quick question... is there any difference between a depower kite and a kite such as the rush 3 pro with the third line brake line? if so what is the difference? or is the rush pro considered a depower? thanks for any help i get.

-chris

The difference is as wide as apples and oranges.

The Rush 3 Pro is a fixed bridled kite that has been designed to fly on 3 lines and a bar. The overall controls for left and right are basically the same as the depowers, but that is about as close as you can get. Similar to saying apples and oranges are both fruit.

Depower kites should probably be called active adjustable bridle kites - this may help distinguish between depower and fixed bridle. Basically, fixed bridle kites have a fixed bridle, meaning that the bridle is pre-set at its optimum performance and power level from the factory and is not adjustable. It is fixed at one setting. To change that setting requires one to go to the kite and physically change how the bridle is attached to the canopy. Once the change is done, the bridle is again fixed in one permanent position.

Depowerable kites are quite different in that the bridle is fully changeable during flight. This is normally done through the sliding of the bar on the center "chicken" line. By sliding the bar either in towards you or away from you, you actively change the configuration and curvature of the canopy through the active bridle. This is usually accomplished with a network of pulleys and lines. When you power up the kite, you basically increase the overall curvature of the sail to "cup" more wind. When you depower the kite, you flatten out the overall curvature of the sail to dump wind.

This can not be done on a fixed bridle kite.

Hope that helps clear up the difference for you.

Great explanation. Thank your for your response. definitely cleared up the difference. Thanks!

I needed that too.....Thanks ! Now not to be to picky but could we go a little further and explain the advantages of Depower over FB.

To be very simple the advantage of a depower is exactly as you would expect. You can meter more or less power on the fly. I am not the resident expert but that is generally the idea. Someone much more well versed will give a more though response.

While we are at it (hijack alert!!) can someone please explain about when you trim a depower what we are trimming for??? What am I suppose to look for to know the kite is "trimmed correctly"? Not overshooting? Power? Speed? I just don't know what to look for.

Because pictures are always a good thing.

Trimming the Kite – What Does the Trim Strap Do?

ATB,
Sam

The advantages are hard to describe . It's not so much what are the advantages but how it is different. I would write too much .

Trim . I launch mostly depowered . When I trim out , I try and set it so the kite will stall but not quite back down with bar full in.

Trimmed correctly means the kite delivers little power with the bar up and nice useable (so not too much or too little) power with the bar down. With the trim you adjust the length of the center lines. On a windy day you put them short, in low winds you make them long. Technically a depower kite can work perfectly without a trim. In low winds it would work, since then you can pull the bar a decent length towards you. Only, in heavy winds you'd have to shift the bar between far and very far away from you, and human arms are just not that long. By shortening the power lines, the length the bar needs to move back and forth over, is brought towards you, while also limiting the maximum you can pull the bar in. That way you can also not accidentally pull the bar too close towards you, which would result in mad power.

Things like overshooting are a byproduct of the power system. Low power also means low drag, so a kite can overfly you with the bar up. That's why on high performance depowerss, when the kite is speeding from powerzone towards the edge of the wind, you pull the bar towards you a bit. That way you increase drag, preventing the depower to fly out of the window.

edit - should have known someone would post a link while i was typing all this :P

The advantages to depower, for me 1) ability to absorb a gust much better then FB kites simply by pushing the bar out 2) ability to add a bit more power when you needed by pulling the bar in 3) way easier to jump with.

As far as trim straps, once set for the conditions I don't really touch mine but if a big gust come along and I'm suddenly going faster then I want to be or I'm being pulled more laterally then I want then I reach up, pull some trim in and that works great to shed speed / pull. But the trimmer is used mostly for setting the conditions for the day and then the bar is used to fine tune the kite as you are moving.

I launch mostly trimmed and then let out enough trim so the kite is flying well, not stalling and turns fast for the conditions.