nasa delta para-wing kite

Hi BigE 123,

I am making a small delta wing using single skin kite construction. I sure not knowing what I am doing it will be very lucky if it fly the first time I try. I am learning alot so far. I have never been a bridle man, but now I must be.
here a photo or two of my single skin delta kite .




I will let you know how things come out with the delta.:alien:

Hi,
I was getting know place trying make the bridles the way I was doing it. So I build a bridle board today. I just got done with a small airfoil, so i made the line set for it. It work very nice and fast.







it is 8 foot long and can do two lines at the same time. I only have one line on now. I have 120 feet of line on it and it took me about 3 min to do it. fast and easy. Soon I will be flying my new nasa wing kite, Life is great.

renny

I build my first single shin kite, and tryed to fly it to day. sorry no photos by myself, going have to get me a helper.
This is what happen. The wind out of the south about 3 to 6 MPH. I made a little stand for my kite to lay back on so they will stand up right. I put my delta wing up next the stand. The wind will go from 0 to 5 or 6 MPH then back to 0. I wait for a good gust to come. wait I am getting a head of my self here.
here is what the kite look like and the dim. and where the bridle is hooked up to the kite






I have the bridle set up as a one line bridle. the bridle is 14 feet long. I have about 5 deg. of angle of attack. I was worried the the wings would full out with the wind.

This is what happen. I was holding the bridle at the know where the flying line would be hooked up at. The gust came and I puled the hard on the bridle................................ The kite filled with air and took off, went up for about 6 to 10 feet then made a 180 deg. toward the ground. I tryed many time to get it off the ground and fly. No go, just did the same thing. I then tryed to hold the right side of the bridle in my right hand and the left in my left hand. Well it flew for a few sec be for I lost control of it. So even that it did not fly, I am going to make it a four line kite and then it will fly. That is the end took to much space up on this.
well get a helper to take photos next time I hope. Going to put ad in GList for a helper, who know what I will get, hope it human.
reny

dacrow? Hollow braided? Did you mean Dacron? Usually line is braided with a dyneema core, or are you looking for some sleeving? like this:

For bridle line, why do you need hollow core and why must it be yellow?

I have bridled up to a 7m NPW with solid 100# Spectra fishing line. Affordable, available and comes in many colours Give it a try.
Never had a break. I didn't pre-stretch it but it may be a good idea. Also, you need to learn specific knots for Spectra/Dyneema or it will just slip undone.

I also see you are using my favorite material, spin-bonded polyolefin! Official Tyvek brand has a tighter weave than the store-brand stuff and is also lighter - you will find it similarly priced, too.

Hey BigE, it sounds like you may have built a single-skin foil like the one in the link? Got a build thread or more info? Winter is coming and I'm getting that old kite-building feeling again... I love NPWs, but that kite looks exciting...

here is my latest NPW 5
1.1M2

here is a nother one just cut out

At long last, Santa Claus does fly, no wind gray day with rain. but up he goes.






Wind about 2 to 3 MPH





I was very happy is flew in that low of wind. I have it flying in 25 to 35 MPH.




I love flying NPW 5.








I can't wait on till the wind is up, I do have someone to take photos now. She is just learning.





Got to go enjoy
renny

When you fly an NPW they need constant brake pressure on the handles to prevent the nose collapsing. Whilst this after a while becomes second nature adding a Z bridle at the kite end, means that the brake line is always under tension and hence minimises any nose collapse. You can then hold the handles more like a foil i.e. with the power line between the top two fingers. Without a Z bridle you need to hold the handles with the power line above the top finger.

Here is what is looks like:

Thanks I will look into that.

Do you feel lucky!!! Then here you go, a new NPW 5 is born. Its name is snake eyes.




It should be flying by the end of the week. Then a big one is coming.



All the snow is gone, but there is snow in the forecast.

renny

At long last the wing is good, yesterday it was blowing 25 to 35 mph. Today it is about 4 or 5 some time, some time it is 0. But it flew very well.
I am putting this one up for sale, it is the last 1.1m2 that I am going make.
On to bigger and I hope better things.






I am going have to learn how to fly a 4 line kite, I don't do a very good job of it now.























