Hi guys and gals, greetings from the uk.

I have just purchased a new pkd buster 3m, took it out for the first time today in winds around 8-12mph but the kite had no lift whatsoever and wouldnt even rise to the zenith, it just kept going to the left and diving down. All the lines are the same length and i struggled to even get it off the ground.
All the lines seem to be right but do i need to do something with the bridles on the kite itself??

I also have a 4.2m and a little 1.2m I bought the buster as i want to get into landboarding and eventually i want to progress into kitesurfing.

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

Sounds to me like your brakes are too tight? But I don't know much. I am sure someone else on here can help you better.

I'd guess that soccerflyer is probably correct. The PKD's that I have played with hate any brake on take off. Make sure that you keep all the tension on the power lines. That being said, I know the Buster has the AoA adjustment on it, have you looked at the setting on that?

Quote:

Originally posted by marlene1979 I have just purchased a new pkd buster 3m, took it out for the first time today in winds around 8-12mph but the kite had no lift whatsoever and wouldnt even rise to the zenith, it just kept going to the left and diving down. All the lines are the same length and i struggled to even get it off the ground. All the lines seem to be right but do i need to do something with the bridles on the kite itself??

the symptoms on take off -- immediate turn -- indicate crossed lines, tbh.

lay out your lines carefully, powers on the inside, brakes on the outside, and any problems here will be clear.

the other possibilties i can think of:

1) contact the previous owner (edit: just re-read after posting... contact pkd directly, they may be able to help you out)

2) check the bridles carefully to make sure everything runs smooth and no lines are caught up around knots, sounds like you have already done this.

3) take your lines off the kite, hook them to a fence post or similar and make sure for sure they are the same length. be careful of making assumptions about your ability to equalize the tension on the powers and the brakes.


after all that, connect everything up again, and get ready to launch, but don't launch right away.

next: make sure both brake bridles work (pull brake, kite sits down on that side) and try to suss out if they are working equally.

then: try to make the kite stand proud of the ground a bit by pulling a bit more on the powers while keeping an eye towards keeping the brakes tight enough to keep the kite on the ground.

if you can get all the power bridles off the ground (that kite will be well-bridled, being german, imho ) and the pressure on the handles seems equal, you should be alble to launch and fly just fine.

sorry if all that was too basic, but work through that sequence and the problem should come up before you launch your kite.

marlene1979,
The buster comes ready to fly, but it might have been set up wrong. What furbowski said is true, check the lines and make sure the top of the handles, at the strop are the power and the bottom at the cleat is the brake line. The brakes are adjustable and should be as the picture shows, both the same length, see brake adjustment http://www.pkdkites.co.uk/pdf/Buster_II-English.pdf
Hope that helps

Cheers guys, I will try out each bit advice when the wind is next right.
P.s not too basic at all furbowski, ive been flying for years but on and off, and ive never set a kite up, the bridle set up seems a bit strange on this kite and i think im going to have to look at this in more depth.

again thanks and i'll keep yhou posted.

:wee:

Oops, meant to edit my previous post (bad spelling) not post again... Just ignore my inability to work a simple forum

Another symptom of tight lines is puckering of the bottom skin. If the lower skin of the kite (facing you) is dimpled outward at the bridle attachment points, the brake lines are too tight and the kite will appear to be sluggish if it climbs at all.

Happens to the best of us maven. :D

Thx Campbell that seems to be the exact problem, but the brake lines are the slackest setting?? Launching with no brake tension at all, the kite just wants to go slowly left, does not climb and i really have to pull hard on the power lines to have just a little effect on direction?

Still, first time out the bag and i wanna get it right as this is going to be my main kite for a while.

Cheers lads.

Almost sounds like maybe your winds weren't enough. You said 8-12. Where are you getting your info? Do you have wind meter or are you just getting it off of weather channel or website?

A lot of times the website I used to check was quite a bit off. Kite may act like you described in the last post if there was not enough wind.

next, make sure the brakes are both set equally but if they are at it slackest setting, it is likely they are.

After that, look at the bridles carefully where they join together at the toggles (where you attach the lines). Is one of the bridle lines wrapped around the end of the bridle? This happens a lot with some kites and will certainly affect trim.

Next make sure nothing is wrapped around funny at the handles. I have stared forever at bridles looking for problems, only to find it right under my nose with a brake line doubled around a knot on the leader at the handle.

Remember if the lines seem slack such that they hang a bit in an arc behind the kite, this can be normal; the weight of the lines and the air drag can create the necessary tension.

if it is low winds, the kite will not sit up while on the ground very well and may not respond well to brake / power input. if the kite responds quickly and easily to brake input and you feel a good pull while checking the powers (all while on the ground) you're likely well powered up and should launch with a bit of a scud.

also in low winds the kite may not inflate well until you fly it about a bit (pkd buster has quite small vents if i remember right)

if you still have a problem check every knot in the bridle, and as AC wisely says, don't forget the handles!

if after a few flights you are still skunked, by all accounts pkd will treat you well if you contact them.

When I flew busters that liked a lot of slack in the brake lines. I would check that first.

Susan (npw goddess)

I have one and its most definitely your angle of attack adjustment...I went through all the possible configurations with that kite and one of those makes the kite act just like you're saying....especially if one is adjusted differently from the other.....

so the bridal has five knots connecting the front bridal to the middle. if the top one is #1 then the bottom is #5....so mine is set so the larks head from the powerline is around the 2 and 3 (pinch them together) knots and it flies perfectly...

good luck
DQ

I also had knots 2 and 3 connected to the power lines and it flew great.

Susan (npw goddess)

The problem with the 3m buster is that they really don't like winds under 15 mph - the only way to keep them off the ground in the lower winds is by flying the kite horizontally. On takeoff the kite will rarely want to go straight up - you need to pull down on the handles as hard as you can and then once the kite pops off the ground turn it to either side and then straighten it out to keep it horizontal. Once you get it in winds above 15mph it will respond much better, but be careful, that kite can deliver a punch when it wants and not warn you in advance of what it is going to do - I've been thrown pretty violently by one of these from a modest gust in 20mph winds. If I were you I would find a used 3m kite to train with that is more reliable - a beamer or a pansh legend.

I would agree with the angle of attack adjustment. If the left one is set closer to the kite, it will always pull to the left.

On another note, what an awesome little kite the Buster2 3m is.