Chief
02-28-2008, 06:54 PM
We were up at West Port Washington last week and got some power kiting in on the beach at low tide. There was a well-placed driftwood log to anchor to, and good thing, as the wind was brisk...a good steady 15 knots with gusts to 20 or so. 500 pound test line was the order of the day, and the sled was the kite of choice...
It was brisk, but not unpleasantly cold...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010017.jpg
This is the sled with a 100 foot long tail and one line guy...they attach to the flying line with a small aluminum carabiner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010023_edited.jpg
And here's a 12' long, 16" diameter spinner drogue on the same sled. You can really see how the wind inflates the kite into the airfoil shape that makes it such a powerful lifter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010016_edited.jpg
The nice thing about the sleds is that in a gust they go higher, as opposed to further away at the same height. The sleds need a good tail to keep them tracking straight into the wind, and they will support a pretty long, heavy tail in the right wind. I've had this kite with the 100' tail in the middle, and a 50' tail on each end and it still wanted to fly straight up...
They are powerful lifters, and with 500 pound test line, some of them are capable of picking you up (briefly) and dropping you (very suddenly and in homage to the Laws of gravity). Some of the REALLY big sleds need 1000' Test line and multiple, very secure aground anchors in order to fly them.
These are not toys, and this is what the heavy-duty anchor is for in the schoolyard flys...
;)
It was brisk, but not unpleasantly cold...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010017.jpg
This is the sled with a 100 foot long tail and one line guy...they attach to the flying line with a small aluminum carabiner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010023_edited.jpg
And here's a 12' long, 16" diameter spinner drogue on the same sled. You can really see how the wind inflates the kite into the airfoil shape that makes it such a powerful lifter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/SeniorChieftain/KITING/P1010016_edited.jpg
The nice thing about the sleds is that in a gust they go higher, as opposed to further away at the same height. The sleds need a good tail to keep them tracking straight into the wind, and they will support a pretty long, heavy tail in the right wind. I've had this kite with the 100' tail in the middle, and a 50' tail on each end and it still wanted to fly straight up...
They are powerful lifters, and with 500 pound test line, some of them are capable of picking you up (briefly) and dropping you (very suddenly and in homage to the Laws of gravity). Some of the REALLY big sleds need 1000' Test line and multiple, very secure aground anchors in order to fly them.
These are not toys, and this is what the heavy-duty anchor is for in the schoolyard flys...
;)