I got to fly today for about 5 min befor the wind died. But it was fun, I played around with the brakes line.
renny

I think I am going nuts. My back is killing me from the kite dragging all over the place. I was going to just lay a round this afternoon and watch a movie.
I just could not stop myself from starting my new NPW 5 kite. I got to use my new table for the first time today. This table is going to work out ok. This kite should pull me like I am a 3oz sinker. It is going be 4.1 M2. I just could not stand it that I kite making table was empty. I have not been this driven in many years. kite they are something.

PHOTOS















I should have it all cut out tonight.
by

Here is my new NPW 5 4m2 all cut and layed out on the floor.






This is by far the biggest kite I have made to date.




I will start sewing on it today.






I will let you all know how thing are coming.

Quote: Originally posted by sadsack

I like it, very nice. What did you make it out of, a blue tarp? it looked nice.:bisou:

Yes its a blue tarp, but not the heavy duty kind you see at Home Deport. Its pretty light (probably too light to actually use as a tarp) but very strong. I can't tear it apart with my hands. It is really light. I thought it would take a lot of wind to get this to fly, but it really didn't.

bigE123, It is an NPW5. The bridle line on the back in the main panel is probably the weakest point. I may try to reinforce that, but it showed no signs of failing yesterday, albeit in light wind. The side panel bridle lines are very solid - amazing how grippy duct tape is. I did a test hanging a 20 lb weight from one line and it held. (Try to post a picture of that later.)

I found the tarp material can be sewed (I did sew the darts though I think they could be taped or stapled), so I may put some stitches in to tie it down in future itereations. The purpose of this was not to really make a traction kite for towing, but to see how the whole thing goes together. I learned a lot from this. (Also I'm new to flying quad lines so this is helping me learn that too.) I do plan to take it out in a lot of wind to see how it holds up.

I used 3M clear packing tape (from Dollar Tree, of course). I was originally going to replace that with duct tape after putting the bridles in because its very strong, easy to apply and peel away, while duct tape is more or less permanent. At the time, I thought being able to see where the line is would be important, though I don't thinks that's critical now. It seems quite strong - pulling against the line I can't remove it. Since you have 12 bridle lines all pulling on the reinforcement line against each other there is some synergy.

After flying for 2 hours in light wind no issues apparent so I'll see if I need to do that.





BTW - I'm finding this material is much easier to sew than the kite fabric I have, so future iterations may have more conventional reinforced seams and the like. Certainly, this approach is probably limited to very small kites like this one.

When I started to make kite about 6 months ago, I ask around what kites I should start outwith.
I was told just start making them, more you make better you come at making then. So i did in the last 6 months I have made about 60 + and I have 2 going now. just start and the kites will take care on then selfs. it is like you go in to a kite trans and when you come out the kite is done.

It's all stitched, appliqué is the official name for the technique, the batman and pirate have the centre cut out and the lighter material sewn in-place to let the light through. The NASA etc are true appliqué where the pattern is hot cut, then stitched onto the kite skin.

Nothing fancy for this new build tho' due to the amount of sewing just for the basic build, each side is now just over half way done:

Golden girl?... So is the silhouette in the middle of Bea Arthur? Rue McClanahan? Betty White? Or maybe Estelle Getty?

Looks good Renny, love to see a good close up pic of the kite... Good work!

I flew for 3hours today, here is my girl



























:frog:

Nice pictures. Keep us posted.

I've flown the 1.0 maybe 8-10 times now, in winds ranging from very light to 20+. I've used it to pull me on my landboard downwind on pavement in 20 MPH+ or so, crashed it into the lake, drug it through mud to get it out, and generally abused it as much as possible. I pretty much use it whenever I go to fly as my "wind dummy" to try to figure out how much wind there is. So far - no signs that the material or duct taping is showing any signs of wear, other than being a bit dirty now. I'm working on a new video just showing flight. Originally, I thought if it just flies its a success - and now its well exceeded that.

Work on the 1.8 m NPW9 is progressing pretty well. I used the Bill Painter method on making the sail from his website, and, of course, Tom White's calculator program. I've done everything except (only - ha!) cut half the bridles and attached them all. I did the darts in more or less the conventional manner using hot cutting and sewing the seam. The tarp material seems to hot cut the same as nylon - it ends up tacked together, which makes the sewing a lot easier. Here's a picture of the two kites at present.

