Power Kite Forum - types of depower safeties?

types of depower safeties?

shortlineflyer - 29-10-2015 at 05:31 AM

I am working on making a depower bar and have finished everything but the safety and I wanted to know the different types and how they work.

Feyd - 29-10-2015 at 07:38 AM

Old style "Top Hat" as found on some current HQ models but generally on older Ozone, Flexifoil and Hq depowerables. Is indicated by the red "top hat" shaped assembly found on the front lines, usually above the trim assembly. A simple and fairly effective design which when activated releases the front line leaders and tranfers the kite's power to the rear lines only, inducing heavy stall. Similar to grabbing the stall handle.

Not a good system in exceptionally high and/or shifty winds as it allows the kite to reverse launch in the event of a roll over. Also in some winds even in full stall a kite a can generate enough power to drag you. However for general riding it is still better than no safety at all. This system requires no leash aka "leashless".

FLS (Front Line Safety). A system that relies on the kite "flaggin out" on a single front line when a primary safety is activated or the chicken loop safety is activated. Depends on the bar set up. When activated the kite flags out and is attached to the rider by some type of leash. In the event that things really go bad and the FLS isn't enough there is a safety on the leash that you can activate to cut the kite completely loose.

Some kites, like earlier Peter Lynn Arcs, have a variation where the rear line is the flag out.

5th line. Generally activates the same way as an FLS but is actuated by a stand alone 5th line which is attached to a small bridle assembly located either in the center or just off center of the kite. When actuated the kite essentially folds in half. Some work well, some are a total PITA.

Ozone Re-Ride. A new system as of last season which relies on a 5th line actuating a bridle system located within the kite. When activated the kite essentially collapses symmetrically into a ball and is completely disabled. This is by far my favorite safety system.

HQ's Hydra Trainers use a similar system but with a trailing edge bridle doing the collapse.

When I assemble my own stuff I prefer a front line flag out actuated by what we refer to as a 4.5 line. A short 5th line that only goes as far as where you attach you flying/front lines.

Watch this video and you will get some idea what I mean.
https://youtu.be/cCCzIJ3iKGg

shortlineflyer - 29-10-2015 at 07:52 AM

when you do a 4.5 line, how do you attach it to the kite line.

Feyd - 29-10-2015 at 11:05 AM

Usually through some flavor or larks head or interlock. Then that is supported by a stopper ball against a ring or in the cast of this year's HQ models, a mouse ear spinner.

Feyd - 29-10-2015 at 11:06 AM

In the event that you don't have a spinner, a ring will do the job as well. One flying line gets larksheaded onto the ring. The other runs through the ring and is held in place by the stopper when under load.

ssayre - 29-10-2015 at 04:05 PM

Chris, I checked out your video on your 4.5 line modded bar with more experienced eyes than when I watched it a year or 2 ago. I now understand what's going on :D It's funny when that happens. Anyways, has the loaded stopper ball ever become jammed at the bar when safety hit? That's fairly similar to the way my peak 1 safety is only they use a tiny ring and rely on a loaded knot. The knot then has to slide through the hole on the bar. It's hasn't been an issue normally, but the last time I hit the safety, the knot apparently jammed at the bar unless I missed something. If the loaded stopper ball method works well, that seems like it could be a nice mod to the peak 1

Cheddarhead - 29-10-2015 at 06:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Chris, I checked out your video on your 4.5 line modded bar with more experienced eyes than when I watched it a year or 2 ago. I now understand what's going on :D It's funny when that happens. Anyways, has the loaded stopper ball ever become jammed at the bar when safety hit? That's fairly similar to the way my peak 1 safety is only they use a tiny ring and rely on a loaded knot. The knot then has to slide through the hole on the bar. It's hasn't been an issue normally, but the last time I hit the safety, the knot apparently jammed at the bar unless I missed something. If the loaded stopper ball method works well, that seems like it could be a nice mod to the peak 1

Stopper ball could be a simple mod for the Peak. Just make sure the ball is the proper size. My Ozone fifth line stopper ball is a tad small and tends to jam in the bar. It's jammed on me twice and I was unable to free it up by hand:evil::evil::evil: Hammer and screw driver to get it free.

Feyd - 30-10-2015 at 10:38 AM

Fun fact. None of the Chrono v.2s or R1's we've received have come with stopper balls. FWIW

Cheddarhead - 30-10-2015 at 12:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

Fun fact. None of the Chrono v.2s or R1's we've received have come with stopper balls. FWIW

:bigok::bigok::bigok:

pstkk - 30-10-2015 at 04:55 PM

C stall safety as used by Ikon:

In use it's quite similar to Ozone's internal Re-Ride system. More info: https://vimeo.com/79605410 and https://vimeo.com/108641103.

Feyd - 31-10-2015 at 06:00 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

I have never had an issue with the loaded stopper jamming. We did 100 releases in a row the first time we tested it and it worked flawlessly each time. After that I used it riding on every arc I fly and it has never failed and has saved my butt more than once.

I've never had a jam on the Peaks. I'm going to take a look at it today and see how that may happen and how we can remedy it.

ssayre - 31-10-2015 at 07:08 AM

I'm not sure it jammed per say, as it there wasn't anything stuck when I reset it. When I initially hit the safety, the bar didn't slide all the way up like normal. It slid up partially and kite still had a little power. I hit the leash release as a precaution but not as an emergency. Nothing seemed out of place when I caught up to the kite downwind and reset except the normal type of mess from your bar and lines getting blown downwind, but nothing was stuck or caught anywhere. I reset and flew for a second then packed up so I'll do a few test releases next time out. Could have been too many twists in my center lines or something.

shortlineflyer - 2-11-2015 at 12:42 PM

I have not the actual 4.5 lines that get stuck but I imagine that has to do with knot size at the stopper ball. I tried a fishermans knot inside a spliced loop and it seems to be small enough to pass through the bar but big enough to hold the stopper ball.

ssayre - 3-11-2015 at 02:42 PM

question for feyd or others, would a top hat safety work on a Peak? might be able to get a bar with top hat safety I was planning on using for short line and peak and was wanting to know if there is any reason top hat safety wouldn't work.

Feyd - 3-11-2015 at 02:46 PM

I don't see why not. It would be no different than grabbing it by the balls. :P

It won't completely flag out like the FLS but it would still stall the heck out of it. Probably more effective than it would be on a dual skin. I'm kinda curious now...