Good to know about kites

All kind of notes found on the internet. I will organise this once I have some time...

http://www.designmastercolor.com/storelocator.php

Eugen Palmers  Nee het beste Mirai of Ikarex als doek. Op het gecoatete vlak schildern. Eerst met een vod en remmenspray het doek afwassen, goed laten drogen. Verf: Schminke Aerocolor mengelen als volgt: 10 druppels verf + 1 druppel DREFT + 3 druppels water. Met kunststofborstels werken ofwel met spons bij grote vlakken. De verf min of meer inschrobben op het doek. Beter meerdere dunne lagen schildern. Na ieder laag laten drogen of met de haardroger bijhelpen. Kleurvlaktes aleerst met zwart kontur leggen is een goede hulp en werkt goed in de lucht. Ofwel met verf ofwel met EDDING 750. Hier een Link voor de verf: http://www.schmincke.de/produkte/airbrushfarben/aero-color-professional.html. Niet spuiten, verven en goed inmasseren! Veel succes AERO COLOR Professional - Schmincke - Feinste Künstlerfarben www.schmincke.de Ik werk al jaren met deze techniek. Kijk maar eens op mijn page wat ik daar alles aan vliegers mee heb gemaakt. Ik behandel die vleigers niet erg zorgvuldig en de verf houd zonder breuk of verkleuring. Bij gelegenheid kan ik het je ook tonen. Mooie groeten vanuit Oostenrijk wat nu al mijn thuis is.

 

Art.-Nr. Menge Einheit Preis Gesamt GFK rohr Exel 12/1650mm 200-995 Stück  Ø X 6,87 EUR 27,48 EUR Carbonrohr 12/8/1650mm 200-286 Stück  Ø X 22,90 EUR 45,80 EUR Splittkappe Exel 12mm 125-312 Stück  Ø X 0,70 EUR 9,10 EUR Climax Black-leine 100m/140daN L08-140-100 Stück  Ø X 12,51 EUR 12,51 EUR Waageleine 70kg rot 100-705 lfdm  Ø X 0,25 EUR 9,25 EUR Gesamtrabatt 4 % -4,17 EUR Warenwert-Summe 99,97 EUR Versandkosten (Vorkasse (4% Rabatt), GLS) kostenlos Rechnungs-Summe 99,97 EUR enthaltene MwSt. 19.00 % 15,96 EUR Rechnungs-Summe 99,97 EUR

How to import Inkscape 0.47 SVG files into Sketchup

by scurzuzu » Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:10 pm

I used to use Inkscape 0.46 to create 2D shapes that I would save as Plain SVG, then import into Sketchup in order to assemble into 3D arrangements. That stopped working with 0.47, but I just figured out how to get it to work again.

1. Go into Inskcape's preferences
2. Under "Tools" select "SVG output"
3. Under "Path data" - uncheck "Allow relative coordinates"
4. Right below that - check "Force repeat commands"
Be sure to save the new preferences by hitting the little triangle-in-a-box button in the top right corner of the preferences window.

Once you do that, you can save Plain SVG files and import them successfully into Sketchup for further manipulation. 

Pricing:

ACTION:
- Lijmspray 300ml: 1,98€   Wasbezine

- Vliegertouw: 0,5mm  200 meter  Chr. Muller Touw Postbus 183 6666AD Elsy (NL)  0,69€

- Afplaktape sensitve 25mm x 25m 0,95€

WOODTEX

- voor rod 10mm:  Alu Buis 13mm x1mm ... Woodtex  (royproducts.be/public/pdf/catalog/5_Cat.Technics_Aluroy_0.pdf)
www.verschootn.blogspot.com:

Voor rod 12mm:  Rd Brass tube 1/2" x .014 of 12,7mm x .355mm  prijs 4,55 (voor +:- 25cm)

ivm grondanker  Patrik Frans +32(0)496/55.10.90   patrik@braboservice.beJLIB_HTML_CLOAKING

Webshops:

http://www.volango.de

http://www.metropolis-drachen.de/cgi-bin/iboshop.cgi?showd280!0,0,10038,,subcat=2&currency=0

http://ryll.de

http://www.drachenshop.de/ (pegasus)

https://shop.elliot.de

http://www.passionkites.com/

http://www.conrad.be/ce/nl/product/220644/?amp;Messing-Buisprofiel

http://rittai.photo-web.cc/kite/jisakutako.html

http://www.willyvanhoutte.be/en/catalog/show_cat/651

http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=2452

http://www.brennpeter.com/pyrography-tools/pyrography-stations/pyrography-station-brenn-peter-junior-electronic.html

 

http://www.blockposters.com/
PAP & KAP:
http://www.windrushflags.com/10metre-telescopic-windsock-pole-spirit-of-air-116-p.asp
http://www.sampoinc.com/sa_sr_both.htm
http://www.wischmop-shop.de/teilige-profi-teleskopstange-8meter-gleitstein-p-333.html
http://www.skyrigs.net/index.html
http://www.ronstan.com/marine/product.asp?ProdNo=RF13101R-2
http://www.jonnieeisler.com/item-Ronstan_micro_kite_pulley_Block_.html
http://www.hahnel.ie/index.cfm/page/dslrremotecontrols
http://skyware.fam-engels.de/aurico/overview_en.htm
http://publiclaboratory.org/tool/kite-balloon-hybrid
de zelfklevende lucht ventielen zijn te verkrijgen op u-tick.nl:  http://www.u-stick.nl/

Rokkaku

A rokkaku is from orgin a japans fighter kite. It is well known that you can easily adjust the curve of the spreaders depending on the wind strength.

I have seen rokkakus with 4, 5 , 6 and even 7 point bridles. I am only building 4 point bridles Since I am using the Skyshark rods,

Een rokkaku is van origine een japanse vechtvlieger. Om de stabiliteit en het windbereik van de rok te verhogen ben ik zoals iedereen beginnen spelen met de curve van de boven en onder spreader.

Sled kite and roller

Copley Middle School students construct the world's largest tetrahedron 

More info

Een Eénlijner oplaten:
http://www.vliegerwereld.nl/index.php/help-en-info/voor-het-eerst-vliegeren/25-oplaten)

• Bepaal eerst de windrichting, dit kan je makkelijk doen door een een beetje gras te plukken en dit in de lucht te gooien.
• Leg je vlieger in richting waar het gras heen waait. Beter is het nog als je iemand meeneemt die je even helpt om de vlieger vast te houden en hem de kant op te laten lopen waar het gras ook heen waait. 
• Rol ongeveer een meter of 15 lijn uit en laat je helper de vlieger lichtjes boven zijn hoofd vasthouden, laat hem de vlieger niet opgooien. breng je vlieger lijn langzaam op spanning en als er voldoende wind is zal de vlieger vanzelf omhoog willen uit de handen van je hulp. Als de vlieger eenmaal niet meer verder stijgt, kan je hem meer touw geven, doe dit gedoseerd zodat de vlieger niet te laag komt. In de regel is het meestal zo dat er bovenin de lucht iets meer wind staat als onderin, en de wind is vaak ook wat stabieler daar. Een goede hoogte om je éénlijner stabiel te laten vliegen is ongeveer op 75 meter.

