Being a newbie....what do you mean when you say "only in low winds"...."it will be your high wind kite..."?

For instance....I'll be starting with the Beamer III 3m kite. What are the winds, in mph, that I should fly in? What is the lowest it will even be flyable in, and what is the highest I should even consider without any expereince at all??

Thanks!

Lobo

probably like 8-10mph would be safe. as long as your not bringing it side to side. i guess the important thing is just to practice launching and just try to keep the kite up in the air the rest will come later. and as far as low wind kites it means you can get power out of the kite on low winds. some kite are designed to be flown in higher winds to achieve power. this is known as the wind range of your particular kite. your HQ can be flown in probably 20mph but i would not suggest it. it will stretch your lines and you'll probably find yourself on your face if your not paying attention. hope this helps.

Good Question !

The B3 will fly in very low winds about 5mph. but in that wind you will have to constantly keep it moving. When the kite is moving it is creating it's own apparent wind. So, speed ='s power. At about 8mph you should be able to take the kite overhead ( or any place down your left and right ) and it will just sit there with very little pull. That is the edge of your " wind window ". When it sits nicely at the edge like that you are in IT'S proper power range. From that point on you will have usable power when you dive the kite into the power zone. As the wind increases that power will increase until it is too much to control. At that point your are overpowered.

At 1st 8 - 10mph and the power created by the kite will be as much as you will want to handle. The perfect wind to figure things out without getting yarded around and ruining your good times. Once you get the hang of it you will want ..... no .... NEED to feel more power. Eventually you will be comfortable with this kite in 20 + mph winds and so it will be your " high wind kite ".

Eventually the power produced by your 3m kite won't feel like enough in 8 or so mph winds and you will want ..... no ... NEED a larger " low wind kite " to produce the power that you will SO CRAVE in those lower winds.

With fixed bridles expect to NEED 3 kites at least. A small, med and large kite. Something like 3, 6 , 9 m depending on your size and location.

Wow! Great answers and help from you both! Snowbird....that was a very detailed, educational and extremely helpful post!! All newbeis need such a good description of what is coming!

One more question....are "fixed bridles" when you kook the bridles to a bar??

Thanks again!! :D

Lobo

I think I may have just read a post (flying with brakes) that helped me see that fixed bridle means the kite is set up such that you can not change the angle of attack....is this correct??

Lobo

That is correct except that some"fixed bridle" kites are adjustable at the bridle itself with the kite on the ground. Kites such as the larger Blade IV's and the soon to come out Crossfire II's. Beyond this, I would get out of my knowledge base. I guess one other thing I could say is that the opposite of fixed bridle is depower. Depower allows you to adjust the AOA of the kite while its flying by pulling in or letting out the bar.

Oh, and you can coax the beamer III 3m to fly in about 3 mph but it does require about 5 to be able to move it around the window and hold its position without having to keep the kite moving. You can start to feel some pull at about 6 to the point where you can practice controlling the kite.

Bobby is right; but more to your question, "fixed bridle" does not have to do with what type of control handles you are on. Fixed bridle kites can be flown on common "quad " four line handles like your Beamer or on a control bar, such as what comes with the Beamer TSR. Your coud fly your Beamer III on a bar, if you wanted to.

These control bars are not to be confused with "de-power" rigs that must be flown with a harness. As Bobby implies, de-power is not fixed bridle because the bridle is rigged with pullys that allow the kite to pivot and change angle of attack (and power output) during flight.

Back to wind, the Beufort scale, invented over a century ago, is a useful tool for learning to read the wind...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/BeaufortScale.html

Great info....thanks! I'd seen the Beaufort Scale...but never with the kite info attached.....marvelous!!!

Lobo:singing:

Some say it's a good way to guesstimate the wind if you don't have a anemometer. I always take a few minutes to really get a feel for the wind/weather before i decide which kite I'm going to fly that day.

Well....I wish I had enough to have a hard decision as to which kite to fly.....heh heh.

So far, it's easy.....the NPW5 4.8m with light to moderate winds, and the BeamerIII 3m for moderate to enough to scare my grip into letting go!!

