Date:	Thu, 15 Jul 1993 05:26:00 -1000
From:	ye79@gec-mrc.co.uk (ye79)
Message-Id: <1993Jul15.152715.5157@das.harvard.edu>
Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Subject: : Flexis & Peels (wasRe

Re: Flexis & Peels (wasRe: Side Jumps -- How are they done?)

Andrew Beattie writes:

>I don't know what a parapent is, but Peels are large, soft with the outline of
>a thin elipse.

Sounds like a parapent. A parapent is a type of parachute designed to
generate sufficient lift for soaring. You need a mountain to jump off
to use them properly, though I've seen people towed up in a similar
manner to hang gliders. They are popular in the Alps.  Power kiting
taken to an extreme I suppose. You may know it as parascending.

>Want to relax?  Buy Quick-release handles, park the kite above you and
>lie down.  The limit for doing this for me was the 15m^2 peel at about 15mph
>on 200' lines.  On a normal peel, you shouldn't have any problem.
>The ability to go easily upwind is too valuable to loose.

Going upwind in a buggy is one thing, being able to do so on foot is
quite another. I imagine lying down is about the only way to stay
stationary with a 15m^2 kite.

>                                              A serious buggyer will probably
>end up buying two.  Buy the 5m first, then go up or down depending upon
>your experience.  I reckon that a 5m is useful in just about any wind,
>particularly if you have a choice of line length.

According to Buggies, Boats and Peels (downloaded from the FTP site)
the 3.5 metre Peel (2.5 sq metre) is only slightly larger than the Q2
(2 sq metre Quadrifoil). So perhaps I've already got the low end
covered. I bought the Q2 because I thought it would be easier to fly
on my own, an interesting alternative and good fun. It is all of
these things, and more powerful than a single 10' Flexi, though less
powerful than two. Better for buggying, when I get a chance to try it.

It would be interesting to see how the larger Peels compare with the
larger Quadrifoils. Any idea? The information I got when I bought my
Q2 suggests that the Q4 and Q5 should only be used for buggying and
that the Q5 should be reserved for the strongly built, whatever that
means. It sounds from what you say as if the Peels are easier to
handle.

>I don't know about that, a Peel is more expenive than a 10' flexi, but
>a single 10' flexi is just about useless.

Cheaper than I thought then. Still it is perhaps debatable if it's the
difference between two and three Flexis. How does the 5m^2 Peel
compare with three Flexis?

>Distance jumping is governed more by how much strain you are willing/able
>to put on your body.

And by how much you enjoy hospital food :-)

>I'll answer this properly with a price list, but first I'll have to get one...

Thanks, I'll look forward to it.

Chris
--
Chris Willis (ye79@uk.co.gec-mrc) GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Essex UK




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