Power Kite Forum

Phantom 15m - backstalling AND overflying!?!?

lad - 18-5-2010 at 05:12 PM

Gave my new, used P 15m a test run at WW in relatively lowish winds Sunday. In between some moments of sheer bliss, it would alternately backstall, then shortly overfly BIGTIME. But autozenith was generally reliable with I was static flying.

I had the internal strap only slightly pulled and played with the depower strap to not much effect. The bridle pigtails seemed standard, but I didn't measure them.

Sure, the buildings could be playing windshadows tricks, but I never seen it like this before (not w/ my 12m P, certainly).

Any clues?

Kamikuza - 18-5-2010 at 05:21 PM

What bar are you using?

I think I remember people saying the Phantom is the WORST PL kite to static fly with ... you gotta be moving to enjoy it so I'd put it down to inconsistent wind. But I could be wrong :lol:

lad - 18-5-2010 at 05:29 PM

'07 bar - again no such probs when flying my ole 12m Phanny with it.

Kamikuza - 18-5-2010 at 05:33 PM

Checked the arc setup faq for pigtail lengths?
Still just the wind IMO ... I've had epic problems with my Rebble in the middle of a beach in what I thought was clean wind, slightly side shore - seems the highway next to the beach was causing more problems than I imagined was possible :lol:

BeamerBob - 18-5-2010 at 10:56 PM

They can be a bear if the wind is shifty and dropping out on you. Smooth as silk static if you have decent wind. Gusts are ok if you are moving. Motion settles everything down. It has the local wind and apparent wind to keep the pressure on.

Todd - 19-5-2010 at 04:26 AM

Lad, definitely the buildings. The Venom and Charger did the same exact thing that morning, once moving it was smooth sailing.

markite - 19-5-2010 at 01:04 PM

From what Ziggy said he had all kinds of wind issues at WW with his Phantoms as well. Same thing you said with wind direction one way down low, then overflying up high and going a different direction. With the offshore winds it has all the earmarks of trying to fly in rotors and vortices created by the buildings.

In the winter we go to one lake with a small bay as a launch area surrounded on three sides and then opens to the lake. It's larger than football field size in the bay but when we have high gusty winds coming from the direction over the one line of trees then the kites act crazy squirrely and the only thing to do is launch and get out and get moving to get a more consistent air flow.

Doesn't help when you were fighting wind at different directions etc.