Lobo :singing:

I don't really have a lot! It's pretty much small, medium, or large You got the medium and large all you need is the small! A little 1.8 beamer II would be beautiful in a 12 to 36 mph wind. I don't know bout now but when I got mine last year you could still find a beamer I for under a hundred or a beamer II for $125. Oh and I just seen a PKD Buster 1.4 RTF for under a hundred. $30 cheaper than anyone else.

I'll have to hold off a little for now. I think I'll be getting a buggy soon....so, maybe the wind wil be enough to let the NPW pull me.

Budget.....gotta think budget......somehow...heh heh. If I don't "think" it, I got a feeling "someone" (the sweet wife) might remind me....:wow:

Inland where I am, I have very low to low, more that high winds. It might take a stormy day for me to get less than a 2m up?? Maybe??

Lobo :singing:

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have to wait for a storm to start blowing through before I get to really try out my 3m Beamer.

I have no choice really - it's either the the 3m beamer or the single line delta.

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Originally posted by Dax Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have to wait for a storm to start blowing through before I get to really try out my 3m Beamer. I have no choice really - it's either the the 3m beamer or the single line delta.

Hey Dax....if you have ANY money left, you might want to look at getting the NPW5 4.8m from dlish89. He'll fix you up for a good deal, and that kite will at least fly a little in pretty low winds. I'm like you, after March, I ain't gonna have a lot of these high winds, unless a storm is coming through. So, it's a pleasure to pull out the NPW in easy, light winds. It flies more "sluggish" than the Beamer 3m, but it very pretty to watch and fun to fly.

Here's a video of me flying it on the first day we had any winds enough to even get it in the air. I'm a brand new newbie, so don't look at it for instruction(in other words, I don't know what I'm doing), just entertainment and to know you can fly it soon after you get it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbBhdhR13HY

Lobo :singing:

How much does he want for that kite? I can't buy another one right now, but maybe in a few months. I just spent a lot of money on the wing kit for my airplane.

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Originally posted by Dax How much does he want for that kite? I can't buy another one right now, but maybe in a few months. I just spent a lot of money on the wing kit for my airplane.

Here's his website with an email address.

http://www.dakitez.com/servlet/Service

You'll have to ask him the price, but, I've seen him with them on ebay for $95 plus $5 shipping, ready to fly. I'm sure he'll email you right back, if he isn't at NABX.

What kind of airplane are you building?? Sounds cool. I just recently tried out a powered paraglider. Didn't fly but a few times...needed wheels. Feet for landing gear and a 24 hp motor, with a 4-foot prop, strapped to your back was just a little too much for me long term. I'm old and weaker than that.

Lobo :singing:

I'm building a Van's RV-7 - side-by-side two seater, tail dragger, I'll probably go with an O-320 160hp engine and a fixed pitch prop since it's my first plane. Check out my build log - http://flyingtodhunter.livejournal.com

For $100 I may just have to pick one of those NPW kites up!

Quote:

Originally posted by Dax I'm building a Van's RV-7 - side-by-side two seater, tail dragger, I'll probably go with an O-320 160hp engine and a fixed pitch prop since it's my first plane. Check out my build log - http://flyingtodhunter.livejournal.com For $100 I may just have to pick one of those NPW kites up!

Very neat plane build! That's quite an effort!!! You're gonna enjoy that, I'm sure. Get about three 18 meter(or so) power kites to hook on it in case you run outta fuel sometime, and need a little longer glide path to a safe LZ!

The tatto is something else....but, WHOA....that had to smart!!!:wow:

On the NPW....it's the only size still made by HQ, and you just about couldn't make one with the bridle, all the lines and handles for that price. It's nice when the Beamer doesn't have quite enough winds to fly, but there's still a breeze. Susan, the NPW goddess, will make you any other size, so I understand. I'm sure I'll get another sized one from her eventually. I really, really like the NPW kite....much more than I thought I would. I think it will be an excellent buggy kite?!?

Lobo :singing: