Hi all,

...long time reader, first time poster.

My son and I have been flying traction kites for several years now - either 2-line on bars, or 4-line, fixed bridal, on handles. I'm getting old, and it's getting tiring to landboard, and in general fly, on handles. I windsurf, so I'm used to hooking in to take the power, so I thought a bar would solve the issue.

Anyway, I picked up a windsurfing control bar, not really thinking about the fixed bridal aspect - just focused on the chicken loop and hooking in. Upon thinking about rigging, I soon found a problem with this setup since the power lines would be in the middle to use the chicken loop, and you could only fly with the brakes which doesn't seem like it will work on a fixed bridal - didn't try it.

QUESTION:

- Can I "convert" this bar to better work with my traction kites - mostly fly Pansh of various sizes

I have looked at an Ozone Turbo Bar and the like, and maybe I can adapter this bar.

Any input would be welcome, thanks in advance

Here's what I have:

looks like you got yourself a depower bar, do you have any depower kites?

here is a thread from awhile ago when someone else built their own turbo bar out of a depower bar: http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=11850

Quote:

and you could only fly with the brakes which doesn't seem like it will work on a fixed bridal - didn't try it.

I have and it didn't! The kite tended to stall and spin every time I went to turn it. I made a turbo bar out of some dowel and pulleys just by guesstimating dimensions from looking at a pic of the Ozone turbo bar. It worked a treat (looked like crap) so I went ahead and bought a proper one, so you could certainly do that - just add appropriate pulleys and assorted spectra/amsteel/poly double braid - whichever you have handy.

However, I would also warn you that not all kites steer well with the turbo bar either. I think there's a recent thread on this forum on just which kites like/dislike the turbo bar...

If you are already confident with four line power kites on handles, you can connect a strop between the handles. That way you still get to use the handles that you are familiar with, while also hooking in. That is how I fly most often when I am not flying a depower kite. I rarely fly kites without my harness on anymore. Call me spoiled, but I prefer to be able to fly for more than 20 minutes at a time and spare the blisters.

Thank you for your input.

After doing some research, I guess I have the following options:

1) Modify to be similar to Ozone Turbo Bar - seems a bit much adding pulleys and lines, but doable.

2) Modify to emulate FlexiFoil Traction Extreme Bar - which seems far easier. Fix the chicken loop and use a wrist strap for the brakes on the pull through

3) Add a line to my handles, and maybe add a pulley on my hook for less friction - already have lines from my windsurfer, so that one is easy

New Questions:

1) What's the difference between the FlexiFoil Extreme Bar and the Ozone Turbo Bar

2) If I add a pulley to my hook, is there any "quick-release" tackle out there that I can use between the my hook and pulley?


Thanks again

Quote:

) What's the difference between the FlexiFoil Extreme Bar and the Ozone Turbo Bar

The Flexifoil has both brake lines through the center of the bar. Steering is with the front lines only. This can make some kite very sluggish to turn. And you can't take the strain on the harness unless you either put some sort of quick release from bar arrangement on the chicken loop, or put a trapeze loop on the bar. (I would not trust fixing the chicken loop to the bar and having all the force on the outside of the bar - I think you'd break the bar).

Turbo bar has power lines to the center - so you can hook in and take all the pressure on the harness - but while it uses brake lines to steer, it shares about 60% or thereabouts, of the effort with the power lines.

Some videos: Home made turbo bar

A video on the Ozone Turbo Bar

Fixed bridle kite on a depower bar v ozone turbo bar