Article 23093 of rec.kites:
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Path: tug!andrew
From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie)
Subject: Yeeeeha!  Chevron progress
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 14:29:22 GMT
Message-ID: <Doq5Kz.8rA@tug.com>

As I've been developing the Chevron (now on my 6th kite...), the standard
against which I've been judging myself is the Peter Lynn Peel.  I regard
his work to be the state of the art.  Any component of the performance
of my kite which falls short of his standard, I consider to be a failure.
If I should manage to exceed his performance in any way, I consider it a
significant triumph.

I've just been out flying, testing my latest Chevron (a 5m span, 5m^2 area
model) and comparing it to a stock 5m span, 5m^2 Icarex Peel.  I have come
back *delighted*!  I'll try to be as objective as possible.

Lift to drag:  I'm definately winning.  With a passing flier, we flew them
side by side.  The Chevron was clearly higher.  I checked the lines.  The
Chevron was on the fatter, heavier line (to it's detriment, but it overcame
this penalty).  We swapped fliers, in case it was a handling issue.  the
Chevron remained ahead.  Despite this, the Chevron showed *no* tendancy
to overfly.

Weight:  On the scales, the Chevron is 606g.  The Peel was 664g.  The Peel
has slightly heavier bridle and uses the same fabric.  We may not be comparing
exactly the same size, so I'll say merely that the Chevron is "no heavier"
than the Peel.

Turning.  The Chevron was at least as good as the Peel.

Structural integrity.  The Chevron held together better.  It appears to
have less tip-drag.  My inexperienced co-flier stuffed up the Peel 4
times and recovered once.  He stuffed up the Chevron once and recovered it
(except for a trailing tip bridle that neither he, nor I could fix in the
air.  The Icarex in the Peel seemed to be softer.  This may account for
the difference, but the Chevron was certainly no worse.

Pull and speed.  It's difficult to judge.  If there was any difference in
pull and speed, it was less than I was able to honestly distinguish.  (I have a suspicion that the Chevron pulled harder, but this may be coloured by the
fact that I *wanted* the Chevron to pull harder :-)

It was a good test, conducted in (guess) 5-7mph of wind.  I hesitate to say
that it's a better kite, and it all counts for nothing without racing, but
I think I'm ready to give Mr Lynn a good run for his money.

Please not that the Chevron is *not* a Peel.  The first Chevrons were
developed from Nop's excellent Sputnik 4, but this latest kite is
entirely my own specification.

If you'd like a look at the kite (and some of the design decisions that
went in to it), point your browser to;
http://www.kfs.org/kites/chevron

Andrew
-- 
If tangled lines are an irritating frustration, you won't understand, but
if you find untangling relaxing and theraputic, you might find AoxomoxoA