What's Up With Bows?

[ricki]

Bow kites are fairly new and are generating quite a bit of buzz. Good buzz, bad buzz and more than a little confused buzz!?

So, why not open discussions here about various models out there and experiences. "C" kites have a strong following and different attributes than the bows. So, this isn't to slag trusty "C" kites, far from it. The purpose is to get a better handle on something new.

So, what have you learned hands on about blows?

[ricki]

I took out a 12 m Crossbow for the first time tonight, October 20, 2005. It wasn't nuking at all between 5 and 7 pm as you can see. I had talked to some guys and expected to have mixed impressions given the really light conditions and many said they really didn't like the some bow kite performance traits initially until they modified flying and riding characteristics from what they use with "C" kites.

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/files/newgraph_942.gif

Solo launching was a bit tricky and I doubt the approach I used (folding and sanding), would work in stronger winds. The kite doesn't like to be folded and there is very little useable area to pile sand on. I need to work on that a bit more.

Bruno L. has identified a solo beach launching technique in a video on his Bow website at: http://www.inflatablekite.com/site%20bow/movies.html

In light conditions you need to hold the bar in much of the time. In more powered conditions (gusts to 13 mph?) you can ease off on the bar pressure. The kite flies fairly fast but not excessively so in stronger winds, bug sneese winds such as they were. I mainly just wanted to fly the kite and with 9 mph winds I opted to bring an old Stonker 205 cm directional. I doubted that I would even be able to ride.

At one point I gave it a go and ended up sining a while downwind. Several more times I rode downwind and walked back. The wind started to rise by degrees and I was able to lock the kite in at probably 12 to 13 mph and go fairly fast. Remember I was on a BIG, OLD directional. Smaller tt boards would probably not plane nearly as well in such light condtions with the 12 m CB With heavier guys anyway (195 lb. in my case). I think I will rig a fixed harness line with a QR on the bar to deal with lighter wind conditions. I understand that there may be a powerlock add on coming out soon for not a lot of money.

In the upwind tack, when I was able to lock the kite in when the breeze rose high enough,, I was impressed with the upwind riding ability. I was fairly close hauled and yet was moving nicely along the shoreline to slightly SE of S. I would like to see how it does in moderate wind, it could be interesting.

The wind lulled again so I went into the beach and started to examine how the CB system worked more closely. It is trimmed for max power with the option of reducing the power. I found solo landing of the kite in light winds to be very easy. Simply sheet out partially, allow the kite to descend, before it hits sheet in to level out the flight and arrest the downward speed then simply drop the bar. Boom, down it goes on to the sand. I wonder how well this simple approach will work in strong to quite strong winds? I then practiced gradual depowering under varying degrees of kite acceleration. You can really modulate the power in this kite.

On net I liked the kite, particularly the minute power control delivered by relative bar position. There is no need, in lighter conditions anyway, to grab and pull anything. You just ease the bar out. I am used to powerlocking in or using a fixed harness line and in the lighter winds would have liked to have one. IF such a thing was present, the great safety/depower feature would be disabled of course UNTIL you were able to undo it!

I didn't have the kite invert or come close to it in the short 2.5 hour session. I wonder if it is more prone to do this in higher upper wind range conditions. If you sheet out substantially the lack of backline pressuer might allow the "flat" kite to invert readily. I was talking to Paul Menta about this, he said he simply grabs a bridle line pulls and causes the kite to flip around again.

I didn't find the handling charactertistics that unusual but over the years I have gotten used to several different kite design beyond traditional "C" kites. I hope learn more once some useable wind, not hurricane force either from Wilma comes through!

What have people noticed out there with the various bow kites?