Wil je vlieger niet de lucht in terwijl er toch redelijk wat wind staat dus is het mogelijk dat toom niet goed is afgesteld. De toom zijn de touwtjes die vlieger verbinden met de vliegerlijn. De toom bepaald de hoek waaronder de vlieger tegen de wind aan staat. Staat hij 'te vlak' dan zal de vlieger te weinig druk opbouwen om op te kunnen stijgen. staat je vlieger te recht op de wind dan krijgt je vlieger te weinig stijg kracht.

Na het vliegeren rol je het touw onmiddellijk terug op de winder.  Laat het touw nooit samen komen op een hoopje want het zal ZEER moeilijk zijn zo niet onmogelijk om het nadien nog deftig op de winden.

Iets over "de wind"

0 BFT    STIL: rook gaat bijna recht omhoog1 BFT    ZWAKKE WIND: windrichting herkenbaar aan rookpluimen2 BFT     ZWAKKE WIND: wind merkbaar in het gezicht, bladeren ritselen 3 BFT    MATIGE WIND: bladeren en takken bewegen, lichte vlag wappert4 BFT    MATIGE WIND: stof en papier dwarrelt op5 BFT    VRIJ KRACHTIGE WIND: bebladerde takken zwaaien - wees oplettend bij het vliegeren6 BFT    KRACHTIGE WIND : wind fluit in de draden - vliegeren niet aangeraden
7BFT    HARDE WIND : het is lastig tegen de wind in te lopen - vliegeren niet aangeraden

Z  Windspeed:

Bf       km/h    knots    ml/h       Name

0       < 1       < 1      <1        Calm

1       1-5       1-3      1-3       Light air

2       6-11      4-6      4-7       Light breeze

3       12-19 7-10 8-11    Gentle breeze

4       20-28     11-16    13-18     Moderate breeze

5       29-38     17-21    19-24     Fresh breeze

6       39-49    22-27     25-31     Strong breeze

7       50-61    28-33     32-38     Near gale

8       62-74    34-40     39-46     Gale

9       75-88     41-47    47-54     Strong gale

10      89-102    48-55   55-63     Storm

11      103-117   56-63  64-74     Violent storm

12      >= 118    >= 64     >=75     Hurricane  

Peter lynn kites

Lawrence hargrave

How to utilize the air flow?

Asymmetrical kites

 Soundmaking kites

http://collectair.com/Museum.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%E9%A3%8E%E7%A9%B4%E9%A3%8E%E7%AD%9D&rlz=1R2GGIE_enUS461&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=3073l13757l0l15268l1l1l0l0l0l0l125l125l0.1l1l0&biw=1184&bih=629&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&wrapid=tlif132698690113510&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=CjcYT6qaBNP9sQLayeHNCw#um=1&hl=en&rlz=1R2GGIE_enUS461&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=kite+diagram&oq=kite+diagram&aq=f&aqi=g3g-m1g-S6&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=292395l292395l0l292761l1l1l0l0l0l0l138l138l0.1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=54532584dfb6a0b6&biw=1184&bih=629

http://www.cobrakite.com/foilsled.html

http://www.fwkites.com/web/single-line.html

http://www.my-best-kite.com/power-kites.html

http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Vehicles/instructor/kites-01.html

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/kitepart.html

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/kitepart.html

http://willapse.hubpages.com/hub/Box-Kite

http://firstkites.nl

Kites

 http://www.kiteboardingevolution.com/beginner-kiteboarding-practice.html#mozTocId538575

How Kites Create Power

Kite power is produced in two ways:

·   Lift

·   Wind Deflection

The total kite power is a combination of these two phenomena, but each one has an area where it is stronger than the other. Let’s see where.

Lift

Lift is created as air flows over both surfaces of the kite. The air must flow over an area that has a shape like a wing. When this happens, the air flowing over the top of the wing flows faster than the air along the bottom – this creates a pressure difference. Because of this pressure difference the wing is pushed upwards, which is lift!

How Does Lift Depend on Speed?

The faster the air flows over the wing, the greater the pressure difference becomes, which results in more lift. So, if the air’s speed over the wing doubles, you would expect lift to double, right? Wrong! If the air’s speed doubles, lift becomes four times stronger!

E.g. If you are flying a kite at 10 knots and the wind doubles to 20, that exact same kite will pull four times harder than before. This is also why a kiteboarder who uses a small kite in 30 knots of wind can jump higher than one using a bigger kite in 15 knots - even though the bigger kite catches more wind. Say you have a 15 m2 kite in 15 knots of wind, and a 7.5 m2 (half the size) kite in 30 knots of wind – the 7.5 meter kite produces around twice as much power in 30 knots as the 15 meter does in 15 knots! That’s why it is better to learn to kiteboard on a larger kite in less wind, than a small one in high wind.

Where Does the Kite Have to be to Produce Lift?

For the kite to produce lift, it needs to have air flowing over its surface. Anytime this happens the kite creates lift – simple as that. The pictures below show where this can happen, and where it can’t.

Picture one and two both show kites with air flowing over their surface. Both of these kites are producing lift, but since the air flows further over the top of kite two, it creates more lift. Kite three is at too much of an angle to the wind. The air can’t flow over its surface, so instead is the air becomes turbulent – no lift in this case! To look at the same thing in a different way, the wind needs to “see” something like this;

or this;

but NOT this;

So, how does this last kite fly? The fact is, in some cases it doesn’t fly very well (we will get to that later) but in other cases it does…which leads us right into Wind Deflection!

Wind Deflection

Wind deflection is the second way kite power is created. The diagram below shows how this happens.

As the wind hits the kite’s surface two things happen. The kite slows the wind down and pushes it downwards, out the back of the kite. Thanks to Newton’s Laws, the kite gets pushed up and away. The kite flies forward, but does not move backwards because it is connected to your lines. Instead of moving backwards, it pulls on you, just like it did because of the lift!

Does Wind Deflection Depend on Speed?

It sure does. Wind deflection depends on the speed of the wind in the exact same way as lift (although the math is different, the relationship is the same). If wind speed doubles, the kite’s power quadruples.

Where Does the Kite Have to be to Deflect Wind?

For the kite to deflect wind, it needs to be in a position like the last picture. From the wind’s perspective, it needs to “see” this:

That’s it for wind deflection. Remember, total kite power is a combination of lift and wind deflection.

How Does Lift Compare to Wind Deflection?

Wind deflection is stronger than lift*. If you compare the strength of the two forces, a wind deflecting kite will pull harder than a kite that is just producing lift.

* When compared directly to each other. In this case, I am speaking of a stationary kite that is deflecting wind, and a stationary kite producing lift. A moving kite can create lift even if it is deflecting wind, which is not what we are talking about (yet).

What Does it All Mean?

