Snake - 2-9-2012 at 04:35 PM
I recived my pansh legend 4.5m from bigkid yesterday and imediately went out to fly it. Right away there wasn't enough wind so i wait half an hour and
the wind picked up to about 12mph. I lauched the kite and was surpise by the amount of power it had. It had more power than my 3.7m masa wing in
25-30mph winds! Some gusts came so i flew the kite to the top of the wind window and was lofted in the air a few times terrified i landed the kite,
packed up and went home. Today there was good wind so I thought I would try again. I was out for about five hours and I noticed something. When there
is barely enough wind to launch the kite, as soon as i get above 45 degrees, I am pulled forward 5-10 feet and feel overpowered. The kite gets to 12
o'clock and I feel a strong pull holding about 3/4 of my weight.
Is this normal? It may just be I am not used to the power of foil kites yet. I am only 110 pounds so that may be part of the problem.
pbc - 2-9-2012 at 06:45 PM
I think a 4.5m FB is more than you need for 12mph of wind. It would be plenty of kite for me in that wind and I weigh 165.
This is not to say that you cannot buggy with it, but it that it offers more challenges. To avoid lofting keep the kite low and on the edge. This
diminishes the load and trades lofting risk for the risk of a drag. To reduce the risk of getting dragged consider kite killers.
Philip
Snake - 2-9-2012 at 09:06 PM
Pansh's official wind chart says you are not over powered till 22 mph. The problem was there was a row of trees upwind a that slowed the wind on the
ground by about half so it would barely lauch then it got super powerful. I got it flying in 7mph wind at a different location.
pbc - 3-9-2012 at 03:29 AM
Rereading this I realize I assumed you were in a buggy when you don't say one way or the other. So what is your conveyance? Bug? Board? Sneakers?
As to the 22 MPH official maximum, that seems high. I would not go there. This makes me think about road rash and the scar on my hand.
Philip
Bladerunner - 3-9-2012 at 08:52 AM
Have you studied the wind window ? How you control the amount of power in the kite relates to where you set it in the window.
You will always feel pull in the power zone , less at the edges.
It sounds like you were WAY too close to trees?
I have never flown a legend so can't say how it delivers up power at the edge but to quote Coolbreeze. " I'm not overpowered if I can manage to sit "
!
22mph sounds like a HOOJ top end for a 4.5 meter kite ? I sure wouldn't be flying one in that wind!
lives2fly - 3-9-2012 at 09:51 AM
Lay the kite with its wing tip down wind NOT its leading edge, then walk to a 45 degree angle and launch it by walking slowly backwards an piloting it
up the edge of the window when it gets airborne.
It sounds like you are "hot launching" it right up the middle of the wind window. In which case yes, generating massive power and lift is normal.
Expect to get pulled forward and up! This can be fun but is not safe until you are doing it on purpose and no how to control what happens to you.
is the 4.5m your first kite? something a little smaller would be more appropriate for someone of your weight to learn with. It will be ok if you take
the time to learn how to handle it but I would keep your wind speed under 12mph until you get more confident. A smaller kite would get you out in
stronger winds more safely as a beginner.
If you are standing still with the kite motionless at 12 and it is lifting you off the ground then yes you are overpowered or if you are on a board or
buggy and getting dragged downwind because the wind is too strong to to go up or crosswind. There is a difference between being powered up and being
overpowered.