New Toy/Hobby - Kites!

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

eugenefl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
4,413
Reaction score
73
Hello everyone! I have always been fond of flying machines. Around the time that I had gotten started with rockets, I had picked up kites as a hobby I could take with me to the beach. Recently, with the thought of rocketry going downhill, I decided to rekindle an old hobby. I found this 85" dual line Alpha on eBay (see attachment). I seriously cannot wait to go out to the beach and give it its first flight. Prior to this, the largest I had was about 36". This should be a riot. When I can't fly rockets and the girlfriend insists we go to the beach, at least I'll have something new to do! Future plans are stackables, single line box kites, and maybe some other interesting stuff.

I'd like to eventually get a camera onboard a kite to take some pictures of interesting landmarks - ie, stadium, fishing piers, shores, statues, playgrounds, from a boat, etc. Check out this site dedicated to kite photography - <a href="https://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/kaptoc.html">Kite Photography</a> This guy has some amazing aerial photographs.

Anyone else into kites?
 
Dual string kits are a riot!!

But when it's windy...be ready...they pull like crazy, and they are LOUD!

My Little Brother loves mine. We went flying last fall in a plowed stubble field and even with lug soles boots on (he's only about 130 lbs) he left dual skidmark in the mud about 12 feet long!

He was doing great to. Loops, and running it parralell to the ground...right up until the 80# braided string broke.

You're gonna love it.

When it's too windy to fly rockets...get out the kits!

sandman
 
Eugene, I know that me & a fellow(Mike) in England are interested in kites, here on TRF. It's been a hobby of mine since '86 or so. Request a catalog from www.intothewind.com if you've not done so. I'm not familiar with the Alpha. Who makes it? Looks like you might need some 150 lb Spectra line with that, in a good wind. I own 2 kites; one a 15(?) year old El Nino, about 6' wing span for very high winds & a La Luna(8 ' span), which I bought about a year ago. You should enjoy this kite immensely if you've just flown a 36" before. Keep us posted.
 
Originally posted by Darian Rachal
I'm not familiar with the Alpha. Who makes it? Looks like you might need some 150 lb Spectra line with that, in a good wind.


The Alpha+ is made by a company called Flying Wings. It came with 80ft of 150# test with straps attached to the ends. I expect that sucker is going to pull me straight across the beach. As for wind, it is always plentiful as there is always some kind of a Gulf breeze coming inland. I just wonder if it can loft any kind of a small payload. I may end up buying a large sail or something with a larger canopy/surface area to loft a lightweight camera.

I'll post a follow-up once I get a chance to take it out.

Any pics of your kites?
 
Eugene, I'm kind of running a low-budget/low tech operation around here(no digital camera):) , but you can see a photo & the specs on the La Luna at the Into The Wind site I mentioned. You might give them a call & ask about which kite design would be best for lofting a camera.
The el Nino is a 3/4 version of an 8' kite(no longer made) called the Team High Fly, made by a company by the same name. It's no longer in business, I believe, but was one of the major companies back in the 80's & 90's.
There was even a great magazine called Stunt Kite Quarterly(SKQ) that published kite reviews, etc.
I'm looking forward to hearing how the Alpha performs:) .
 
You're gonna love it, I've attached a picture of my kite, its made by Airsport Gunther and got a 170cm (67") wingspan.

Once you've mastered loops and dives etc. theres a whole new world of tricks with snap stalls, flat spins, pancakes and that's just for starters.

My kite pulls a bit and your's is larger so I would really watch out if you fly in stronger winds, especially as you make a tight turn, like pulling out of a dive.

Have fun!
 
eugenefl - my son Kent is a kite flying nut. I got him his first dual line kite at the beach one year when he was 7 or 8 years old (probably only weighed around 50 lbs). It was a little 36" or 48" job, and it almost lifted him off the ground. That same week at the beach, I was in Wally World about halfway through the week restocking on some supplies, and they had a display of some .... I think Spectra .... dual line kites on sale. I picked up a 72" one for a song. Took that back to the beach house, put it together, and took it out to Kent. The 72" one DID lift him up into the air, and he had a ball the rest of the week "sand surfing" with that kite.

A couple of years later when we were at the beach, Kent had some extra cash on him and he bought a quad-line kite. The quad lines are just incredible. The degree of control that you have on a quad-line has to be seen to be believed. It can do everything a dual-line can do, PLUS it can also do everything in reverse (assuming that the operator has the skills). Everytime Kent has taken his quad-line out on the beach he has ended up with a crowd gathered around watching.

If I can get him to get them out and put them together, I'll try to get some pics. He should be getting them out soon, as he will probably take them with him to the beach next week for spring break. He's already gotten his skim boards out, so the kites should be appearing soon.

- Ken
 
Originally posted by Mike
You're gonna love it, I've attached a picture of my kite, its made by Airsport Gunther and got a 170cm (67") wingspan.

Once you've mastered loops and dives etc. theres a whole new world of tricks with snap stalls, flat spins, pancakes and that's just for starters.

My kite pulls a bit and your's is larger so I would really watch out if you fly in stronger winds, especially as you make a tight turn, like pulling out of a dive.

Have fun!

Well, this isn't quite my first kite. Back in high school (about 8-10 yrs ago now) I used to fly some smaller 36" dual line deltas and some diamonds. I remember the pull the kite had on it coming out of a dive or out of a banking turn. I especially remember how tired my arms would get. It was always a thrill though.

I'm really hoping to get back into the diamonds and stack them. Maybe some time down the road I'll find a local enthusiast to fly with. I'd like to eventually do some kind of team flight a la "synchronized swimming".

For the short term, I really really really want to do some aerial kite photography. I may end up with a box kite or something that has a bigger sail.

Originally posted by KenParker
A couple of years later when we were at the beach, Kent had some extra cash on him and he bought a quad-line kite. The quad lines are just incredible. The degree of control that you have on a quad-line has to be seen to be believed. It can do everything a dual-line can do, PLUS it can also do everything in reverse (assuming that the operator has the skills). Everytime Kent has taken his quad-line out on the beach he has ended up with a crowd gathered around watching.

The quad kite sounds neat! It also sounds to me like the type that just looks like an airfoil with no cross spars or spines. Hmm. Yet another angle on the hobby.

Even with the small 36" kites I used to fly, I can always recall there being a few interested spectators. I guess some people are still unaware that kites like these still exist. Most of the time people would ask me where I bought it.

I can't wait!
 
Has anyone here tried single line parafoils? If not, you really should. They're a riot. My cousin has one that is about 3.5'x5'. That thing pulls pretty hard. Next week I'm getting one about 5'x6'. I can't wait. here's some pics off of ebay.

Nick DeBrita
Rocketman248
 
Nick, I imagine in a strong wind this will be quite a hand full. You might try jumping in the air & seeing if it will lift you a ways. :)
 
Back
Top