So I have been playing around with line length lately, and think it would be a good topic for discussion and knowledge sharing.

The general rules of thumb are that you want shorter lines for maneuveability and operating in tight spaces. However you want longer lines to "catch" the wind and give a longer power stroke particularly when you have low & gusty winds.

I have been badly skunked by wind this summer [seldom more than 10mph] but just got a wing for that range [8.6 m ReactorII, thanks BeamerBob :singing:]. Due to my Jones I will concede that I am probably still trying to fly in too little wind but I think that the theory should still hold.

My first line attempt was with 15m because my field was a little crowded and I wanted good control. Miserable failure, only later did the scientist in me kick in and realize that it is tough to down turn a 9m kite when the max distance it can be off the ground [and you are not turning at apex] is 15m [I need a Homer DOH face here :tumble:]
My second attempt was 28m lines [the soccer tournament had let out and I now had more room to roam], then I found that the RII is much more sensitive to brake input [than the Viper & Hornet] and this lineset had stretched on the drive side by almost a foot [DOH ]. Call it a day.
Third attempt is on 20 m lines. Can't keep the kite going for any period of time and kept flying off the edge of the window [at the end of the day I found that this set also was off drive to brake by c. 6", I need to be more watchfull of the length with these cheap lines].
Fourth attempt I combine my 20m and 15m lines [tons of room at this field in the middle of the afternoon :singing:]. Great power stroke and movement in the wind but I do not have sufficient control for the size of my space so I got some good straight line passes but could not downturn the kite fast enough to reverse course without stopping and resetting [and not enough power/ room in the window for an upturn].

What does the collective think on the subject of what line length [other than equal ] to use when and where?

Type "line length" into the search engine for a ton of info.