Still plodding on with my build, only 5 seams left before the kite is finished ready to bridle.

Wing tip to centre panel on one side complete, four panels to go to complete the other side:

Finished the NPW9b 1.8 m this morning and took it out for the first flights. It was 7-16 or so, and gusty and it was pretty amazing how much pull this thing has. Flew for a while and took it home to make sure its holding up. So far looks like it is.

Thanks for the comments. Here's a picture not flying. Thinking of putting one of these on as a theme. (Dollar tree helium balloon - made of mylar, I think.) I'm leaning to Elmo but it might just be a bit below my age bracket (62 in a matter of weeks.)



Just got back from flying another hour and half. Pretty windy maybe 5- to 20+. This thing really can pull. Flies quite a bit different from the 1.0 NPW 5 (which is much quicker and much more responsive, but probably that is just a matter of it being much smaller and me more used to it.)

A new kite is born :D Ready for bridling:



Projected area 5.95m2 with a projected AR of 3.46

Now for some bridles erm @ 116 of them!

Quote: Originally posted by bigE123

Hi Randy, difficult to tell from the video but if you don't have a "Z" bridle fitted you need to fly an NPW with the power lines above your top finger it helps keep the brake pressure on.

Don't have the z=bridle, but do fly with the line above my top finger. I do feel like the kite "slides" around a bit though. Do you think I need to adjust the brake? I can do that.

I am interested in the z-bridle - seen the drawings for them. Not clear to me how long the "z-lines" need to be. Any guidance?

Renny,

Here is what I've found. http://www.kiteplans.org/planos/nasa4/nasa.htm Shows the idea, I think. Not clear how long those lines should be. Also - I'm wondering does it just make the kite a two line kite with an emergency brake - or can you turn off the brakes, etc.

Here is my latest project. A single keel parawing. http://users.telenet.be/claeskites/page6.htm Can fly single or dual line. Here is where I am now. Did some actual seems on the sewing machine to hold the panels together and sew the leech line in the keel. Not the greatest job on that, but it will probably be stronger than taping the panels. Since its 1.45 M, I am satisfied to tape the perimeter, as I've had no problems yet with the 1.0 or 1.8. (And I tire quickly of sewing.) Only about 20 bridles on this one. Can go either single, or dual line.

Quote: Originally posted by sadsack

Nice Randy I got my kite going today too. it is a 5.5M2 about 6 feet high and 11 feet wide.:puzzled:

That's big. Show us some pictures or videos!

bigE123,

Well...built in curl after all! Your getting closer to a Peak design.
The stiffeners I was referring to are located near tips of peak...(not sure.. but may be used there to stop flutter, tip tuck, increase projected area-make more flat..?)

Anyone near you own a Peak..(yet) you could try and compare..?

Wishing you great success....
--------------------------------------------
sadsack,

Nice job on your 'girl'.

keep it up!

Black Kite is here

making the center panel




laying out the wings




Cutting the wings out




sorry for the bad photos, my old camera of 15 years gave up the ghost today. So there may not be any more photos. Have no money to buy a new one.
Here is black kite Layed out in the basement
6.5 feet high and 13.5 wide, sorry i don't do CM, I am to old for that.






6.5M2
That is it for now.
renny:frog:

Quote: Originally posted by skimtwashington

bigE123, Well...built in curl after all! Your getting closer to a Peak design. The stiffeners I was referring to are located near tips of peak...(not sure.. but may be used there to stop flutter, tip tuck, increase projected area-make more flat..?) Anyone near you own a Peak..(yet) you could try and compare..? Wishing you great success....

I think the plans I used may have been the Peaks starting point? The stiffeners run from the LE to the B bridle point. They keep the nose raised, (which is something I carried over to my NPWs), otherwise the kite would need more brake pressure / higher AoA to stop it collapsing.
It's a pity I don't know anyone with a Peak to compare performance with. My 6m will be fb so a comparison would be difficult and not really prove much.

Got the Single Keel Parawing up and flying today. Here's a few pictures - a cold, gray and misty day, but windy (10-20). A good day for flying, but not so much for the flying pics.

[file]8762[/file]