41 replies to this topic

[FortFlyer]

OK question for you tail guys?

Are you better off attaching the tails to the leading edge caps as opposed to the wingtips ?

I tried using micro tubes once and all I managed to do was pull the bottom endcaps off and spend 25 minutes looking for my fallen down spars

[steveb]

Tails that have very much drag seem to affect the turning speed more if you attach to the leading edge caps. It's less a case with ribbon tails than tubes.
I like attaching the tails to the bottom of the verticals best, as it makes the kite nearly bow-tie immune.

An alternative is to have a leader a bit longer than the middle sail panel and attach to the bridle loop that goes through the middle of the leading edge. That seems to have the least effect on speed and turning performance.

[Dean750]

Or you could just assume that the tubes, (in the wind you tried) don't work and thus you would try the ribbon tails instead. I only ASSUME, (note the ass part) that tails are really meant to slow the kite or stabilize it. Never tried it, just boning up too my village idiot status.

Dean

[steveb]

Today I flew a pair of 100' ribbon tails on my full Vent B-Series with 4 Wrap Equipped frame on 120' x 90# lines in winds up to 28 knots. The tails helped keep the speed down, which reduced the pull noticeably. The civilians in the park loved the tails too.

[Choccy]

Today I flew a pair of 100' ribbon tails on my full Vent B-Series

Hello Steve,
Lovely lovely tail piccies
Its fun... I am awaiting a 2nd tail so I can experience the very same

[kellykelly]

I love flying my REV with my 75 foot black tails!! It looks sooo cool.

[Sailor99]

I love flying my REV with my 75 foot black tails!! It looks sooo cool.

Pictures needed!

[kellykelly]

I will have to take some!!
Next weekend I'm going out flying I'll take some and post them.

I think they look very cool.

[Aerochic]

Today I flew a pair of 100' ribbon tails on my full Vent B-Series with 4 Wrap Equipped frame on 120' x 90# lines in winds up to 28 knots. The tails helped keep the speed down, which reduced the pull noticeably. The civilians in the park loved the tails too.

Great pics, Steve! That looks like sooooo much fun!

Kelly... would like to see some pics of yours too, please!

[steveb]

I couldn't operate my camera and hold a tight enough spin in those winds (high 20s) to get the full effect, but a pair of 100' ribbon tails makes a very tight double helix that looks very cool. I like doing repeated dive/stops too- that makes a pair of sine waves in the sky.

People love the effect- I had a double decker bus full of tourists give it cheers and loud applause down at Clover Point the other day.

[Aerochic]

I couldn't operate my camera and hold a tight enough spin in those winds (high 20s) to get the full effect, but a pair of 100' ribbon tails makes a very tight double helix that looks very cool. I like doing repeated dive/stops too- that makes a pair of sine waves in the sky.

People love the effect- I had a double decker bus full of tourists give it cheers and loud applause down at Clover Point the other day.

Stilllll, you had gotten some awesome shots there! *thumbs up!* I can bet it was cool to watch.

[Choccy]

ok.... so I had some intreguing fun last weekend flying with 2 x 100 foot tails in various configurations:
in parallel, or end to end on 1 kite
and then 2 kites in pairs joined together by the 2 tails

It sure is pretty especially in the spins (as SteveB says)..... I know folks have mentioned a good way to slow down a kite is to add a tail...
but no one has chatted about how differently the tails make it to fly in the usual way.
I don't just mean it's takes more effort to launch with all the extra weight in the tail(s).
It's a completely different beast.

The flight characteristics are totally bizarre.

The wind was a bit holey and light... will defo try it again sometime.

Downside to the fun, takes a long time to roll the long tail away

[Jonesey]

ok.... so I had some intreguing fun last weekend flying with 2 x 100 foot tails in various configurations:
in parallel, or end to end on 1 kite
and then 2 kites in pairs joined together by the 2 tails

It sure is pretty especially in the spins (as SteveB says)..... I know folks have mentioned a good way to slow down a kite is to add a tail...
but no one has chatted about how diifferently the tails make it to fly in the usual way.
I don't just mean it's takes more effort to launch with all the extra weight in the tail(s).
It's a completely different beast.

The wind was a bit holey and light... will defo try it again sometime.

Downside to the fun, takes a long time to roll the long tail away

Ooh pretty ..... Where did you get that tail from? think I would like a pair of those, I only have a cheepy plastic ones which are a pain to handle....

[Baloo]

Would be interesting to try tails on a dogstake setup!!

NOT, tee hee. just imagine the tangle to undoo.

[Choccy]

Would be interesting to try tails on a dogstake setup!!

ROTFLMSAA !

I tell yeh these tails are the flat variety... not tube, and so they have a tendency to roll, wrap and spiral around themselves anyways,
let alone with each other through a dogstake

@Jonesey: you should beable to find any colour/design at the usual online shops and kite festival stalls.
Phone/email before you part with your hard earnt pennies..... we had to wait nearly a year for a matching one... !

I remember your PB 2~4 blast was fun with tails, you sooooo need to get Big boy tails now

[mousieo]

ok this I may have to try !!!

[Jynx]

Speaking of tails...

A husband in his back yard is trying to fly a kite. He throws the kite up in the air, the wind catches it for a few seconds, then it comes crashing back down to earth. He tries this a few more times with no success.

All the while, his wife is watching from the kitchen window, muttering to herself how men need to be told how to do everything.

She opens the window and yells to her husband, "You need a piece of tail."

The man turns with a confused look on his face and says, "Make up your mind. Last night, you told me to go fly a kite."

(Just had to pass this one on...)

[Love2fly]

[Stone in Shoe Bob]

You've met my wife then?

[SynTaks]

There seems to be no topic dedicated particularly to tails, though tails have been mentioned a number of times in other topics.

The attached picture is the only one I know of existing of my RWB REV 1.5 with 6 RWB tails.
These tails are 15 meters (aprox 50ft) long. They are 20mm wide. They are made of Icarex polyester.
They were cold cut which was a major mistake as they tend to fray and hang excessively upon each other.
That is why I rarely ever flew with these tails.
They should have been hot cut and about 25mm(1inch) wide.
The hot cutting eleminates the fraying and the tails hanging on each other.
The extra width would allow them to flow better in the wind.
The advantage of polyester over nylon is weight and the fact that nylon tails hang on each other easier. Polyester slips nicley.
The disadvantage of polyester is the cost, availability of material and the fact that when wet polyester almost glues to each other where nylon does not.
Polyester tails have to be made, because strips are NOT available. Nylon strips are available in some colors.

There are flying differences...It takes getting used to. The tails I have the LEAST effect on kite response is the RED version found here: (Sorry...not advertising at all...just showing an example.) http://www.intothewi...-ft._Stunt_Tail
(The YELLOW ones are much different. They are made out of heavier material.) These tails fray with use because they are just cheap plastic, but the red ones have little effect on kite flight. They *DO* get snagged easily when doing dive stops and such in lighter wind.

I have many different types of tails now and have found them to make the kite MUCH more visible and have a great visual effect when doing spins and such...

I rarely fly without tails/streamers of some kind. It has just made it so that there was a different style of flying because I've gotten semi-bored flying with just the tricks I know... This is a video of me flying at Portage Glacier. There is a total of 6 tails on the kite here. My record is 9.



---TaK