Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 12:18:08 -1000 From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Message-Id: Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Subject: Re: Flexifoils: How far apart? In article , oakden@hep.ph.liv.ac.uk wrote: > In article <44f8lj$q9i$1@mhafn.production.compuserve.com> > Adrian Layden <100332.2351@CompuServe.COM> writes: > > Hi there, > > I'm about to add a second 10' flexi to my stack of one. In the > instructions It says to seperate them by three quaters of the > length of the kite (ie 7'6"), but does anyone know what effect > different seperations have? > I fly 'em 6' apart. Have tried everything from 3' to 12' and find 6' best. keeps the stack (up to 13-10'ers in my case, though works just as well with 2--this is my "regular" practice stack) nice and tight, but without interference. > [one problem that sometimes occurs launching flexi stacks in stronger > winds is that the top kite (or kites) launch the stack before the > lower kite (or kites) can feel enough wind underneath to bow them, > resulting in the lower kite(s) launching bowed *the wrong way*. This > is not too hard to correct (just wait till they are clear of the > ground then walk/run towards the kites to let off the tension and > flatten the kites then stop/pull back to re-power them all bowed the > right way] > This ain't so simple, Mark, when the stack is attached to a boat. You can't "run forward"! I have tried turning the boat downwind, effectively doing the same thing, but, especially if the wind is strong (>15 mph) that you often find more trouble than you figured on. I sometimes can re-invert the errant kite by violent maneuvers, but sometimes there's no way out. Skillful launching (whatever that might mean) seems the best approach. The ground handlers let the top kite go just as all the lower kites are filled and moving upwards (more detail: they "flap" or undulate in a wave-like motion, it's just a matter of timing the release) I've never had an inverted flexi in a stack of fewer than 4 kites, though. -- Dave Culp Speedsailing daveculp@bdt.com 312 Flaming Oak Drive http://www.bdt.com:80/home/ Pleasant Hill, CA 94596 daveculp/speedsail.html USA (NEW Website) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 13:00:33 -1000 From: mrkites@webcom.com (John Fraser) Message-Id: <4570qh$3gp@atheria.europa.com> Organization: Europa |||| Portland, OR Subject: Re: Flexifoils: How far apart? In article <44f8lj$q9i$1@mhafn.production.compuserve.com>, 100332.2351@CompuServe.COM says... but does anyone know what effect >different seperations have? > >Good winds, Ady. The chaps that work for us on the beach say,..closer together=less pull ,further apart=more pull. As a general rule we stack 6', 6' apart. -- Good Winds ! -- John Fraser Once upon a Breeze Kiteshop mrkites@webcom.com http://webcom.com/~mrkites/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 11:04:49 -1000 From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Message-Id: Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Subject: Re: Flexifoils: How far apart? In article <4570qh$3gp@atheria.europa.com>, mrkites@webcom.com (John Fraser) wrote: > > but does anyone know what effect > >different seperations have? > > > >Good winds, Ady. > > The chaps that work for us on the beach say,..closer together=less pull > ,further apart=more pull. As a general rule we stack 6', 6' apart. > -- This is a gross over-simplification. If too close, like 1/2 span or less, you will get less pull as the kites interact. If too far, like 1.5 spans, the kites tend to "hunt" or wander, and pull drops off again. Within these limits, there's a lot of leeway. -- Dave Culp Speedsailing daveculp@bdt.com 312 Flaming Oak Drive http://www.bdt.com:80/home/ Pleasant Hill, CA 94596 daveculp/speedsail.html USA (NEW Website) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =