9 replies to this topic

[rexracer]

It took a few minutes, and a couple times flying into the ground, but I got a handle on flying this thing. The winds around here suck, being inland Connecticut. It was variable from 2-8 mph with the wind out of the west, southwest south and southeast.
The reason I'm upset? After flying my 1.5 SLE I realized that I need to get a vented B with race rods so that I can fly my 1.5 in lighter winds, and go to the beach to fly the vented. I don't have that kind of money to spend on kites right now. Anyone want to buy a GP Super Stearman with a Saito 1.80? If I can sell this RC plane I can get the vented B and some new line. Maybe another set of handles... did I mention that in the hour and a half of lousy wind that I had I got it to hover in 8 directions? Holding steady in variable winds really makes you work. I can't wait to get some practice in better wind.

[REVflyer]

I feel your pain, partner!

[SparkieRob]

Me too. Think I'll get a kite to cheer me up. Doh!

[awindofchange]

Tough wind is very difficult...and can be frustrating!

One thing to keep in mind is that the wind is like water flowing down a stream. Trees, fences, hills, buildings and any other obstruction will cause the wind to flow around, over and above instead of flowing smoothly across your flying area. Even in our local park here where we fly every Friday night, there is a section of the park that the wind really sucks. 100 feet in either direction will give you better / cleaner winds than in that one area.

The unwritten rule is 7times. Meaning the it will take 7 times the distance of the height of an object before the wind starts to smooth out again. So if you have a fence that is 8 ft. tall, you will need to be about 56 ft. away from it before the winds start to smooth out from it. If there is a building that is 80 ft. tall, it will take nearly 600 ft. before the winds will start flowing smoothly again.

One thing to try is moving around into different areas of your flying field. Sometimes just moving to the other side of a park will result in different winds...or better winds. Flying inland is difficult for sure. Try to look for an area that is wide open, without large obstructions in any direction. Remember that it is not just the things that are behind you that effect the winds, but also the things that are downwind from you as well.

Glad you are at least enjoying your kite....once you get into cleaner winds it will be all that much more!

Hope that helps.

[rexracer]

Tough wind is very difficult...and can be frustrating!

One thing to keep in mind is that the wind is like water flowing down a stream. Trees, fences, hills, buildings and any other obstruction will cause the wind to flow around, over and above instead of flowing smoothly across your flying area. Even in our local park here where we fly every Friday night, there is a section of the park that the wind really sucks. 100 feet in either direction will give you better / cleaner winds than in that one area.

The unwritten rule is 7times. Meaning the it will take 7 times the distance of the height of an object before the wind starts to smooth out again. So if you have a fence that is 8 ft. tall, you will need to be about 56 ft. away from it before the winds start to smooth out from it. If there is a building that is 80 ft. tall, it will take nearly 600 ft. before the winds will start flowing smoothly again.

One thing to try is moving around into different areas of your flying field. Sometimes just moving to the other side of a park will result in different winds...or better winds. Flying inland is difficult for sure. Try to look for an area that is wide open, without large obstructions in any direction. Remember that it is not just the things that are behind you that effect the winds, but also the things that are downwind from you as well.

Glad you are at least enjoying your kite....once you get into cleaner winds it will be all that much more!

Hope that helps.

Hi Kent. You know, you're the one who got me hooked on these things. I do know about "the rule of 7" and I'm always moving around to hit the gaps and find good wind. I'll have to try the back field on a school I used to fly at a lot. If the wind is from the south and east it's usually pretty good.

BTW. I'll be calling you tomorrow to discuss a vented B. I'm glad I don't still have a wife to answer to.

[SkyPuppet]

I love love LOVE my Revs for flying in Las Vegas.
I really gotta hand it to the dualie kite fliers out here; they're awesome, Kent included! The wind can be so nasty, variable direction changes, speed changes, gusting..... Because of the added control, the Rev is ideally suited for inland flying, IMHO. Much more so than most other styles of kites.

rexracer, do you have any R/C helis? If so I'd keep the plane and sell the helis Revs replaced my former heli addiction. Thankfully. I still love the cars and planes, although I no longer have any.

