty. Ltd.(C)(R)(TM) CD CASS Subject: Re: Fighter Kites and the Ocean In article <3o2kr7$qvv@Owl.nstn.ca>, Robert Christianson wrote: [ ] >Later I was flying a Small Indian Fighter usually a very darting >kite, and it was very stable. Could this be due the very high winds, >or just the bridle adjustments? It's a matter of the stiffness of your bow spar. In high winds it's always flexed back unless you feed it yards of line to change direction. The kite has to flatten out in order to spin. You could add weight to the tail, or move the pick point -> nose to catch less air. Or add another bow spar. -- "My Besotted Quadline Kite Demands Crack Or It Will Mug My IRS Auditor" Implies Pathological Line Judge -- Brian Johnsen johnsen@eskimo.com Seattle, Washington USA = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =