The Ginga kites designed by Christophe Tournay are single line freestyle kites that are mainly steered as fighter kites but that are also able to glide and make all kinds of tricks depending on your skills and imagination. Hence their name: Ginga. The ginga is indeed the basic move of the Capoeira, the Brazilian martial art that combines fight and acrobatics, exactly like these kites.
Their unique abilities come from a bow mixing stiff carbon and flexible glass fiber spars, and from a curved central spine that together enable them to float and loop.
The leading edges are made with carbon fiber in order to maintaining the wings’ shape, but the central glass fiber segment acts as a spring to firmly tension the fabric but also, when pulling the line, the wings will bend inwards, giving stability like on any fighter kite, and when releasing the line, the wings will flap open to propel the kite in a horizontal or vertical loop. Such loops are also helped by the curved spine.
They are well balanced, able to glide away with a gentle tension control on the line, then block and pull, the kite will turn and rise. Other figures like belly launch, dive and a land, up and over, half-looping/half barrel and glide away, circle around you... are possible. Try different bridle tuning: from as flat as possible to have it gliding to its max but unstable, to as heavy as possible to steadily fly like a fighter or even static with a heavier line and possibly a tail.
They of course fly in steady winds but are great fun with a shorter line in unstable winds. They will react to each wind change, drifting away following the wind shift but keeping on floating, awaiting the next flurry. You should be able to fly them in any place that you would normally consider unsuited for kiting: in public parks behind threes or buildings...
The lightest versions fly indoor; however, they were made for outdoor flight, in light and unstable winds. In those conditions, they will deliver the whole potential.
7 different versions are already available
Their unique abilities come from a bow mixing stiff carbon and flexible glass fiber spars, and from a curved central spine that together enable them to float and loop.
The leading edges are made with carbon fiber in order to maintaining the wings’ shape, but the central glass fiber segment acts as a spring to firmly tension the fabric but also, when pulling the line, the wings will bend inwards, giving stability like on any fighter kite, and when releasing the line, the wings will flap open to propel the kite in a horizontal or vertical loop. Such loops are also helped by the curved spine.
They are well balanced, able to glide away with a gentle tension control on the line, then block and pull, the kite will turn and rise. Other figures like belly launch, dive and a land, up and over, half-looping/half barrel and glide away, circle around you... are possible. Try different bridle tuning: from as flat as possible to have it gliding to its max but unstable, to as heavy as possible to steadily fly like a fighter or even static with a heavier line and possibly a tail.
They of course fly in steady winds but are great fun with a shorter line in unstable winds. They will react to each wind change, drifting away following the wind shift but keeping on floating, awaiting the next flurry. You should be able to fly them in any place that you would normally consider unsuited for kiting: in public parks behind threes or buildings...
The lightest versions fly indoor; however, they were made for outdoor flight, in light and unstable winds. In those conditions, they will deliver the whole potential.
7 different versions are already available
Fighter 63*95 3mm Larger and slower than traditional fighters
Small 63*100 3mm Light winds, compact, all-rounder
Small Stretched 63*122 2-3mm Light winds Indoor, great gliding & acrobatic skills
Standard 82*128 4mm Light-medium winds, fast and agile
Standard Vented 82*128 4mm For higher winds, slower flight
Large/Stretched 86*168 4mm Light winds, great glider, super maneuverability
If you want to build one for yourselves, with the agreement of Christophe, you can find the link to the original plan .
