18 replies to this topic

[Crawf]

Hi folks,

I took out my Blast yesterday first flight in a few weeks and it was great right up until a freak gust snapped my SLE . I was very surprised how well the kite backed down to the ground even though it was virtually folded in half!!

Thankfully there was zero damage to the sail and only the middle section of the LE needs replacing. I was pretty surprised when it snapped really because i have flown it much higher winds than i had last night and have been dragged far more than i was when it happened. It was a freak gust though so maybe the sudden force did the damage.

I have spoken to the shop i order my gear through and I'm toying with the idea of getting a 4wrap SLE. I was wondering if someone can give me their opinions on 3 versus 4 wrap in gusty conditions.

I did read a previous post which said that the kite will bend slighty more when it's getting worked "too hard" And though the blast was bending last night it was certainly no more than normal. Any opinions would be great.

Cheers

[big bri]

Hi folks,

I took out my Blast yesterday first flight in a few weeks and it was great right up until a freak gust snapped my SLE . I was very surprised how well the kite backed down to the ground even though it was virtually folded in half!!

Thankfully there was zero damage to the sail and only the middle section of the LE needs replacing. I was pretty surprised when it snapped really because i have flown it much higher winds than i had last night and have been dragged far more than i was when it happened. It was a freak gust though so maybe the sudden force did the damage.

I have spoken to the shop i order my gear through and I'm toying with the idea of getting a 4wrap SLE. I was wondering if someone can give me their opinions on 3 versus 4 wrap in gusty conditions.

I did read a previous post which said that the kite will bend slighty more when it's getting worked "too hard" And though the blast was bending last night it was certainly no more than normal. Any opinions would be great.

Cheers

Hello mate,bad luck with the spar,good luck it didnt damage the sail.

Kent[Awindofchange]and Jonesey are fellows that fly a Blast regular.May be worth a word with them.

BRIAN...

[AldenMiler]

Sorry to hear about your LE.

When mine snapped it went through the LE fabric.

Thankfully Lolly took care of it and I haven't had a repeat of that problem.

-Alden

[Sailor99]

When mine snapped it went through the LE fabric.

Same thing happened to me on my sonic. It was particularly galling given I had only owned the kite for 5 minutes and the wind was moderate. I am sure you don't feel it Crawf, but you probably got off lightly.

[RevWizard]

When I read the description of how the LE broke, it sure appears that the rod was damaged in some way before flight.
I've had the same happen before. Flew well before, in much stronger winds and then it snapped in a mild wind. Usually when a undamaged rod snaps due to too much stress, it will break into several pieces and you will hear it break as it sounds like a gun going off. When the rod breaks straight across at only one point, it is most likely previous damage. When a rod splits at the end then this is usually the result of the ferrule not being inserted properly into the rod.

[MrDenny]

Usually when a undamaged rod snaps due to too much stress, it will break into several pieces and you will hear it break as it sounds like a gun going off.

So true! When it happen to me the first time I thought someone shot my kite. It was bang then the kite folded in half and fluttered to the ground. I remember thinking "who would want to shoot a kite?" I was relieved to find out it was just a rod in three pieces.

[Crawf]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the posts, I was thinking/ hoping the same thing, that either the leading edge wasn't installed correctly and just cracked at the ferrule. Or there was slight damage already which lead to the snap. Either was i got off lightly with no other damage!!.

It certainly didn't go off like a gun shot so it looks like it's my own fault. On the upside i know that it can handle the strong winds no worries and it' didn't wreck my kite!!

I'm still thinking a 4wrap SLE would be a good addition to my arsenal for those hard to handle days and extra peace of mind!

Thanks again for all the posts and "Moral" support

[steve_hobart]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the posts, I was thinking/ hoping the same thing, that either the leading edge wasn't installed correctly and just cracked at the ferrule. Or there was slight damage already which lead to the snap. Either was i got off lightly with no other damage!!.

It certainly didn't go off like a gun shot so it looks like it's my own fault. On the upside i know that it can handle the strong winds no worries and it' didn't wreck my kite!!

