I wanted to open up a thread to talk about the Scorpion. I fly my 16m as a one kite quiver, and should be able to help out with people who are having issues.

Launching: I launch downwind in the normal foil type launch. Once the kite has filled up enough, I pull the downwind wing tip around so the kite sits in a C shape facing me, then pull in on the power lines to get it up. I've noticed that if the kite isn't filled all the way and won't zenith, pumping on the power lines can help inflate it and get it up in the air.

Landing: Something I'm still trying to figure out. I have yet to land it solo, other then when a friend had connected it to his ice screw, so I grabbed one of the front lines and walked to the kite to bring it down. Otherwise, I do the normal outside of the window and have a friend catch it method.

My bar is a custom bar made by leebrianh, made from a Flysurfer bar and Best lines. I love it, as I came from FSers before the Arc.

I love this kite, just wish it had a better low end!

So, for those interested, ask away!

What do find is the wind range for it on land?

So you're saying that the best method to launch it, is to hot launch it? Instead of the method that PL shows in their vid, where they let the arc fly to the edge of the window near the ground and then up the edge to zenith?

Quote:

Originally posted by Maven454 So you're saying that the best method to launch it, is to hot launch it? Instead of the method that PL shows in their vid, where they let the arc fly to the edge of the window near the ground and then up the edge to zenith?

Exactly. Side launches were to tough, if I had to much sand on it, it was a no go, it flipped, etc. Hot launches work more or less the same way they do with FS, they aren't entirely inflated so you don't get thrown when you hot launch it.

Wind range for land is around 12mph - 25mph, at 150 pounds. It starts getting rough when it starts picking up, but the de-power has been enough to keep me confident with it.

Scorpion thread eh? I like the sound of this. I'm hoping to pick up a 10m scorpion and a 12m synergy before spring hits.

the one thing that I notice with the Scorpion range is any problems that there might be - they increase as sizes get smaller. I rarely have any launch issue with my 16 launching it in a straight forward traditional arc launch. Friends that have 13's that I've helped have more issues and often it's the vents jammed closed after sitting packed for a while (ports are on the correct side of the internal braid). Then my 10 had similar issues until used more but it does have some days of bad launches when we get the real gusty wind days. And then another friend with a seven has a few questions.
I think part of it is with any higher aspect kite and a kite made for speed the design needs some instability which gives it all the characteristics to drive further forward, turn faster etc. Like race foils they needs a specific handling skill or they can be frustrating. Full bridled foils help establish a soft wing in it's proper orientation. A twinskin looks simple but there are a lot more things that need to work in synergy for the kite to fly properly. Imagine the cross braid sewn 1-2 mm off on cells - over the wingspan under load that would make enough difference in tension to cause a slight twist in the skin and make a kite edge one way of the other. Intake ports that might not be the exact size or position etc etc.
All of those things compound in the small kites that are faster to begin with and then you fly them in high wind so all the bad things that can happen on a launch get magnified.
This last weekend out on the lake in high gusty winds the 13 was prefilled as much as it would hold but when the zip is done up the winter winds always seem to push a little air out of the kite so when it launches and intake ports are stuck the kite sits about 10 feet off the ground and despite a good wind it will sit there and absolutely no air will go in and gradually you see air pushed out as the sits flat to the wind like a bedsheet. Tug the front lines to get it to climb and in an instant with the soft leading edge it will drop and right away bowtie. So checking intake ports, massaging the nylon etc so you can see daylight down them will also help if some people have that experience.

I also find line length makes a big difference in high gusty winds and smaller sizes - don't use long lines it just makes the kites way too bouncy. Get them running fast on shorter lines and it all smooths out.

Here's a photo from a trip last fall

Can't wait till I get mine :wee:

@barnes-Do you fly clean beach winds or gusty inland?

Ive been flying my 16 for a little less than a year, and im still not to sure how to tune it in properly. Typically Ill set the straps to about centered (all 3) and on the rear lines Ill connect them to the bottom knot(stock, no pigtales), with the vpc on the next knot. I feel like I can get more of a wind range out it if I had a better grasp on which setting was better for high and low.

anyone want to share some basic knowledge on how they set theirs up?

What wind speed is needed in order for a 16 meter to auto-zenith properly. The way I've been understanding it is that it won't Auto-Zenith if the wind is to low but one can still get it flying. Is this right???

start flying 5 Knots, starts going in about 8-10 Knots

i found that auto starts at 8-9 Knots

Shaggs, your Scorp has auto-zenithed in 8mph. Granted it was slow in the process, but it went up. It also has rear pigtail extensions. play with those, and find your comfort zone.
Take good care of her for me.

"Feels like a father after the wedding!"

my experience from the 7er scorpion: the lower the wind, the more the kite swings from one side to the other, but still finds its way back to the zenit.
look at 2:15 min - very low wind for a 7sqm scorp (7 - 11 knots)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7EBwSDB5mg

barnes, you ever going to correct the title of this thread to Scorp instead of Scrop?

i didnt even notice!!!

note to self get eyes checked!!!! lol

Oh, I thought a "scrop" was a strop connected to something else nearby instead of a harness hook. :wink2:

Hey Barnes sent you a U2U

Quote:

Originally posted by csa_deadon Shaggs, your Scorp has auto-zenithed in 8mph. Granted it was slow in the process, but it went up. It also has rear pigtail extensions. play with those, and find your comfort zone. Take good care of her for me. "Feels like a father after the wedding!"

Don't worry man I am totally gonna baby this kite. Looking forward to the extra trim settings to understand the fine tuning on an arc. Can't wait to get her in the sky, and we are gonna get a break from our super deep freeze so even better when the wind starts blowing. No need for 10 shirts till it drops down again.

Totally missed the typo, my bad.

Power, for the most part I find myself with clean winds, Wildwood NJ, Sandy Pond in NY, etc. Though I have flown inland in some nasty gusty winds. Not sure of the wind speeds there, but it ate up the gusts really well. (better then FS, thats for sure.)