Power Kite Forum

Custom Kitewing V1.0

brplatz - 17-3-2010 at 07:23 PM

After searching for some time on designs, and finally finding that there is no real plans whatsoever for a kitewing, I decided on a blind approach.

I built this using miscellaneous aluminum and conduit tubing, along with some 2mil sheet, I have come up with a rough design of a kitewing.

Winds are supposed to pick up tomorow, so ill have to give it a try then.

This is essentially a proof of concept design, just to see if it is possible to make a somewhat efficient kite wing, by myself

Cost:$0

Plan on making version 2.0 cleaner and possible a more sophisticated airfoil. This one was built in a couple hours, so the next will take some good planing.

Estimated suface area: 4.8m



Kamikuza - 17-3-2010 at 08:37 PM

Interesting! :thumbup:

On the real Kitewing, there's diagonal bracing from the LE bars to the chord bar ... I think you might have stability problems ie. controlling the wing in the perpendicular to the ground axis.
The sail is also braced to shape with battens across the chord.
The Kitewing page has a setup video - that'll give you a better idea!

Be interesting to see how it goes - brang videoz!

brplatz - 17-3-2010 at 11:00 PM

Thanks Kami!

I'm already planing my second version. Got any idea how to make pockets in the plastic? I know sewing is out of the question. Possibly a glue of sorts? And any suggestions on flexible spars? Tent poles are much to rigid at least the ones I have.

Thanks,
Brian

Kamikuza - 17-3-2010 at 11:11 PM

What's wrong with sewing? No reason it shouldn't work ... depending on the plastic I guess.
The battens are pre-shaped aluminum tubing, they're to hold the airfoil shape in the wing. They may not be vital though ...

indigo_wolf - 18-3-2010 at 01:40 AM

Battens could also be made out of carbon, either wrapped or pultruded (hollow tube). Flexible sparing could be fiberglass tube or rod. Sleeving the FG might not be a bad idea.

Check around for for clearance pricing for mylar if you want to upgrade the sail.

Skyburner, and Kitebuilder.com would have those... check the clearance sections.

ATB,
Sam

PHREERIDER - 18-3-2010 at 05:37 AM

nice !

the LE profile peak is a little aft gonna put alot lift all the way down the wing at the peak of the profile going down the spar (where the bow peaks ). may be tweaky front to back


put it in front of a fan for a test. to find front to back balance point (LE edge heavy is what you want, tail heavy is not) find balance point add bracing at that point. also find out about stall behavior.

heat seal plastic sheeting tedious though, good tape should work fine , model plane skin is tidy heat shrink option too .

looks fun!

brplatz - 18-3-2010 at 02:41 PM

Thanks for the advice guys, Version 2.0 is in the works

Check it out.





Brian

Houston AirHead - 18-3-2010 at 03:26 PM

good job :thumbup:

i once made a 4 meter traditional Diamond kite out of that stuff.

is it construction plastic?

------

brplatz - 18-3-2010 at 04:50 PM

Yes it is, 4mil I think. My final version will have 3mil.

Here is version 1.9




Version 2.0 will have a brand new skin, and better seaming.

Brian

WELDNGOD - 18-3-2010 at 05:23 PM

you go, brave, young,industrious, fella. Good to see that a young person can actually BUILD somethin' w/their own two hands nowdays. Good job Brian:bigok:

Kamikuza - 18-3-2010 at 07:00 PM

Looking great :thumbup:
I'd suggest some kind of rash guard for the LE cos they tend to drag on the ground, and the solid frame will make holes real quick.

brplatz - 18-3-2010 at 07:02 PM

Thanks man!

I plan to try it out next week, since I'll be snowkiting, snowboarding, and snowmobiling the next 3 days. Also I already need to do some modifications to the spar pockets, but that is minor stuff.

Brian

wannabekiter - 19-3-2010 at 06:10 PM

looks nice!
Any chance we get a video of your first try? hehe

herc - 21-3-2010 at 11:51 AM

genius !
keep on pushing! make it larger, lighter, better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl6RJyZdBSU&feature=relat...

Quote:

Work It
Make It
Do It
Makes Us
Harder
Better
Faster
Stronger
More Than
Hour
Our
Never
Ever
After
Work is
Over [x2]

Work It Harder Make It Better
Do It Faster, Makes Us stronger
More Than Ever Hour After
Our Work Is Never Over



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN1qVWpO-t8
Quote:

Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it,
Charge it, point it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag it, drop it, zip, unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, call it, find it,
View it, code it, jam, unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, pause it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, switch, update it,
Name it, read it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax, rename it,
Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, start, format it,
Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it,
Charge it, point it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag it, drop it, zip, unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, call it, find it,
View it, code it, jam, unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, pause it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, switch, update it,
Name it, read it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax, rename it,
Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, start, format it.

Technologic [4x]

sadsack - 23-10-2014 at 12:06 PM

Hi,
I want to make a wing too. I saved all your photos. How did it work? Or should I say did it work? The one you made looks very nice. Good job.
renny

indigo_wolf - 23-10-2014 at 12:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by sadsack  
Hi,
I want to make a wing too. I saved all your photos. How did it work? Or should I say did it work? The one you made looks very nice. Good job.
renny


Just so you don't hold your breath. Brian hasn't been on the board in about 3 years. He sold off his Synergy, harness, and G.I. landboard. Not sure if he held on to the Twister.

A Google search turned up quite a few people who have built their own Kitewings/Skimbats with various levels of fit & finish.

ATB,
Sam

Prussik - 24-10-2014 at 02:55 PM

The original Kitewing is very well designed with the aerodynamically just about perfect foil. This semi rigid foil gives it the wonderful feeling of forward directed pull unmatched by any kite. It seems that for a DIY job to be successful it should fairly closely match the airfoil of the original. It is not an easy job to make it easy to assemble and dis... because of the required joints. As well as a Kitewing performs in the right conditions, if I had a choice to make between the two, I would choose a Sailwing which performs well in conditions too rough for a kite or a Kitewing.

sadsack - 24-10-2014 at 05:51 PM

Thanks

alf - 27-10-2014 at 01:15 AM

hy ,
i hav tried it with a wind weapon sail and two 40 mm * 2 m pvc pipes ( black pvsc wich is stiffer better
actually i am looking for 2 big size windsurf sail to cut in half
i hope to have maybe 10 sqm
having no diadrethal gives more power

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGBLInbXjEo&list=UU91ChD...

incredible from 3 beaufort the wing can be hold and controled in kitewing mode with both hands on the wisbone , the kitewing Y was a need because a diadrehal i think