I'm still thinking a 4wrap SLE would be a good addition to my arsenal for those hard to handle days and extra peace of mind!

Thanks again for all the posts and "Moral" support

Wow bad luck. Glad your sail didn't get damaged.

Boy, I regularly fly my Blast in high winds and it gets plenty of flex ! - maybe I have been getting too close to the limits of the kite !!

Hey I notice that you are in Tasmania also ! I'll send you a PM maybe we can catch up for a fly!

cheers

steve (in Hobart).

[Jonesey]

Wow bad luck. Glad your sail didn't get damaged.

Boy, I regularly fly my Blast in high winds and it gets plenty of flex ! - maybe I have been getting too close to the limits of the kite !!

Hey I notice that you are in Tasmania also ! I'll send you a PM maybe we can catch up for a fly!

cheers

steve (in Hobart).

And now we can all look back and remember the day the legendary 'Tasmanian Devil Blast display team' came into existence.....

[steve_hobart]

And now we can all look back and remember the day the legendary 'Tasmanian Devil Blast display team' came into existence.....

:-)

just keep the expectations down!!!!!!!!!
With my ability on the Blast I have every chance of causing serious injury to my Blast flying partner!!!!!!!!!

:-)

[ian4c]

Hi folks,

I took out my Blast yesterday first flight in a few weeks and it was great right up until a freak gust snapped my SLE . I was very surprised how well the kite backed down to the ground even though it was virtually folded in half!!

Thankfully there was zero damage to the sail and only the middle section of the LE needs replacing. I was pretty surprised when it snapped really because i have flown it much higher winds than i had last night and have been dragged far more than i was when it happened. It was a freak gust though so maybe the sudden force did the damage.

I have spoken to the shop i order my gear through and I'm toying with the idea of getting a 4wrap SLE. I was wondering if someone can give me their opinions on 3 versus 4 wrap in gusty conditions.

I did read a previous post which said that the kite will bend slighty more when it's getting worked "too hard" And though the blast was bending last night it was certainly no more than normal. Any opinions would be great.

Cheers

Sorry to hear about your Blast LE. However an interesting post Crawf

I have been surprised how much bend there is on the leading edge. Even in quite light winds up to 3-5 mph I'm thinking that the LE is going to snap.

I attach a couple of pictures showing my Blast bending quite a lot. At times it's more than shown. You can see that the wind is not that strong.
I have used the Blast with my Flexifoil Buggy. It pulls well and, but for the inability of the Blast to launch inverted on sand it would be a great traction unit.

Ian

[steve_hobart]

"....and now for the 9 oclock news....

....today 2 kite flyers in Tasmania were found dead on a flying field.

.......Police suspect foul play, as witenesses saw two rougue Revolution Blasts leaving the scene together.....

.....Police would like to interview the two Blasts ...as they are considered kites of interest.....

..the public is warned that if they see the two Blasts not to approach them, as they are considered dangerous.........."

[Theresa]

"....and now for the 9 oclock news....

....today 2 kite flyers in Tasmania were found dead on a flying field.

.......Police suspect foul play, as witenesses saw two rougue Revolution Blasts leaving the scene together.....

.....Police would like to interview the two Blasts ...as they are considered kites of interest.....

..the public is warned that if they see the two Blasts not to approach them, as they are considered dangerous.........."

LOL!!!

[Crawf]

Thanks for the replies folks,

I remembered a brand spanking new spare spar that i had stashed in the cupboard and so I managed to get the blast up and about again on the w/e but alas snapola once again!! the wind was even lighter this time and unlike last time I checked and double checked the ferules were fully inserted!!

This time the spar went off like a shotgun and rather than splitting up the spar it snapped straight across about 10cm (4 inches) from where it joins the RH spar. I grumbled and swore and questioned the wind strength but this one almost certainly must be down to a predamaged spar.....must be........right??

Could it be anything else?? A bridle setting that's slipped?? pigtails need adjusting??? All other things i would assume would just make the kite fly all crappy rather than snap?

And the wind has been great since too

Thanks again!!