Let’s tie this all together so it all makes sense. We know what the wind “sees” when a kite is producing lift and when it is deflecting the wind. We also know that a kite that is deflecting the wind pulls harder than one that is producing lift*. So, let’s see how this looks when you are flying your kite.

­­­­

An excellent way for students to gain a feel for aerodynamic forces is to fly a kite. Kite flying is fun when done safely and you can learn many of the fundamentals of airplane aerodynamics because a kite is very much like an airplane. In fact, the Wright brothers used kites and gliders to learn the fundamentals before their first successful airplane flight.
Like an airplane, a kite is a heavier than air craft. Kites depend on surfaces to generate the aerodynamic forces necessary for flight and use rigid structures to support the surfaces and transmit the forces. Differen kites. have different types of surfaces and structures; on this slide we show a simple box kite. The left side of the figure shows the kite as it would appear in flight and the right side shows the inner structure.
Kite flying is a delicate balance between aerodynamic forces, the weight of the parts of the kite, and the distribution of these forces. In flight, the kite is connected to the flyer by the control line and the flyer can feel the tension in the line created by the aerodynamic forces on the kite. The line is connected to the kite by a string bridle. The place where the bridle connects to the line is called the bridle point and the kite pivots about this point in flight. The bridle point can be adjusted to change the flight characteristics of the kite. The surfaces of the kite are covered by a thin covering of paper, plastic, or cloth, which deflects the wind downward and creates the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag on the kite.
If we remove the covering, we can see the structure which transmits the aerodynamic forces to the bridle. A box kite structure is made from several sticks and some string. The sticks can be made of a light but strong piece of wood such as balsa or bamboo, or a light but strong plastic tube. In the box kite, there are four main "leg" pieces of equal length and four "cross" pieces which are made from two sticks. The structure is held together with strings wrapped around the legs at the location of the cross members. The surface covering is attached to the strings. Notice that the structure is small, light and strong. It must be made strong to withstand the forces of the wind and weight, but it must also be light to keep the weight low. To save weight, only two "cross" pieces are used on some box kites. The trade of strength and weight must be considered in every flying thing from a kite to a large airliner. Compare the structure and coverings of this box kite with the Wright brother's 1900 aircraft and note how similar they are.

An excellent way for students to gain a feel for aerodynamic forces is to fly a kite. Kites can fly because of the forces acting on the parts of the kite. Though kites come in many shapes and sizes, the forces which act on a kite are the same for all kites and are shown on this slide. You can compare these forces to the forces acting on an airliner in flight and you will find that, with the tension substituting for thrust, they are exactly the same. The similarity in forces allowed the Wright brothers to test their theories of flight by flying their aircraft as kites from 1900 to 1902.
This page shows a free body diagram of the kite. In a free body diagram, we draw a single object and all of the forces which act on that object. Forces are vectors having both a magnitude and a direction, so we draw each force as an arrow with the length proportional to the magnitude and the head of the arrow pointing in the direction of the force. An important property of vectors is that they can be broken down into perpendicular components, and we can develop scalar equations in each component direction.
On the page, there are three principle forces acting on the kite; the weight, the tension in the line, and the aerodynamic force. The weight W always acts from the center of gravity toward the center of the earth. The aerodynamic force is usually broken into two components (shown in blue); the lift L, which acts perpendicular to the wind, and the drag D, which acts in the direction of the wind. The aerodynamic force acts through the center of pressure. Near the ground, the wind may swirl and gust because of turbulence in the earth's boundary layer. But away from the ground, the wind is fairly constant and parallel to the surface of the earth. In this case, the lift is directly opposed to the weight of the kite, as shown in the figure. The tension in the line acts through the bridle point where the line is attached to the kite bridle. We break the tension into two components, the vertical pull Pv, and the horizontal pull Ph.
When the kite is in stable flight the forces remain constant and there is no net external force acting on the kite, from Newton's first law of motion. In the vertical direction, the sum of the forces is zero. So, the vertical pull plus the weight minus the lift is equal to zero.

Pv + W - L = 0

In the horizontal direction, the sum of the horizontal pull and the drag must also equal zero.

Ph - D = 0

With some knowledge of the kite geometry and the velocity of the wind, we can determine the value of the lift and drag. And with knowledge of the kite geometry and the materials used to make the kite we can determine the weight. We can then solve the two equations given above for the horizontal and vertical components of the tension in the line.
Near the bridle point, the line is inclined at an angle called the bridle angle b. The magnitude of this angle is related to the relative magnitude of the components of the tension.

tan b = Pv / Ph

where tan is the trigonometric tangent function. Knowing the bridle angle, the length of line, and the weight per length of line, you can predict the height at which the kite flies. You can use the KiteModeler program to solve all the equations shown on this slide.
The relative strength of the forces determines the motion of the kite as described by Newton's laws of motion. If a gust of wind strikes the kite, the lift and drag increase. The kite then moves vertically because the lift now exceeds the weight and the vertical pull, and the tension force increases because of increased drag. Eventually a new balance point is established and the kite achieves a different stable condition. Because of the change in relative strength of the aerodynamic and weight forces, the kite also rotates about the bridle point to balance the torques.

Newton's first law of motion specifies that when all the external forces on an object are balanced, there is no net external force and it moves at a constant velocity or remain at rest (velocity equals zero). This law holds for both linear motion and forces and for twisting motion and twisting forces. Twisting forces are called torques, or moments. The twisting motion occurs about some point called the pivot. A torque is related to a linear force; the torque about a point is equal to the force times the perpendicular distance to the point. In equilibrium, there are no net torques about the pivot and the angular velocity is constant (or zero).
Fundamentals
An excellent way for students to gain a feel for the action of torques and forces is to fly a kite. Kites can fly because of the forces acting on the parts of the kite. Though kites come in many shapes and sizes, the forces which act on a kite are the same for all kites. You can compare the forces to the forces acting on an airliner in flight and you will find that, with the exception of thrust, they are exactly the same. The similarity in forces allowed the Wright brothers to test their theories of flight by flying their aircraft as kites form 1900 to 1902.
There are, however, some important differences in the response of a kite to external forces that do not occur in an airplane. An airplane in flight rotates about its center of gravity. The center of gravity for any object is the average location of the weight of all the parts of the object. A kite in flight does not rotate about its center of gravity because it is pinned by the bridle to the control line. A kite in flight is more closely related to a hinged door than to an airplane in flight. The center of gravity of a hinged door is in the center of the^M door, but the door rotates about the hinges. A kite in flight rotates about the bridle point which is the place where the line is attached to the bridle as shown by the red dot on the slide.
There are three main forces which act on a kite; the weight, the aerodynamics, and the tension in the line. Because the bridle point is the pivot about which the kite rotates, the tension does not contribute to the torques on the system (the distance is zero). As shown on the figure, the weight produces a clockwise torque TW about the bridle point which is equal to the magnitude of the weight W times the perpendicular distance g from the bridle point to the center of gravity.

