Took my 3m Beamer out in 10/12 w/ 16 mph gust the other day. Been static flying it for only a couple weeks in lesser winds. On this day launched the
kite and it raced to zenith and then some. I recoverd for the launch and had trouble with control the rest of the day. Up turns would turn into a
race to keep up with the kite or get my a$$ drug across the park. During a gust with the kite between 10 to 2 it would shudder with pull. Is this
just a normal example of what happens during a gust. Really got some time on the brakes, in fact I was on them more than off. The brake lines were
set in the center knot, re-adjusted to more brake and I could feel the diff. but it really didn't seem to help control that much. Didn't feel in
control the whole while. OK so is it me...Bad wind day.... something else or all of the above ?Looking_Up - 23-6-2011 at 08:17 PM
You'll get it use the edge of the window
I have never had a shudder might have been ur first brake setting
I fly my 4.5 little devil in winds gusting over twenty but only for about 15 minutes need to get my buggy going again to get some longer flights
You will accomplish allot in the lesser winds it gives u confidence because u learn control instead of just riding the beast greasehopper - 23-6-2011 at 08:45 PM
You were in the middle of getting "powered up"... That's why it felt twitchy and weird.
Beamers are noted for sucking up gusts. That's what the shudder was, gust munching. I think the PL Core does a much better job of digesting gusts
smoothly but it comes with a price tag that proves it as well.
The idea is to pull in enough brake to smoothly control the flight path and send it where YOU want it to be instead of always reacting to or chasing
what IT does. Get aggressive with the controls a few times and see how that feels. Fly the wing, don't let it fly you.
Play with the brake settings until you find out 1) how the kite reacts and 2) what you like in a given condition. You can't break it...
(well, okay, I did blow out the end cell on my 5m dead-heading it into the ground leading edge first at mach speed but that was the only bad part of
that day and after repairs, the Beamer is happy and flying like a champ.)John Holgate - 23-6-2011 at 09:23 PM
I don't recall having my Beamers' 'shudder' on me. But I have certainly had days where the wind is so gusty and fickle that trying to fly is such a
battle I give up.
If the Beamer (or any kite) surges forward in a gust and then gets a lull (usually the case) it can certainly luff at the edge of window. In smooth
winds it should just sit there - I don't recall the Beamer overflying me in smooth winds although higher aspect kites certainly will unless you're
attentive on the brakes or steer away from the edge.
Look at any trees around you - if they are bending in the wind with a smooth consistent bend, you have nice wind. If they're madly waving back and
forth... it will be really hard work. Cold winds (especially if they have a little moisture in them) can pack a bit more oomph than hot, dry winds.
It does not take much to get overpowered by a 3m kite when static flying - especially if you're putting it through the middle of the window at speed.
I know if my brakes are not tight enough if I can't reverse launch!! I use the brakes to steer my beamers but don't ride them too much.
Sounds like a crappy wind day to me. Get it down the beach in an onshore seabreeze shaggs2riches - 23-6-2011 at 09:24 PM
In gusty winds, it is best to keep the kite at the edge of the window instead of up high at zenith. One wrong gust and you could be airborn, very
scary if you are on a 3m. That shudder is a definite sign of gust munchin as mentioned above. One tip is to learn how to launch at the edge of the
window in stronger winds. Lay the kite sideways, (one wingtip upwind and the other directly downwind). Fold over a sight bit of the upwind wingtip,
and weigh it down. Lay out your lines. Once ready, walk 45 degrees into the wind with you lines, pulling the downwind tip up and outwards. The motion
will pull the kite off the ground, leaving it flying at the windows edge. Quite simple to learn, and you won't get yarded around like you do in a
normal hot launch. The video below explains it but with a depower kite, ignore the flysurfer stuff. Might be a tab harder with a smaller kite due to
less sail to catch the wind but, the basic principle applies to most other foils I do believe.
shaggs
awindofchange - 24-6-2011 at 10:56 AM
I would think most of your issues was from your wind. Gusty winds can be a handful and as mentioned, if you have any other obstacles around you such
as trees, hills, buildings, houses, fences, walls, etc... it will mess with the wind as well.
One thing to also keep in mind is the wind you feel on the ground is going to be much different than the wind 20-80 feet up in the air, especially if
you have the obstacles around as listed above.
After flying in stronger winds for a while, your top lines of your kite will get stretched out. Because of this, you need to constantly check and
adjust your lines to compensate. The creep of the lines happens slowly over time so before you realize it, your brake lines end up being 2-6 inches
to short. With the twitchy control you are describing, I would assume that this is what is happening. It sounds like your brake lines are to short
now because your top or leading edge lines have stretched out. Easy way to check this is to stake the lines down on one end at the loops, then pull
all the lines tight on the other. Any stretch or difference should show up immediately. All four lines should be 100% equal in length.
It is easy to fix this problem, just add in some knots on your handle leaders and adjust the difference out on them. If your brake lines are 4 inches
too short, add knots on your top leaders of 4 inches and connect your flying lines to that knot instead of the end knot.
Also, you will want to adjust your flying lines for the different wind conditions. With stronger or gustier winds, the line drag will be more than in
smooth or lighter winds. This means that in strong winds your brake lines will pull on the kite more - causing the kite to "hang" back or be more
twitchy than in the lighter winds. To compensate for this you may need to let your brake lines out more so that they kite can get to the edge of the
window easier and be less twitchy on the turning. For lighter winds or smoother winds, you may want to tighten the lines up a little so it is easier
to stall the kite and easier to turn it (less handle effort). Remember that if you do let the brake lines out more, the kite will have more tendency
to overshoot the edge of the window.
Play around with your line settings and see if that helps your kite out. It is best to fiddle with them in lighter winds so you can see exactly what
happens with the different adjustments.
