I have a new 3.6 Beamer II and every time I have flown it (4 times now in 16-20+ mph winds), it keeps collapses on me! when it gets up to the zenith if I dont keep it moving it will collaps into a ball almost straight away and it also folds up and twists when I turn occasionally. I have tried ajusting the break lines to no avail. Could this be due to dirty wind or unstable wind conditions of is it a more serious problem. I have also checked the bridals to see if they are tangled but they appear fine. I thought power kites should stay stable when they are a the zenith.:puzzled:



Flexifoil Proteam 8
Beamer II 3.6m
Radsail Pro 6m
Flexifoil Freestyle Buggy standard

hey raun ,welcome to the forum.........

sound like the dirty winds is the culprit, see if a longer set of lines will get you into cleaner winds and or take the wing out to some place else were clean wind will give you a better idea in whats going on

Thanks...

I was hoping that it might have somthing to do with it, I have only flown the kite at the beach and it has been an off-shore wind nearly all the time, never took into account Lumpy wind (Ireland is a bit short on large expances of clear air locations). I'll have to wait for an on-shore wind to check out the differance.

thanks again.

With higher performance kites, they are designed to be able to fly closer to the edge of the window. But the drawback is that they are more sensitive to any shift in direction. Also small gusts can make it surge even further forward, then the leading edge tucks down and you end up with the ball of cloth you describe. The only advice I can offer (short of onshore winds all the time) is to spend more time with it and learn to keep more brakes on the closer it is to the edge of the window. This will cause it to sit back a little from the edge and may help the stability a little. Good luck!!!

I made adjustments for my 3.6 and CF 5 for inland/higher dirty winds by adding a knot 1 inch back on the power leaders at the handles and using the third knot up on the brake briddle. This has been very effective. Since tweaking them and flying in higher winds, I only notice luffing when I overfly the window (pilot error). Thats whats so cool about power kites, tweaking and tuning for maximum performance! Give it a go, and good luck! For ultimate tweaking buy a Bego--what a machine!

As usual.............
Stoaked in South Cacky

Thanks for the advice I'm heading off this weekend and I'll be sure to try out the tweeks. I'll let ye know how it goes.

:singing:

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Originally posted by raun Thanks for the advice I'm heading off this weekend and I'll be sure to try out the tweeks. I'll let ye know how it goes. :singing:

So how did the tweeks workout?

Hi i have exactly the same kite and had the same problem, when i brought the kite the brake lines where connected to the kite at centre to the rear of the kite, it turned out they should have never been connected there, why they were i don't know it arrived like that, anyway they are not now and the kites flys like a bird, you might have they same problem

The little toggle at the center traiiling edge is meant to hold the bridles when they are not connected to lines. It keeps them from tangling. It is a nice feature many kites have. So yes, they were indeed supposed to be there when you bought the kite, just not for flying, as you found out .;-)

If you ever put the kite away without lines attached, be sure to re-connect all the bridles to that little loop using a larks head.

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Originally posted by tridude Quote: Originally posted by raun Thanks for the advice I'm heading off this weekend and I'll be sure to try out the tweeks. I'll let ye know how it goes. :singing: So how did the tweeks workout?

Didn't get to fly, the weather was too bad, but I will try again this weekend sundays looking good. fingers crossed.

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Originally posted by raun Quote: Originally posted by tridude Quote: Originally posted by raun Thanks for the advice I'm heading off this weekend and I'll be sure to try out the tweeks. I'll let ye know how it goes. :singing: So how did the tweeks workout? Didn't get to fly, the weather was too bad, but I will try again this weekend sundays looking good. fingers crossed.

Quote:

Originally posted by raun Quote: Originally posted by tridude Quote: Originally posted by raun Thanks for the advice I'm heading off this weekend and I'll be sure to try out the tweeks. I'll let ye know how it goes. :singing: So how did the tweeks workout? Didn't get to fly, the weather was too bad, but I will try again this weekend sundays looking good. fingers crossed.

Got to fly on sunday with a lovely on-shore wind and got plenty of time to try out the ajustments, adding the 2nd knot on the power leader worked out great and made the kite a lot more responsive. Keeping the breaks on more at the edge of the window also helps with the stability. Thanks again for the advice.

hi i am chris iv got a hq beamer 3.6 as well i have the same proble to be onest i asked a no. of people and they say that "dont worrie all kites can be like that at points" but i think it might just be that sort of kite one thing iv found is to fly it only in strong but constent winds but dont worrie to much it not just i thing with your kite - fly till i die Bigchris:karate:

I just got a beamer TSR 3.6 myself and have noticed the same problem. I'd really appreciate it if some of you experienced flyers could answer a few questions.

Assuming clean air and 10-12, if I take the kite straight up, should it fly or fall?

If it falls, is this pilot error? Is there something I should be doing with the bar/brake lines that should keep it from reaching that point?

Is it something to do with setup?

The kite flys fine otherwise, just doesn't like the edge of the window too much.

When it's blowing like stink, is flying the kite just a brute force activity? (I've got 215 lbs and plenty of willingness to lean back and occasionally get dropped on my butt.) Or am I missing something fundamental that I should be doing with my kite/bar to depower the thing? I've gotta say, if a 3.6 pulls this hard, I can't imagine how I could fly a big kite, so I feel like I'm missing something.

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Originally posted by rmbrown Assuming clean air and 10-12, if I take the kite straight up, should it fly or fall?

Fly

Quote:

If it falls, is this pilot error? Is there something I should be doing with the bar/brake lines that should keep it from reaching that point? Is it something to do with setup? The kite flys fine otherwise, just doesn't like the edge of the window too much.

Sounds like brake lines too tight. If it overflies the edge of the window, they are too loose.

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When it's blowing like stink, is flying the kite just a brute force activity? (I've got 215 lbs and plenty of willingness to lean back and occasionally get dropped on my butt.) Or am I missing something fundamental that I should be doing with my kite/bar to depower the thing? I've gotta say, if a 3.6 pulls this hard, I can't imagine how I could fly a big kite, so I feel like I'm missing something.

Heh, heh. You are flying a fixed bridle foil, so there is no de-power; it is always "on". Learn to control the power by where and how you fly it in the window. With time, you will be comfortable in 20 mph or more.

Thanks for the quick reply!

I understand (now!) that my brake lines are a great safety feature but are not really an active part of flying the kite. I'll just lean back and grin!

Can you explain what you mean by "overflying" the window? I read the "brake lines too tight" to mean that I should drop from the middle knot to the next one closer to the end, loosening the brake lines, but I'm confused by the next sentence... "if it overflies the edge of the window, they are too loose." Overflying sounds like flying into the dead zone and stalling (what I think I'm seeing now).

Your brake lines are most definatley an active part of flying the kite, as you say. They are not primarily a safety feature, but can be used as such.

I may have misunderstood what you meant by "fall". If your kite never climbed much or did not launch well, and that is what your meant by "fall", then your brakes were too tight.

Look at this illustration of the "wind window"....
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/WindWindow.jpg

If your kite went too far to the edge of the window either overhead or to the side then fell, then that means it luffed or stalled and defalated. Your brake lines were too loose. You either need to tighten the brake lines a knot or two, or be ready to steer the kite to the side before it goes too far and luffs.

Generally in lighter winds you will want the brake lines loose, and in higher winds tighter, but you will experiment and learn what feels "right" for you.

HTH

yea i have the same problem with luffing near the edge of the window and tightening the brakes help a bunch. i have a beamer 5m.