TW = W * g

The aerodynamic force produces a counterclockwise torque TF about the bridle point which is equal to the magnitude of the aerodynamic force F times the perpendicular distance p from the bridle point to the center of pressure.

TF = F * p

Notice that the distances are measured perpendicular to the forces and not just directly to the center of pressure and center of gravity. Also notice that the direction of the force determines the direction of the torque. Forces and torques are vector quantities having a magnitude and a direction. The direction is as important as the magnitude.
In equilibrium, these torques are balanced and there is no rotation of the kite about the bridle point. This is called a trimmed flight condition.

W * g = F * p

The Tricky Part
In flight, a kite can rotate about the bridle point. As the kite rotates, the inclination angle between the kite and the wind changes. The magnitude and direction of the aerodynamic force depends on this angle and the ratio of the lift and drag which depends on the design of the kite. So as the kite rotates, the aerodynamic force changes and this changes the aerodynamic torque about the bridle point as discussed above. If the changing aerodynamic torque balances the weight torque, the kite reaches an equilibrium condition and sits at a fixed inclination angle with no further rotation about the bridle point. But if the aerodynamic torque does not equal the weight torque, the kite continues to rotate under the action of the unequal torques. It is possible that the aerodynamic torque never equals the weight torque which causes the kite to continually rotate.
In equilibrium the kite is inclined to the wind (and to the ground) at a fixed angle and the magnitude of the lift force depends directly on this angle. Since the weight of the kite is constant, the difference between the lift and the weight is an indication of how well the kite flies. If the lift is greater, the kite climbs faster, flies higher, and is able to lift more string. If the lift is less, the kite climbs slowly or maybe not at all! Since the flight angle depends on the balance of torques, and the torques depend on the location of the bridle point relative to the cg and cp, the location of the bridle point has a major effect on the performance of the kite. The location of the bridle point can be changed by the flyer before launch by moving the knot that holds the line to the bridle.
The mathematical equations involved with the forces and torques on a kite can be solved by using a computer program. You can use the KiteModeler program to further study how kites work and to design your own kites.

An excellent way for students to gain a feel for aerodynamic forces is to fly a kite. Kites fly because of forces acting on the parts of the kite. Though kites come in many shapes and sizes, the forces which act on the kite are the same for all kites. You can compare these forces to the forces that act on an airliner in flight and you will find that, replacing the thrust with the tension in the line, they are exactly the same. The similarity in forces allowed the Wright brothers to test their theories of flight by flying their aircraft as kites from 1900 to 1902.
On this slide we show the aerodynamic equations which would describe the motion of a flying kite. The graphic shows a side view of the flying kite with the aerodynamic lift and drag shown by the blue vectors. The wind is blowing parallel to the ground. The drag is in the direction of the wind, while the lift is perpendicular to the wind. Both aerodynamic forces act through the center of pressure, the black and yellow dot on the kite.
Since the forces on a kite are the same as the forces on an airplane, we can use the mathematical equations developed to predict airplane performance to predict the aerodynamic performance of a kite. In particular, the lift equation and the drag equation, shown on the upper right side of the slide, have been developed to determine the magnitude of the aircraft forces. The lift L is equal to a lift coefficient Cl times the projected surface area A times the air density r times one half the square of the wind velocity V.
L = Cl * A * r * .5 * V^2
Similarly, the drag D is equal to a drag coefficient Cd times the projected surface area A times the air density r times one half the square of the wind velocity V.
D = Cd * A * r * .5 * V^2
The magnitude of these forces depend on the lift coefficient, Cl, and the drag coefficient, Cd, which depend on geometric properties of the kite and the angle between the kite surfaces and the wind. The coefficients are usually determined experimentally for aircraft. But the aerodynamic surfaces for most kites are simple, thin, flat plates. So we can use some experimental values of the lift and drag coefficients for flat plates to get a first order idea of our kite performance. The values of these coefficients are given on separate slides for lift and drag.
The aerodynamic forces on your kite depend directly on the surface area of the kite. You first learn how to compute the area for a geometric shape while you are in middle school. The surface area depends on the particular design of your kite.

The aerodynamic forces also depend on the air velocity and density. In general, the density depends on your location on the earth. The higher the elevation, the lower the density. The standard value for air density r at sea level conditions is given as:

r = 1.229 kg/m^3 or .00237 slug/ft^3.
The variation with altitude is described on a separate page. The air velocity is the relative speed between the kite and the air. Since the kite is held fixed by the control line, this reduces to the wind speed. The aerodynamic forces change with the square of the velocity.

The mathematical equations involved with the forces and torques on a kite can be solved by using a computer program. You can use the KiteModeler program to further study how kites work and to design your own kites.

 

 

 

 

 

Flat Kites

• Flat kites are usually the simplest kites to make and fly.Ralf Nau/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Flat kites have a rigid frame, made of plastic or wood. Their distinct characteristic is that they are only one plane. Flat kites are thought to be the easiest kites to control in the air. They usually have long tails attached that help them remain stable in strong winds. In China, many flat kits have symbols on them such as the yin-yang.

Hard-Winged Kites

• There's no one set design for hard-winged kites.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images

Hard-winged kites are very rigid and are usually made of wood or bamboo frames with paper or silk coverings. These kites come in many shapes and colors, but their distinguishing characteristic is their rigid sails that help them maneuver in the air. Just like sails on a boat, the rigid wings are carried by the wind.

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Soft-Winged Kites

• Soft-wing kites have fabric wings that are not held rigidly by a frame.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

The soft-winged kite is the most flexible of the four types of kites. These kites don't have a rigid frame to support their wings, but rather use loose fabrics. The body of the kite has a frame, but the side panels do not. Soft-winged kites often resemble goldfish or birds, their fins or wings waving in the wind.

Centipede Kites

• There's no doubt this is a dragon kite.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Centipede kites are still popular in China. These kites are usually in the shape of dragons, with an elaborate head, located near the end of the string the kite-flyer holds. The flying portions are what make up the many segments of the dragon's body. Often, centipede kites have bright colors and patterns on them. They are usually very long. In Chinese culture, centipede kites represent strength, wisdom, and prosperity.

Read more: Special Characteristics of Kites | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8505579_special-characteristics-kites.html#ixzz1jvn7YyzZ


Basant/kite flying: 

Basant is an annual festival of Kite Flying in Lahore, Pakistan. It marks the begining of spring season, usually it starts in mid Feb. When did it exactly start? No one can say it with authority, its been here for centuries, for last few years – its exuberance has lowered downed a bit due to killings by the thread used to fly kites (Dorr). Sky of the city is full of all types of kites of different sizes, shapes & colors.Like EID and circket "Basant /kite flying is also a event and game."Basant is not a indian culture.kite flying is worldwide sport.

