Article 27546 of rec.kites: Path: tug!ibmpcug!laura.pcug.co.uk!hole.news.pipex.net!pipex!weld.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!oleane!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!news-res.gsl.net!news.gsl.net!swrinde!sgigate.sgi.com!news1.best.com!news.aimnet.com!ossi.com!bdt.com!daveculp.dial-up.bdt.com!user From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Newsgroups: rec.kites Subject: Re: Chevron progress (was Soft kite tuning) Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 11:31:51 -0700 Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Lines: 25 Message-ID: References: <9607100941.aa03230@tug.com> <4s10os$6h4@news.euro.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: daveculp.dial-up.bdt.com X-Newsreader: Value-Added NewsWatcher 2.0b24.0+ > One thing that I'm looking at is how close I'm getting to the edge of the > window. A kite with a 7m span on 50m lines takes up 8 degrees of the sky. > If it'll fly 80 degrees to the side of the window, then even if you can > get it to turn on it's tip, the outer tip will go to 88 degrees, which is > well past a sustainable position. I think that this is one of the problems > that I'm up against at the moment. As I turn up, the kite just stops flying. Have you tried turning *down?* This is a gutsy thing to do, and requires enough altitude, of course, but now gravity helps you, rather than hurts. Also, the later part of the turn is closer to the kite's "eye" (center of window, on the ground--this is the actual (theoretical) spot of most power/speed for any kite), and the turn will tighten, not loosen as you progress. Hey, that 5m Chevron you built for John Gabby that I flew was actually turning *inside* the wingtip (wingtip was flying backwards). Could this help? Can you keep it inflated (cross venting)? When a quadliner does a propeller spin, does his kite stay inflated (I honestly don't know)? ################################################################### 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 ####################################################################