some experimental stuff..
using a tubekite in "paraglider mode".
full AoA control via brakes - it is very easy to control pitch.
downsinde: strong roll moment - hard to keep it overhead.
very sensitive to weight-shift trough harness.
the ozone zephyr can be kept floating in as little as 3-5 knots.
(warning: this is just to show that tubekites *might* be an interesting option for paragliding in very smooth coastal winds. i would strongly
discourage to try similar things in the mountains / gusty inland wind with intermixed thermals)
of course, if that idea ever might turn into a "commercial" product, there should be a redundant setup with two tubes or several disconnected tube
compartements along the leading edge.
i would guess that a slow pressure drop is not that worse, it might give you enough time to land.
1. struts are not important for the profile - hence, if a bladder in the struts leaks, it doesnt matter.
2. leading edge bladder leakage might be worse, because span-wise forces established by the tube are probably important .
here, the idea could be to have the leading edge splittet into maybe 5 compartements in such a way, that if one of these bladders leaks the whole
thing can still fly reasonably to make a proper landing.
at the end, you could ask the same question to a hang glider pilot: what happens if your leading edge aluminum-pipe breaks during flight ? should
never happen (do a proper pre-flight check!) !!
Its kind of already been done before. Different circumstances for sure but better results. Pretty sure there are some vids of a modified Flysurfer
floating around too where a guy starts with his board on a sand dune and floats / rides down to the water where he surfs, paraglides away.
Depower Quiver: 14m Gin Eskimo, 10m Gin Eskimo III, 6m Gin Yeti, 4.5m Gin Yeti (custom bridle and mixer)
Fixed Bridle Quiver: MAC Bego 400, JOJO ET Instinct 2.5 & 5.5, Lil Devil 1.5, Sting 1.2
Rides: Ground Industries
Pretty sure there are some vids of a modified Flysurfer floating around too where a guy starts with his board on a sand dune and floats / rides down
to the water where he surfs, paraglides away.
ATB,
Sam
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 - Jesus, does anyone?" - The Body by Stephen King
yes, i know all of these videos. the (small) difference is the line lengths ! i use a modified bridle , just 5 meters from person to leading edge.
that way its more like the setup of a paraglider and close to what sylvain does with his flysurver: that very cool cross-over
dune-flying+sandboarding+kiteboarding.
i just wanted to know if a tubekite works in "forward-glide" aka paragliding mode with short lines + modified bridle.
sadly, the day i made these mini-glides on the cliff at coast of denmark, the wind was weak and not perpendicular to the front. otherwise i *might*
have tried a short soaring session. unfortunately i am there only once a year, so further testing is on ice.
here, thats the coolest and most inspirational video from sylvain:
p.s. behaviour of flysurfer kites with closed cells can get dangerous in turbulent wind situations. if one side of the gldier collapses, it cannot
deflate, forming a solid wall inducing a strong momentum, immediately putting the flysurfer into a spiral dive with strong g-forces. therefore,
sylvain only does this in those fantastic, smooth coastal winds.
with a tubekite, a collapse is less likely, even in turbulent air. yet, it is completely unknown, how a tubekite / "tubeglider" behaves in strong
turbulent air. thats what i would like to know (but certainly never will test by myself)..
likely to cross wind gradients if really high, definitely sketchy. tubes would certainly work but high load distribution would worry me. the canopy
just split open
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