Industry or business point of view:

kite flying is not only a art and game but also a big industry.20 lakh people families belong to kite thread business.it is very old business which gain good profit.the children,young,mid age,old,boys and girls men and women made and sell kite in their homes and shops.it play a vitural role economic development of our country.but now it ban specially in Lahore, Punjab.ban on their business so many people are unemployed and suffer from different diseases and tension.if a person die with dorr on the other hand a person also die with hunger and non giving the medicines.now many people are died.
Art of Kite Flying

Flying Kite is an art – it required a lots of mastery, previously kites used to be flown in open parks, grounds, old rooftops and different parties kinda played a battle by intersecting the thread with other party’s thread. As time passed by people started to fly kites on their roof-top, then it started to be celebrated on nights with lighting, dance parties, barbecue, drum beating and lots of other stuff added flavor into it.

Types of Kites

There are different types of kites, and different terms are used to name them. Usually Kites are of 2 shapes, patang & guddas.

Patang is again categorised into different sub-categories namely, Patang & Kupp. Patang is … let me try to find a show you the image to describe it that how it looks alike as I find it very difficult to describe its shape…

so this is patang, the one in RED-BLUE & yellow – it has been bowed (cut during flying) – people are trying to get hold of it – the term used in Lahore is Lutna – to grab —– (in background you can see the historical shahi mosque of Lahore). The sticks which guys are holding in their hand is called Chaambhaa with bunch of bushes attached to it so that thread of the kite gets entangled in the bushes and doesn’t go away.

Kupp is slightly modified in shape and is a bit vertical and lower portion of the kite is little smaller than the one shown in picture.

Its worth mentioning, perhaps Patang flying is one of the most difficult in kite flying, to hold, manage & then to play battle with Patang is an art which requires a lots of practice, patience.

Patang is usually measured in size in terms of hands Giths, Do Githi (2 hands), Cho Githi, Panj Githi (5 hands) & Saarh are the most commonly used sizes of patang.

Gudda

Gudda (Rectangular Kite) is another famous type of kite, it also comes in different sizes, variant shapes, colors. Different sizes of Guddas are pona, tawa, dairh tawa, 2 tawa, 2.5 tawa and higher. Based on different designs, it gets different names like Modhay maar, Patti Maar, Lucknow Cut (Nakhlow Kaat), Macharr, Dabbi Maar, Machi Maar, Ik Akhal, 2 Akhal etc..

Chamairna

Chamirna means to get hold of kite (which is cut) with another kite. Like, when 2 kites are having battle with each other, at the end usually one and at times both are cut and goes in air with some thread with them, then there are guys who fly usually a typically shaped kite with special thread Tandi or even having stainless steel wire at the start of the thread (near kite), some people attach half cut match sticks near steel wire or near the talaawan of the kite (what is talaawan – i’ll explain later). The kite usually used for this purpose is Lucknow Cut (Nakhlao Kaat) as it has more tendency to move around its centre of gravity :-) I am getting short of words in english that how to explain it – basically when the free thread of the kite is felt on thread of your kite, the Chamairu (person flying kite for the purpose of holding other free kites) make the kite to move in circular shape around the thread so that there are lots of knots, wrinkles of the both thread with each other – and when both gets entangled with each other, the guy starts to pull the thread carefully and gets both the kites – at times his own kite (the hunter) is at risk, if the thread is not properly entangled he might loose his own kite.

Talaawaa`n

Talaawaa`n are very important in kite flying, you don’t tie the thread directly with the kite, rather you balance the kite with a thread by having a thread attached to the kite near top side and other end of the same thread is tied near lower side by make small/tiny holes, after tieing this thread, the kite is balance so that it doesn’t fall on one side, then where the balance is found, there we tie a knot and from that part we attach the actual thread..

Threads / Dorrs

There are different kinds of thread/dorrs available to fly kites, in my childhood, most famous brands were 12 number, 2 pandas, 5 pandas, 2 bears (do richh), 5 bears (5 richh).. later on as i kept on growing so did the brands of threads, now a days there are so many brands that one doesn’t know which one to buy – each one is meant for special purpose, depending on the size of kite, nature of flying, nature of the wind speed – you’ll find a variety of threads available.

Safety comes first - 1st Priority

Recently lots of killing happened due to weird use of heavy metalled threads – at the time of my childhood – people used to fly kites in great number – i personally think that the number of kites flown is now reduced but the killings have increased – the reasons which I understand for these incidents are

1. Too hard/thick threads

2. number of motorcycles & traffic has increased drastically – over last few years traffic growth in Lahore is in 3 digits.

So people have tried to find their own way of protecting themselves from the killer thread, here you figure it out.
(NOTE :people are also die with plaining only to stop kite flying/basant.Some terriost or killers involed in there. they plant the dorr thread on the road in midnight time to cut the neck .You r all heard in different times no kite flying,weather in rainy,foogy,too hot,no wind but people is died specailly child and boys.when any kite flying rise in court ,any hearing date come or this isuee rise in media then also the news come the person die or injured with dorr.This is only to kill this cultrue sport and business and show hard image to world)

Basant is not only confined to kite flying – there are lots of other activities which are attached and now part of basant. ""Safety instructions,rules or points to save kite flying/lives"': *Every motor bike person /driver must install safety rods or anntens in their bikes specially children and young generation.gov should must compulsory for protection like helmet.
*Secondly the threads are fall only in main roads as well as bridges and only in bikes.So gov should install and put wires on the street lights poles between the roads on the top side of poles,to avoid any mishap.by theses safety wires on roads there is no chance of thread dorr falling on roads(any kind of thread dorr).the wires in poles support the dorr thread.
*Tress r also gives us safety around and between the roads.
*The parents duty to take care their kids when they flying kites and sit in fuel tanky of bikes.
*Normal or less speed of bikes also reduces several accidents and dorr thread is low or none danger.(kite flying should be free from political ,accidents and terrorism).THERE IS NO LAHORE WITHOUT BaSaNt ..Requested to govt to safe our culture.

http://www.vistaprint.be/vp/ns/default.aspx?GP=7%2f11%2f2012+4%3a41%3a42+AM&GPS=2498465886&GNF=0&GPLSID=
Gebruikt door hugo Maes voor spandoek

Expressions:

“Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.”

Winston Churchill quotes

 

The Blast

blue aqua black  $184.95 lines150lb 85ft $34  handle $29.95

Bought April 2004

Price: $184,95 all included at High line kites Berkeley

Wind Range: 3 - 25+ mph

Wing Span: 9.5 ft. 292cm

Built Dimensions: W 114 in. / H 29 in.

Total Weight: 13.5 oz. Weight:395 gr

Handles:

12 In. Wrapped graphite Blast Handles 

Line Set:

Standard Quadline set  150 lb (.68,040 kg)/ 85 ft. Laser Pro Gold

Light wind (3 - 12 mph) - 150 lb. 85 ft. Laser Pro Gold

High wind (12 - 25 mph) - 200 lb. top and 150 lb. bottom 85 ft.

Frame:  

Wrapped graphite

Structure:Advantage Revolution

*) Total leading edge 9.5 ft.

