I am just starting out with my Access2 8m and find that in stronger winds (20mph) when I bring it up to the top of the wind window I always send the kite past the zenith over my head.

I don't have the problem with my fixed bridle kites so I must be depowering the kite too much or something. Any hints? Any bridle adjustments?

Canuck -

I've not flown and Access II, but I'll try to help. In stronger winds, your kite will zoom to the zenith faster. The momenum of the kite will let it shoot past the zenith. The angle of attack the kite has to the apparent wind then lowers, the kite slows, and the kite loses some lift and drifts back into the window and settles down; or it collapses, drops way back and maybe recovers and explodes into action again.

I thought the Access II was supposed to have a pretty reflexed foil to keep it autostable. When yours overflies the zenith in high winds, does it settle back down quickly? My PL GII is very autostable in high, gusty winds. If it overshoots, it comes right back, and "hunts" around the zenith.

Two things I'd try: try to anticipate the overshoot and power up the bar slightly to slow the kite in advance. Also try letting the depower strap out (increase angle of attack) a bit more and see if that takes care of it. The kite may pull a bit harder downwind and be slower, but shouldn't tend to fly as high.

Hopefully someone who flies your kite will respond.

krumly

You had mentioned on another forum that you were flying primarily unhooked and merely using the trimmer to adjust the power. That is worth mentioning.

when the trimmer is all the way out and the bar is sheeted in, is there any slack in the rear lines? can you get the kite to backstall at all?

i'm trying to establish if the steering lines could be shortened an inch or so without backstalling the kite. more tension on the back lines would alter the mixer to keep the kite more inside the window.