Article 23319 of rec.kites: Path: tug!ibmpcug!laura.pcug.co.uk!plug.news.pipex.net!pipex!tube.news.pipex.net!pipex!lade.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!fnnews.fnal.gov!nntp-server.caltech.edu!avalon.softaware.com!nntp.earthlink.net!daveculp.dial-up.bdt.com!user From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Newsgroups: rec.kites Subject: Re: Yeeeeha! Chevron progress Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 23:19:20 -0800 Organization: Earthlink Network, Inc. Lines: 48 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: daveculp.dial-up.bdt.com X-Newsreader: Value-Added NewsWatcher 2.0b24.0+ > To measure the L/D of the *kite*, take the arc-tan of the angle between the > wind and the bridle at the tow-point. Note that this brings the drag of the > bridle and also the weight of the kite into the equation, but I think that > this is fair and useful. > > To measure the L/D of the kite and line system, take the arc-tan of the > angle between the wind and the angle of the *bottom* of the line. > > The angle to the kite it'sself (what we were comparing) is of little > interest. Tsk, tsk. And I've been trying to beat this into your thick head for months. You can lead a horse to water... (Or as my good friend, a landscape contractor says, "You can lead a horticulture, but you cannot make her think.") (Oh, sh*t, was that illegal?) (Or was that?!! This computer decency act is giving me a headache) >I think that the Chev *kite* was flying at > a more efficient angle, but the Chevron kite-line system was at a less > efficient angle. The performance of the line is *so* important. As I've perhaps mentioned... > Maybe the Chev was hampered by the drag penalty. Maybe it wasn't pulling as > hard, I think you've hit something here. You're kite possibly (probably) *can* pull as hard or harder, at the same L/D as the Peel, but, as the *system* was at its max L/D, but line drag was greater, the *kite* was working at a higher L/D, and was thus working at a *lower* coefficient of lift (higher efficiency, but less total lift) than the Peel. In addition, it was carrying the higher drag of the line, which allowed *the system* to deliver less line tension ("pull") to your hands. > but I don't care if my kite pulls slightly less (I'll just build a > bigger kite and tell the morons who want to limit size to jump in a lake) > because L/D is *everything*. Cool concept. I think I was younger than you are when I first thought of this, though. -- ################################################################### 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 ####################################################################