*) Center Leading Edge 38 in. no ferrule 

*) Outer Leading Edge 38 in. with ferrule 

*) Vertical Shaft 24 in. (short) 

*) Vertical Shaft 28.5 in. (long)

*) High Wind Center Shaft

Bridle: 

The Blast has adjustable bridles.

Connecting your lines to the inner, lower bridle point will increase power. Sensitivity is controlled by the spectra down bridle.

Examples of bridle adjustments:

Aprox. 8 mph winds and you want more pull, connect the flying lines to the inner lower bridle point.

Aprox. 10 mph winds and control is too sensitive, detach spectra down bridle to de-sensitize.

Aprox 2 - 4 mph winds, trying upside down hovering and floating, attach lines to the outside lower bridle point and attach spectra down bridle (increased pitch control).

Sail Material:  Icarex PC31gr/m2 + Mylar

Country of Origin: USA

X  Prism Ozone

Serial number 1886

Z  Kite book

Painting with Light and Air: Applique Designs on Translucent Fabric (Book)

William Farber

Release Date: Apr 2008

Pages: 95

ISBN: 9780957786714

ISBN-10: 0957786719

Painting with Light and Air     $40.00                         

A specialized “how to” kite book by William Farber and Jara Krivanek, of Australia graphically imparts their craft and knowledge of stunning appliqué designs on translucent fabrics.  This book, Painting with Light and Air, brings to your door, over 20 years of experience in designing and making award winning kites and fabric designs.  It covers the principles of design, development and assembly of appliqué panels in ripstop nylon, sewing technology and techniques---hints on repairing errors!  Secrets learned over the years from designing and stitching artwork, and a step by step approach to two different kites, a rokkaku and a WEFpanel.

Magazine: KITE & friends (German)

Titel Schrijver(s) Taal Uitgever ISBN Jaar

stunt vliegers isbn 90-6868-084-6

servaas van der horst en nop velthuizen

Stuntvliegers bouwen en besturen Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 035 8 1991

Stuntvliegers II nieuwe modelen, buggy's en boten

Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 084 6 1994

Stuntkites Het Handboek

Kijk ook op www.stuntkites.nl. Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen, Jan Pit Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 250 4

2000

VLIEGERS Zo groot als je zelf wilt Jack and

Nicolete Botermans Nederlands Van Holkema & Warendorf

90 269 6488 9 1993

The magnificent book of kites Maxwell Eden Engels

Könemann 3 8290 2207 7 1999

Kites and Windsocks Jim Rowkands Engels B.T.Batsford 0

6134 6705 3 1992

Leistungsstarke Lenkdrachen zum Nachbauen Peter

Rieleit Duits Ravensburger 3 473 42286 X 1993

Lenkdrachen bauen und fliegen Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig

Duits Falken 3 8068 1011 7 1989

Fantastische Vliegers zelf bowen en oplaten Wolfgang

Schimmelpfennig Nederlands Cantecleer 90 213 0439 2

1993

Skywork Experience Christine Schertel Duits Skywork ?

1991

Skywork II Experience Christine Schertel Duits Skywork

? 1993

Skywork 3 Experience Christine Schertel, Rolf Wohlert

Duits Skywork ? 1998

X  Prism E2

gezien ik een leading edge gebroken had en dat die in HOT ROD 13.5gr High Quality tin carbonfibre (speciaal procedé) waren -die je nergens anders vind- bestelde ik deze rechtsreeks bij Prism

Tot mijn groot ongenoegen ontving ik geen hotrods meer maar wel Skysharks P200!!

We were having trouble getting orders on time and getting rods cut to our specifications from our Hot Rod vendor, so we made the decision to switch to Skyshark. They are pretty much the same rod so you shouldn' t have any problems interchanging them.

X  Harnas

15 10 2003        jack fly 68€

x  Buster 5.5  kite

website: www.paracontrol.de

Bought: 16/09/03

Price: €  Bilboquet

wingspan: 500cm

flat surface area: 7.5 sq m

aspect ratio: 3.81

line lenght:

Main:   20m 160kg  wit gecoat Dyneema SK75 

break: 20 m 75 kg, wit gecoat Dyneema SK75 

cells: 20

Windbereik: 1-8,5 beaufort 

Material: NCV Skytex Nylon 44gr. ME-afwerking  Versterking: NCV Polyester / Mylarband 179gr 

Toom: Edelrid Dyneema, 50, 80 en 120daN 

body number: 0330161 control: tack aug.16.2003

30cm Soulfly-achtige handgrepen

x  Buster 0.7 kite

Bought: july 2004

Price: 70€  jackfly

fabricated  Dec.20.03 TAG:0330278

wingspan 70cm

flat surface area 1.5 sq m

aspect ratio: 3.46

line lenght: 20m 160/80kg

cells : 16

handles 30cm

Z  Fabric

Nylon is +/- 30% zwaarder als polyester (icarex of ventex), maar vooral : veel vervormbaarder, daardoor is de respons van de vlieger veel trager en krijg je minder feedback. Alleen bij vlagerige wind heb je ' t voordeel dat nylon wat meer de schokken opvangt.

Icarex is polyester ripstop in

1/2, 3/4 and 1 1/2 oz weights. It's advantages include superior UV

resistance and strength as compared to nylon. Available from Shanti

Kite Products it is a bit on the pricey side but the color

selection is tremendous in addition to its other advantages.

DEVELOPMENT

  ICAREX is a new generation of fabric for the kite industry.  Woven of fine polyester yarn, ICAREX looks like ripstop nylon but is vastly superior. 

  Early attempts to produce this type of fabric were not very successful

  for two reasons.  First, fine denier polyester yarns have so little

  stretch they easily break during weaving.  Second, dyeing and coating

  polyester requires special technology. 

  The new ICAREX material solves both problems.  First the cloth is woven

  in Japan by third generation silk weavers.  They understand working with

  thin, low stretch fibers and their family skills are more art than

  technology. 

  The ICAREX cloth is then sent to one of the most modern dyeing and

  finishing facilities in Japan.  Here quality is the number one concern. 

  Each yard is carefully treated then inspected. 

All ICAREX fabric is premium grade cloth.  We guarantee it. 

ADVANTAGES

  Compare ICAREX ripstop polyester to common nylons and see the difference.

  BETTER UV-RESISTANCE

  o Colors stay bright longer

  o Fabric lasts longer

  50% LESS WARP STRETCH

  o Better sail shape

  o Less high wind distortion

  o New kite performance, longer

  BETTER STRENGTH TO WEIGHT RATIOS

  o Lighter fabric, better performance

  LESS MOISTURE ABSORPTION

  o Lighter material in heavy air

  LOW AIR PERMEABILITY

  o Higher speeds for sport kites

  BIG COLOR RANGE

  o No limits to your creativity

  ICAREX, the fabric of the future is available today.  Look for the

  ICAREX label on the best kite products in the world. 

THE SECRET OF ICAREX

  The special coating on ICAREX makes it at least 25% lighter than

  comparable ripstop nylon. 

