Power Kite Forum

Profoil treed!!!! (FMC) repair complete

tridude - 30-4-2008 at 05:24 AM

I put this in the review section due to the fact that Im attempting to repair the damage with kite fix. Not sue if you all have seen their vid so if you havent google them in. I was on the board nicely powered up (between lulls) having a great session. As luck would have it, I caught a lull near a set of trees (my fault I got to close), the kite dropped and got snagged (part of tree included with pic). Got her out but as you can see ALOT of damage. A thirty inch tear on the underside, 7 inches on the top side. Ordered the kite fix repair kit from ACampbell at coastalwindsports and its already on the way.Heres the initial pics, with repair and her next flight pics to follow! Fly hard and safe but watch out for those trees (#@%$#!iness never pays off/lesson learned).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2288/2454466666_eba7af9a47_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/2454468376_016cd9410b_b....
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2453645221_1883f4daa2_b....
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/2454471822_fcc8bfd6b3_b....

beachrights - 30-4-2008 at 05:35 AM

YIKES!!!! :o:o:o
I only had that kite for a short period but I feel like it is still one of my kites ripped! I hope you can repair it, If anything- it looks like a "clean rip" not jagged. I guess you will be the "lab rat" for Kitefix. The video looked promising and this repair will put it to the test! If I ever ripped a kite I was going to try that product based on the video. Good luck Tridude.

BeamerBob - 30-4-2008 at 05:35 AM

ARRRGGGHHH! That is sickening. Such a beautiful kite too. It looks almost like it ripped the seam but I guess it is right beside the seam. I know you'll do a good job with it. You ever repair parachutes? Or is that a no no? The kite repair video makes it look painless and like it never happened. No chance you could've flown the kite back out of the tree? I've done that before, even with a reverse launch one time after the kids got out of place.

PHREERIDER - 30-4-2008 at 05:42 AM

is that a seam? or fabric tear? seems to be in a high tension area. definitely repairable, I would like to see the DIY result.

tridude - 30-4-2008 at 05:45 AM

tried to fly it out, may have paniced too. I told Angus over the phone (ordering the Kite Fix/love to pimp him) that had I walked right or left 45 degrees or so I may have gotten it out without damage. The tear is right down the seam and clean, cell wall intact, so it shouldnt be too much of a problem. The mesh mylar tape and glue (kite bondo) should be a solid fix.

tridude - 30-4-2008 at 05:46 AM

Golden,

Get your butt up to Chaz soon and you can see and fly the fix! Yep right down the seam.............Hard way to go about it but internally, Ted builds a fine product! Cell walls, cross vent holes, and stitching are A+++...............

KiteProject - 30-4-2008 at 06:42 AM

Ouch!

I have a Profoil 3.5 and my baby got a tear too last weekend. :no: I used Ripstop repair tape last night; I'll unfurl the kite to see how it's holding. The tape is pretty thin and the glue didn't seem very promising. I hope against the nylon itself, it works well. We'll see.

BeamerBob - 30-4-2008 at 07:03 AM

I used some of the clear repair tape on my symphony and it has held completely for several years now. I've almost forgotten about the repair. The only thing is that it is more shiny that the fabric on the kite.

acampbell - 30-4-2008 at 10:40 AM

Ouch is right!
Kitefix kit on the way to save the day, I hope.

PHREERIDER - 30-4-2008 at 11:28 AM

tridude working on it. BTW powerzone has this FS Psycho I 15m. what is this series like? $300... is hard to ignore.

tridude - 30-4-2008 at 12:05 PM

The only FSers Ive flown/owned and could accurately comment on are the Pulse and Psycho 3s. John would be the guru for this one. Send him a U2U

Scudley - 1-5-2008 at 08:53 PM

tridude
Take that kite to a sailmaker. He will fix that right. It looks like the seam let go. They should be able to fix that for a minor sum and the kite will have the still have the original weight balance. A sailmaker's repair will be way better that DYI solution.
Charleston must have at least one sailmaker.
S

tridude - 2-5-2008 at 05:33 AM

Thanx Scud,

my wife is quite the seamer and said no problem but Im going for the kite fix/kite bondo repair. It should be here this morning and will be repaired at the kite hangar, with in progress and first flight pics to be posted. If you can hack an LEI in half and repair it, this should be a piece of cake. Its not like Im doing 10 foot pends with the Profoil...................

tridude - 2-5-2008 at 07:36 AM

Anxiously waiting UPS and the kite fix kit. Almost like waiting for a new kite to arrive! If they dont hurry up Im goin a "brown" hunt......................

tridude - 2-5-2008 at 08:52 PM

repair in progress, front side complete waiting on the 6 to 12 hour cure. First pic of mesh without glue, second and third pics after glue applied. Dacron tape applied on the inside of the seam damage. Going well so far. Caught a buzz off the glue fumes. A lot more supple than I thought............

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2256/2460156077_31c903f69d_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2460992700_e8fcc0f52b_b....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/2460994680_ac93d3b83a_b....

tridude - 4-5-2008 at 05:45 AM

and the result.......................she flew. It was almost dark so no pics and winds were light but she flew. OBTW, I found another 6 inch seam rip and repaired that one too. 43 inches of repair total and up she went in light winds. Kite fix def works.....................
Thanx also goes out to ACampbell @ coastalwindsports for supplying the kit.................

B-Roc - 4-5-2008 at 08:58 AM

Pics don't open -Flickr says the pictures aren't available??

lunchbox - 4-5-2008 at 10:30 AM

Hey Tridude,

Have you noticed any changes in flight characteristics due to the additional weight of the fabric used in the repair?

tridude - 5-5-2008 at 04:54 AM

light winds but she flew/turned fine.........waiting for something in the 20 mph range............................

Baluk - 5-5-2008 at 03:07 PM

Photos of just the repair?

Bladerunner - 5-5-2008 at 04:33 PM

Good news BAD news,

I got a brand new 2.5 in the mail today :singing:


Bad news is that I also got the Brooza back. :(
Seems it got a small tear in it. Likely the poor way I hung it to dry. Orebeamer was super good about it and was even willing to settle for a repaired kite but that didn't seem right :thumbup: I felt awfull :duh:

The damage is near the trailing end on the back and my concern is that it cut the cell wall inside as well. Should I try to fix the cell wall or just leave it :?:

tridude - 8-5-2008 at 05:26 AM

Send it to me........my wife is a big time seamer. We can open her up and take a look. Kite surgery......love it!! She wanted to repair the Profoil but I insisted on kitefix.

Baluk - 16-7-2008 at 09:05 PM

Photos, tridue. We need photooooos!

BeamerBob - 17-7-2008 at 04:25 AM

We need to check on him. He hasn't been on here in 3 weeks or so.

PHREERIDER - 17-7-2008 at 05:28 AM

haven't heard either, even for a meet up in chas around first of june