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December 27 2002 by zartosht 

hey everybody
we tried a b2(small training kite)
the winds where strong enough but the only way to keep the thing in the power zone(optimum)was to maneuvre.we tried to keep it still,but it sled untill nearly vertical.
First do you always have to sway it back and forth?
aint there no sweet spot where you can take your eyes from the kite?
second , do four liners(and bigger kites) feel more stable
3rd , what angle should the string make with the ground?(30,45,...)
me and my my partner will appreciate the hell of it
cheers

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December 28 2002 by doomwheels

> we tried to keep it still,but it sled untill nearly vertical.

The nature of any kite is to fly forward to the point of stalling. The more efficient the wing, the better it will fly to the highest point of the wind window (directly overhead or to the sides by 90 degrees to the pilot's downwind line). A kite will fly to this point and then sit still.

> do you always have to sway it back and forth?
> aint there no sweet spot where you can take your eyes from the kite?

If you have a stable kite, it will sit at top center (overhead) without much effort . This is, however, the point that produces the least amount of power. If you want the kite to power-up, you need to keep it flying through the power zone.

Usually a snaking maneuver ("S" turns up and down in the direction you are traveling) is best for maximizing power. This is assuming that you are moving in some manner - buggy, surfing etc. If you are standing in one position and want to power-up, simply fly horizontal passes from side to side (lower passes cause more power).

>do four liners(and bigger kites) feel more stable

Absolutely - slower and more powerful too.
Quad-line foils are more controllable than dual-line kites in that you can control the forward speed and adjust the position of the kite within the wind window to generate more or less power.

>what angle should the string make with the ground?

Depends on the kite style and model. I tune a quad-line foil to stall overhead at about 70-80 degrees from the ground.

BC

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December 27 2002 by zartosht 

do you always need two people to launch the foil kite ?

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December 28 2002 by doomwheels

>do you always need two people to launch the foil kite ?

No. I am not sure which kite you are flying, but any kite should be able to launch solo. Quad-line foils are simple to land and launch alone. Even 2 line foils should launch easily although may require some practice if you are launching after a crash.

Here's a tip... add a ground stake to your gear bag.

When you go out to fly, spread out your kite, unroll the lines to their ends, put the stake in the ground and connect your handles to them. Then go back to the kite, fluff it up and lay it back in a way that the lines are pulled slightly tight and the nose of the kite is open to the air. Be sure that the kite is laying back far enough so that it does not launch on its own. Lastly, return the the stake, disconnect the handles and pull the kite into the air.

This proceedure is mostly for dual-line kites although ground stakes are often pretty handy for quads too.

Check your kite manual for more instructions or perhaps a search for online powerkiting tips. If I find a great one, I'll post it here.

BC