    Raw material + Coating = Fabric weight

    ICAREX cloth (31g) + Coating = 35g

    Ripstop nylon (32g) + Coating = 45g

  The advantage of less weight is obvious.  You are able to fly your kite

  while others are waiting for more wind... 

  (All comparative data in this brochure is based on particular samples

   of nylon and ICAREX fabric.  Exact figures may vary somewhat with

   other nylon samples.) 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

  Test certificates presented by the Japan Synthetic Textile Inspection

  Institute make one point clear: 

    The new ICAREX polyester ripstop has many advantages over common

    nylon ripstop. 

  UV-RESISTANCE (COLOR FASTNESS)

  An unbelievable difference. 

  DIMENSIONAL STABILITY

  Elongation in Water

    ICAREX Yarn (Polyester Filament Yarn)

      ####################### 

      #######################   0,0%

    Nylon Filament Yarn

      ####################### 

      ######################## -2,2%

  ELONGATION AND TENACITY

  Comparing Warp Side Elongation on Nylon sample (31 g/m) and ICAREX sample

  (31 g/m).

                Elongation              Breaking Point

    ICAREX      #######      8%         ##################  38 kg./ 5 cm

    NYLON       ########### 22%         ###########         21 kg./ 5 cm

COLOR RANGE

16 Basic and 4 Fluorescent Colors Available

      * 01 - Black                      02 - White

        03 - Yellow                     04 - Orange (172)

        05 - Red (032)                  06 - Rubin Red

        07 - Purple                   * 08 - Grape (814)

        09 - Sky Blue (306)             10 - Royal Blue (285)

        11 - Midnight Blue (280)        12 - Forest Green (340)

        13 - Sea Foam (352)             14 - Teal (320)

        15 - Grey (10)                  16 - Coral Pink (1



X Harnas


15 10 2003 jack fly 68€



x Buster 5.5 kite


website: www.paracontrol.de



Bought: 16/09/03

Price: € Bilboquet



wingspan: 500cm

flat surface area: 7.5 sq m

aspect ratio: 3.81

line lenght:

Main: 20m 160kg wit gecoat Dyneema SK75

break: 20 m 75 kg, wit gecoat Dyneema SK75

cells: 20

Windbereik: 1-8,5 beaufort

Material: NCV Skytex Nylon 44gr. ME-afwerking Versterking: NCV Polyester / Mylarband 179gr

Toom: Edelrid Dyneema, 50, 80 en 120daN



body number: 0330161 control: tack aug.16.2003



30cm Soulfly-achtige handgrepen

x Buster 0.7 kite




Bought: july 2004

Price: 70€ jackfly

fabricated Dec.20.03 TAG:0330278



wingspan 70cm

flat surface area 1.5 sq m

aspect ratio: 3.46

line lenght: 20m 160/80kg

cells : 16

handles 30cm



X The Blast




blue aqua black $184.95 lines150lb 85ft $34 handle $29.95



Bought April 2004

Price: $184,95 all included at High line kites Berkeley



Wind Range: 3 - 25+ mph

Wing Span: 9.5 ft. 292cm

Built Dimensions: W 114 in. / H 29 in.

Total Weight: 13.5 oz. Weight:395 gr



Handles:

12 In. Wrapped graphite Blast Handles



Line Set:

Standard Quadline set 150 lb (.68,040 kg)/ 85 ft. Laser Pro Gold

Light wind (3 - 12 mph) - 150 lb. 85 ft. Laser Pro Gold

High wind (12 - 25 mph) - 200 lb. top and 150 lb. bottom 85 ft.



Frame:

Wrapped graphite

Structure:Advantage Revolution



*) Total leading edge 9.5 ft.

*) Center Leading Edge 38 in. no ferrule

*) Outer Leading Edge 38 in. with ferrule

*) Vertical Shaft 24 in. (short)

*) Vertical Shaft 28.5 in. (long)

*) High Wind Center Shaft



Bridle:

The Blast has adjustable bridles.

Connecting your lines to the inner, lower bridle point will increase power. Sensitivity is controlled by the spectra down bridle.

Examples of bridle adjustments:



Aprox. 8 mph winds and you want more pull, connect the flying lines to the inner lower bridle point.

Aprox. 10 mph winds and control is too sensitive, detach spectra down bridle to de-sensitize.

Aprox 2 - 4 mph winds, trying upside down hovering and floating, attach lines to the outside lower bridle point and attach spectra down bridle (increased pitch control).



Sail Material: Icarex PC31gr/m2 + Mylar



Country of Origin: USA

KITE BOOKS
Kite book




Painting with Light and Air: Applique Designs on Translucent Fabric (Book)



William Farber

Release Date: Apr 2008

Pages: 95

ISBN: 9780957786714

ISBN-10: 0957786719



Painting with Light and Air $40.00



A specialized “how to” kite book by William Farber and Jara Krivanek, of Australia graphically imparts their craft and knowledge of stunning appliqué designs on translucent fabrics. This book, Painting with Light and Air, brings to your door, over 20 years of experience in designing and making award winning kites and fabric designs. It covers the principles of design, development and assembly of appliqué panels in ripstop nylon, sewing technology and techniques---hints on repairing errors! Secrets learned over the years from designing and stitching artwork, and a step by step approach to two different kites, a rokkaku and a WEFpanel.









Magazine: KITE & friends (German)

Titel Schrijver(s) Taal Uitgever ISBN Jaar

stunt vliegers isbn 90-6868-084-6

servaas van der horst en nop velthuizen

Stuntvliegers bouwen en besturen Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 035 8 1991

Stuntvliegers II nieuwe modelen, buggy's en boten

Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 084 6 1994

Stuntkites Het Handboek

Kijk ook op www.stuntkites.nl. Servaas van der Horst

Nop Velthuizen, Jan Pit Nederlands Thoth 90 6868 250 4

2000

VLIEGERS Zo groot als je zelf wilt Jack and

Nicolete Botermans Nederlands Van Holkema & Warendorf

90 269 6488 9 1993

The magnificent book of kites Maxwell Eden Engels

Könemann 3 8290 2207 7 1999

Kites and Windsocks Jim Rowkands Engels B.T.Batsford 0

6134 6705 3 1992

Leistungsstarke Lenkdrachen zum Nachbauen Peter

Rieleit Duits Ravensburger 3 473 42286 X 1993

Lenkdrachen bauen und fliegen Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig

Duits Falken 3 8068 1011 7 1989

Fantastische Vliegers zelf bowen en oplaten Wolfgang

Schimmelpfennig Nederlands Cantecleer 90 213 0439 2

1993

Skywork Experience Christine Schertel Duits Skywork ?

