krumly - 7-1-2012 at 04:47 PM
I know this will be of limited interest to a small audience, but I got to fly my modified 9m PL Guerilla II for a good while in northern MN last week.
The GII is a pretty fast turning kite in that size, but notorious for not developing power in winds below 10-12 mph. I think that is partly because
the rear spanwise strap is fixed to every cell, and was sewed in to effect a pretty high AOA or 'coning' for the profiles. The kite can't lower AOA or
'flatten out' to fly fast in lower wind speeds.
I opened the trailing edge, freed the strap from 5 center cells, and added some webbing and a center adjustment buckle ala the Venoms. I reinforced
the ribs where the strap slid through and taped and re-sewed the trailing edge. I left the tips alone - what I've gathered from Arc forum is messing
with adjustable tip straps is too finicky and of little value.
Anyway, the kite definitely has more bottom end, and didn't seem to lose turning speed. I was skiing on a small inland lake (no GPS). Gusty, treed
shoreline, no fetch. Winds varied from 5-8 mph. I know I could barely launch and keep the kite in the air in those windspeeds prior to the mod,
much less ski behind it.
Very worthwhile mod in my book. Hmm - wonder if adding a rear strap to my 13m GI would be worth doing?
krumly
Feyd - 8-1-2012 at 04:50 PM
Hey Krumly,
Good report. My 24m Big Blue I think is a G1 or 2 and this would probably be a worth while mod.
Let us know if you do the 13m and get the same results.
krumly - 8-1-2012 at 10:29 PM
Feyd -
Far as I know, all GI's had no rear web strap. Rear line stresses were distributed into the canopy by a couple short webs sewn into the first few
cells. No leach line in any of them either. My thinking is adding the strap to my GI may actually decrease the low wind speed, but maybe I can get
it to turn faster. Don't know.
I think GII's were the first to get full rear spanwise straps. But being fixed to every cell and set tight as they are means they lose out on light
wind ability.
If Big Blue needs more light wind ability in the form of straight flight speed to get going as opposed to turning agility, and doesn't have the rear
span strap now, my guess is adding it wouldn't help. And you'd have to cut the entire trailing edge open, so it would be a lot of sewing. If it's a
GII with the strap already in place, it's much less work and you'd probably get it to work in an even lower true wind. Gotta imagine it's a pig to
turn no matter what.
krumly
Feyd - 9-1-2012 at 04:18 PM
pigs turn faster.