Crawf

[awindofchange]

Crawf,

Something is not right with your kite. If you are positive you are not slapping it on the ground or have damaged the spar in any way previously then there is absolutely no reason that you are breaking spars in your Blast like has happened. I have flown the Blast for nearly 4 years now with the Ultra Light SLE rods in it with no problems at all and have never broken a rod, even in winds gusting up over 20mph.

The only time I have seen SLE rods break in the Blast / Power Blast kites is that the ferule has slipped or that the leading edge rod is not fully inserted into the ferule during flight. What sometimes happens is that the bungee is loose or comes off the leading edge, excessive flex will allow the leading edge rod to separate a little to where the end rod is only on the ferule a small amount and then the rod will split from the end, causing the kite to appear to explode in the air. This can happen in lighter winds, usually when the kite just barely powers up.

The only way to prevent this is to make sure that you don't scrape the bungee/end caps off when dragging on the ground with a wing tip and if you do, land the kite and re-attach the end cap right away. You may need to tighten up your bungee's a little to keep them in place but under normal flying this is not an issue. Another thing is to check your ferules and make certain that they are not loose and that they are in place so there is plenty of ferule sticking out for the end rod to go into.

Question....How are your rods breaking? Are they breaking in half in the middle of the rod or are they splitting out on the ends? This may also help locate the problem.

[Crawf]

Question....How are your rods breaking? Are they breaking in half in the middle of the rod or are they splitting out on the ends? This may also help locate the problem.

The first one split up from the edge and then across at the ferrule which makes me think it was a "user error" when putting the kite together but the second snapped straight across the spar about 4inches in from the end without any splitting at all.

[awindofchange]

Crawf,

That is strange indeed. I agree with you that the one that split from the end is usually caused by not having the rod fully inserted or banging the kite around enough that the rod has worked itself loose. Usually tightening the bungee cords is all you need to do to make sure the rod stays fully inserted. Snapping right in half is usually caused by excessive stress on the rod. The thing that usually happens is that the rod is slammed into the ground or comes in contact with something and that weakens the rod, then when flying the kite the rod will finally give way, usually in winds that you would swear are way to light for that to happen. That being said, the 4 wrap (Rev Equipped) rod can take some extreme stress as I have flown it in winds as high as 30 mph without exploding the frame. Still, you should be able to contact your local retailer and get a replacement rod for your kite at a pretty reasonable price.

I could ship you one no problem but international shipping would be much more than the cost of the rod. Check with your supplier and they should be able to get you taken care of.

Hope this helps.

[Jonesey]

Crawf,

That is strange indeed. I agree with you that the one that split from the end is usually caused by not having the rod fully inserted or banging the kite around enough that the rod has worked itself loose. Usually tightening the bungee cords is all you need to do to make sure the rod stays fully inserted. Snapping right in half is usually caused by excessive stress on the rod. The thing that usually happens is that the rod is slammed into the ground or comes in contact with something and that weakens the rod, then when flying the kite the rod will finally give way, usually in winds that you would swear are way to light for that to happen. That being said, the 4 wrap (Rev Equipped) rod can take some extreme stress as I have flown it in winds as high as 30 mph without exploding the frame. Still, you should be able to contact your local retailer and get a replacement rod for your kite at a pretty reasonable price.

I could ship you one no problem but international shipping would be much more than the cost of the rod. Check with your supplier and they should be able to get you taken care of.

Hope this helps.

crawf / Kent ...

Any chance the bridle isn't attached right or even missing a connection?? My Blast bridle wasn't right when I got it (Second hand) and took a while to sort out plus of course there is a choice of attachment points on the bottom bridle ...

How about taking some photo's of the kite set up so we can compare and maybe see if there is anything obvious unless you have already met up with Steve_Hobart and done a direct comparison ?

[Crawf]

Hi Jonesey,

I checked all the bridle settings and they appear to be fine (as marked) and the bungee cords are nice and tight, but like you said when i hook up with Steve i'll double check his blast. I've kind of resigned to the fact that i got a dud spar so if when i get my new LE it busts i'll dig a bit deeper into it.

Thanks again for everything folks this forum is a real asset when you don't have too many rev flyers in the community.

cheers

Crawf