1991

Skywork II Experience Christine Schertel Duits Skywork

? 1993

Skywork 3 Experience Christine Schertel, Rolf Wohlert

Duits Skywork ? 1998



LINE SETS

Z line set




What we have:

* DUAL 90 lb (40,8 kg) / 120 ft. (36,50 m) Laser Pro Gold

* DUAL 90 lb (40,8 kg) / 100 ft. (30,48 m) Laser Pro Gold

* DUAL 50 lb (22,6 kg) / 60 ft. (18,28 m) Laser Competion Gold

* DUAL 150 lb (68,0 kg) / 80 ft. (24,38 m) Laser Pro Competion Gold

* DUAL ... lb ( 6... kg) / ...ft. .... m) E2 prism (to be checked)



* Quad 150 lb ( 68,04 kg) / 85 ft. (25,90 m) Laser Pro Gold (REV)

* Quad 353 lb (160,00 kg) / 65,6ft. (20 m) wit gecoat Dyneema SK75 Buster (main lines)

* Quad 166 lb ( 75,00 kg) / 65,6ft. (20 m) wit gecoat Dyneema SK75 Buster (break lines)



General info:

climax-powerline: coramid

dyneema

spectra (Allied Signal Inc): stretch 3% of total lenght

LaserPro made by Innovative textiles inc.

Some interesting information on kite line in general,

and Shanti Speed Line in specific.



I have been flying dual line kites for about 7 years now. In that time I have flown most of the popular lines out there.

I flew Berry Blue and Laser Pro for years. About 2 1/2 years ago I tried Shanti Speed Line and have never used anything else since.

I was so impressed with the line that we started recommending Shanti to all of our customers, and offering it in our "Ready to Fly" packages.



I recently asked Shanti for some details on what the differences in the top dual line sets being sold today were and what was so special about Shanti line. Below is some of the information I received.



GWTW : Today we find that most sport kites lines are either listed as "Dyneema" or "Spectra", aren't they really the same thing?



Shanti : Dyneema and Spectra are not the same. Dyneema stretches 5%. Spectra 3.9%. Both are made from polyethylene but Dyneema fibers are about one third the size of Spectra fibers. For example, a 90 lb/test Dyneema line may have over 1500 filaments compared to a 90 lb/test Spectra line which has less than 500. When flying, the friction of wrapped lines breaks the smaller Dyneema fibers causing the line to become fuzzy and wear out twice as fast. Made in Europe and Asia, Dyneema is cheaper, so companies like to use it and claim it’s the same.







GWTW : Some companies coat their line. Does this make the line better?



Shanti: When we invented Spectra kite line in 1985, the rest of the industry was using Kevlar. Kevlar was a great line but it had to be waxed and you lost control with multiple wraps. On the other hand, Spectra line was inherently slippery and didn't’t require a coating. Today, companies coat Spectra because they’re making fishing line, not kite line. Coatings make Spectra line stiffer and less slippery. That’s good for fishermen and bad for kiteflyers.







GWTW : Some Spectra line is colored. Why is that?



Shanti : Again, companies that color Spectra are making line for the fish market and then trying to sell the idea back to kiteflyers. Fishermen want their fishing line to be invisible to fish so they like blue or green line. The problem is that you can’t dye Spectra, so color is added with a coating which adds friction. The irony is that kiteflyers (and fish) want Spectra line to be visible. For kiteflyers…white is good, blue is silly.







GWTW : What's the deal with Spectra "1000" and "2000"?



Shanti : Mostly it’s a marketing game. If you examine a braided line you’ll notice that there’s usually 8, 12, or 16 bundles of fibers in the construction. Honeywell Corporation makes these bundles in limited sizes or “deniers.” Spectra kite lines vary greatly based on how a company constructs a line from different deniers. However when companies started braiding fishing line there were no denier sizes small enough to construct a 30 lb./test fishing line, so Honeywell started making smaller deniers of Spectra “1000” fiber and calling it Spectra “2000.” The specifications of strength, weight, stretch and etc. are the same. You can check Honeywell’s web site and see for yourself. In short, Spectra, “2000” is great for making fishing lines less than 50 lb/test but is lousy for kite lines larger than 50 lb/test.







GWTW :The rumor in kiteland is that there will be a shortage of Spectra line as most of the Spectra fiber is going to the military. Is that true?



Shanti : Yes, that’s true. Spectra is used for making bullet-proof vests, helmets, and all sorts of high-tech military equipment. The Department of Defense gets first dibs on whatever Spectra they want. At Shanti we have a special relationship with Honeywell because we’ve been working with them since Spectra was an experimental fiber, so we can still get Spectra fiber for our braiding. That’s not true for other companies. That’s another reason why they’re switching to Dyneema and claiming it’s the same. It’s not.







GWTW : There is a great debate raging over the value of sleeving line. What's your view?



Shanti : I thought we settled this question 20 years ago. All high-modulus polyethylene lines such as Spectra and Dyneema have poor knot-strength of about 40%. Sleeving raises the knot-strength to about 65%. For example, a 150 lb/test line will break at about 60 lbs. on a raw knot or at 98 lbs. on a sleeved knot. That’s a big difference. If you sleeve your lines you can fly your kite on a lighter, thinner line and significantly reduce wind-drag.







GWTW : Isn't the line that comes prepackaged with stunt kite the best line for that kite?



Shanti : When kite manufacturers sell to the mass-market, they have to provide line because clerks in Costco and REI don’t know anything about kite line. Since most stunt kites are now made in China for the mass-market, that means they are generally packaged with what’s available and what’s cheapest. That’s usually Dyneema or some other blend of fibers. Unfortunately, a lot of this line is incorrectly labeled “Spectra” because it benefits the importers. Beginners don’t know the difference, but real kiteflyers know line performance dramatically affects kite performance.







GWTW : When you get right down to it, aren't most of the dual line sets out there really pretty much the same?



Shanti : How do I answer that? Last night, I watched an interview of Jesse James on 60 Minutes and they asked him if his bikes were different from Harley’s…he sat there dumbfounded and said something like, “Is this a joke?” That’s how I feel. Granted, we’re talking kite line, not motorcycles, but the flyers I know care about their equipment just as much as bikers do. Most of our competitors mechanically measure and wind their dual sets to save money. It’s fast. It’s cheap, but the fact is, there is no automated way to tie a good line set. I’ve been building machines to wind spools for over 30 years and I’m telling you the best line sets are done by hand – strung out, pre-stretched, precisely marked, sleeved, double-knotted and hand-tied in a figure-eight. That’s what we do at Shanti. We make our line sets so a flyer can walk directly onto a competition field and fly, no worries, no hassles. That’s important to us. We don’t care about the mass-market or the fish market or the cheap market. At Shanti, we make kite line for the kiteflyer. Period.







Our thanks to Daniel Prentice at Shanti for taking the time to share his views with us.



Shanti is located right here in Northern California. We have developed a very good relationship with them. They are very responsive to the needs of our customers. They are more than willing to make line sets to any specification. Need a set of competition lines for your 4-man team in 100, 105, 110 and 115 ft. lengths? We can do that. Do you really prefer to fly on 38 foot 90 lb line? We can do that too.

We stock what we feel to be 'standard' length line sets, but Shanti is willing to make sets to fit your needs. Call or email us if you need a custom set of lines.


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