Tried launching my new to me Venom2 19 today...... Local NDBC here in Port Aransas said 9 knots.... Thought that should be perfect for a trial run...

Rolled out the kite, put the sticks in. Set all internal straps to loose. Opened the inflate zip and let it fill while I fiddled with the lines... Checked, rechecked, held the inflate zip open for a while to get it filled better.... Decided it was as good as its gonna get... Hook the CL to my harness, pull the depower strap all the way, walk backwards holding on to the downwind front line to help it up....

Kite kind of takes a c shape, but just sits there. I move backwards to help it up, tip falls over and it gives me a roll and bowties.... AARGGGGG!!!!!!!

Reset up, after some line tangles and crosses and get ready to go again....

Same thing, starts to take shape, then rolls over on the leading edge....Tug on the back lines to try to reverse launch, it flattens out and rolls into a ball..........................

I'm thinkin not enough wind????

Am I a complete moron????

I've never flown a kite thats big enough to block out the sun for a whole state, but how hard can it be........

Any thoughts, suggestions.. Am I missing something in my efforts...

I've watched every launch, flying video a hundred times..

Success is the only option, as I have a new synergy 12 coming next week....

u2u sent

Not full enough is my first guess. And did you close the deflate zip? :D my first attempt to fly the Phantom sounded like yours and I'd left that bugger open.
I've had the 19m Syn up in wind like that and as full as I got it (lots of standing around holding the zip up into the wind) it was still a bit iffy for the first launch. More wind is always easier.

Always be prepared to yank the center lines to get the kite moving. That can be the line between pass and fail :D

Check your bar setup too ... the arcFAQ is the place to start.

Day one : solo frustration, bow ties - you've been arcumsized!

"a whole state" ...!

I agree with Kami on the center line tug, but I've never fully depowered an arc at launch. Maybe a quarter to half for me. An arc can't resist a tug on the center lines though. Also, by "as good as it's gonna get" do you mean fairly tight skin and not less than 90-95% full? Less than that will compromise your launch.

I held the zip open for quite a while, straightening out and trying to fluff up the kite.. It looked like a big air mattress.. The only part that wasn't full was the upwind edge w/ sand on it...

At one point I had it on its trailing edge hot launch style, pulled the center lines and it just rolled over and died.......

I appreciate all your help and comments !!

Now it sounds like not enough wind.

arcumsized, ROFL

borntofli, had you seen my first attempts this week on a V19, you would have been rolling in the grass. Same deal, I couldn't have written it better.

I found it needs to be filled pretty good or you need some real wind. Also, the back lines had to be loose while trying to launch in low wind. IMO.

I never got it to launch like the videos. Always fumbled around and watched it make all sorts of shapes like the animal balloons.

When it did launch, it was from sitting on the trailing edge. I'd get it going up, grab the center lines and pull and pull. Then pull the bar at the same time on one side making it go across the window and then the other way keeping it moving was key.

If you can get it up in light wind and keep it moving until it fills completely, it is a thing of joy.

Like me, you probably want to learn it in really light wind. I flew in some heavy gust and its got some power. Put me on my butt once already.

My fear was the rear lines would be too tight and it wouldn't depower enough and whip the crap out of me. I've had hours of fooling around with this kite on the ground. But it's starting to come together now.

I've even considered duct taping up the end of the spar pockets because of all the tumbles.

I flew it inverted also by mistake, and after a flip if I'm not mistaken it made the turning opposite. How? I haven't figured.

My suggestion, have help and something to fill it up good. With out help with the first few attempts, I would have taken a shotgun to it.

Good advice so far...the only thing I can recommend that has not been mentioned, would be to also weigh the trailing edge with sand or some bottle with sand (if not launching on the beach or lake with sand) on 3 parts of the kite....about two cells downwind of the upwind zipper, in the middle and two cells in front of the downwind zipper. That should keep the kite still while the downwind tip goes up and takes shape. The amount of sand will depend on the wind...in 16-18mph I use about two good handfuls...more near the upwind zipper and in the middle...a little less near the downwind zipper.

Good luck and I hope this helps!!!

Full is a relative term In marginal wind, what I do is when I think it's full, I fill it for another 5 minutes more :D

Sounds like the forecast may have been borked ... 9 knots should just be enough to get the 19 up and moving!
You can also launch a little further upwind of the kite ... more of a hot launch than 45' to the wind - but that has the potential to be dangerous so be careful.
In light winds, I do something like this ... when the downwind tip is up and caught the wind, walk backward slowly to take the slack out of the upwind tips lines, balancing the kite with the bar. Once the upwind tip is nearly off the ground, then you can grab and apply pressure to the front lines via the trim strap line.
In better wind, you can tickle up the downwind tip then basically it just takes off by itself

Is possible the center strap was too loose and you were losing the wind - did you try it halfway in?

Id have to bet on beamerbobs comment about not trying to launch all the way depowered (strap pulled all the way in) I made this same mistake when i started flying my larger kite mostly because i was scared of how big it looked. In lower winds it just plain wont do anything all the way depowered.

Quote:

Originally posted by borntofli At one point I had it on its trailing edge hot launch style, pulled the center lines and it just rolled over and died.......

Sounds a LOT like too little wind to me !

a tale tell sign if the kite is filled enough ...the down wind zip has to be lifted and supported. if it sags in at all it ain't ready

The up wind cell with "pl" on it needs to be visible with some fill, intake zip needs to be SELF SUPPORTING when open as cells are pressurized.

keep moving up wind with solid control of front lines pulsing tugs , esp if its light air.

Yup - adding my vote to the not enough wind and the center line tugs but it's not just a ynak and let go - you gotta tug and hold for a bit then let it back out at a rate determined by your judgement because chances are you'll need another tug or two. Once you get it semi controllable on the bar you can start swinging it left and right to get those air intakes moving through the air gulping up wind. It'll be flying maybe 20-30 degrees off the ground by this point and seemingly not wanting to go any higher.

A better prefill will prevent much of this but you can still launch semi-filled. I'd bet I've launched both the Venoms and the Phantom 70% filled - you just have to really take an active roll on the centerlines while making sure the rear tips don't clap or swing in and bowtie you. If you see them going into each other, drop the center lines and pull on the bar, then back to the center lines again.

Just stick with it... I hated my ARC's the first few times I tried to launch them...now they go up nice and smooth everytime. They take a little bit to get used to (and a cordless leaf blower for full inflation until I learned what I was doing helped as well)

Feyd recommended this http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-CS100-Cordless-Electric/d...

for launching in low wind. does the trick quite well...

Kam said "more of a hot launch than 45' to the wind" but i found this made launching even harder as the downwind tip would come up and just sort of slide along the kite as i walked back and eventually tacoed

I'm used to open cells where you can launch the damn thing at pretty much any angle you stand in relation to your kite. but with the Charger i found it important to really stand at the recommended 45 degree angle. when the downwind tip comes up it sort of forms a little pocket to catch more air and pull it into the air faster