[rexracer]

No heli's other than a small counter rotating rotor electric. The Super Stearman is a beautiful plane, to look at and fly, and with the big 4 stroke Saito it even sounds awsome, but I have over $1200 in it and every time I flew it, it was hard to have fun because of the investment. I like to push the limits (in everything) and I couldn't push the way I wanted to. My first question on this forum was about max winds for the Rev. I like to push myself, and my equipment. Same way on a mountain bike, racing motorcycles and even flying kites. There's plenty of room for me to push with a rev. After watching JB in his videos, there's a lot for me to learn. I already have some ideas in my head for things I want to try that I haven't seen anyone do, but I'll have to get my skill level close to the pro's before I'll be able to pull it off. May need a B2. Can't wait to get there.

[REVflyer]

there's pushing it and then there's the intentional abuse of your friend's kite, two very different things!

at one point the factory only came out w/products as full sails and we flew 'em regardless of the wind conditions. Maybe you flew up high or far out on the edges during big gusts, but you kept on flying.

I fly hard, (okay I flail) I'm not afraid to break stuff either pushing the limits, but it doesn't mean a complete lack of control. Some tricks that look real cool are abusive to your equipment, cut sail, cut bridles, broken spars, rounded-off endcaps, scuffs and wear spots, stress cracks and the leading edge mesh tearing away. Or you can fly all clean and safe, precision team style, personally I want to be capable of everything that the kite can do, graceful or forceably.

You can safely use a full sail 1point5 to the high-teens on a windmeter with a set of 120s and a 3 wrap frame. But you need to know when it's necessary to give ground. Don't just stand there lead-footed and watch damage occur to your new kite. Move the kite out of the center of power as the wind increases, add a big dose of DOWN in your tuning too, so it can't ever get fully powered up in forward flight. It's not a perfect solution, but it sure beats giving up and going home!

Eventually you'll own a full suite of kiting solutions for any weather condition, from indoors dead calm to hurricane strength.

[rexracer]

there's pushing it and then there's the intentional abuse of your friend's kite, two very different things!

at one point the factory only came out w/products as full sails and we flew 'em regardless of the wind conditions. Maybe you flew up high or far out on the edges during big gusts, but you kept on flying.

I fly hard, (okay I flail) I'm not afraid to break stuff either pushing the limits, but it doesn't mean a complete lack of control. Some tricks that look real cool are abusive to your equipment, cut sail, cut bridles, broken spars, rounded-off endcaps, scuffs and wear spots, stress cracks and the leading edge mesh tearing away. Or you can fly all clean and safe, precision team style, personally I want to be capable of everything that the kite can do, graceful or forceably.

You can safely use a full sail 1point5 to the high-teens on a windmeter with a set of 120s and a 3 wrap frame. But you need to know when it's necessary to give ground. Don't just stand there lead-footed and watch damage occur to your new kite. Move the kite out of the center of power as the wind increases, add a big dose of DOWN in your tuning too, so it can't ever get fully powered up in forward flight. It's not a perfect solution, but it sure beats giving up and going home!

Eventually you'll own a full suite of kiting solutions for any weather condition, from indoors dead calm to hurricane strength.

I hear you. I'm hard on stuff, but not abusive. I fly a flexifoil bullet 2.5 and that thing can pull hard. I can give to the kite, and move to the edge of the window. The bullet did catch me out once. It was at the edge and sinking and I was trying to get it turned when the wind gusted from another direction. I don't remember being in the air, but the slam to my hip woke me up when I hit the ground 30 feet away. I thought I broke my hip but I was OK. I learned a couple of lessons that day, and I'm more careful now when it gets gusty.

[rexracer]

Vented B on the way! ( thanks Kent) Trees are movin' and I need a fix