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Old 12-03-2014, 10:19 AM
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ricki ricki is offline
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There was a follow up to the above post on Kiteforum many years later. Notice how the assistant just throws the kite downwind, doesn't verify that it wants to "bite" into the wind nor apparently caught that some lines were crossed. The video captures the oversteered behavior of crossed lines hurling the kite and kiter across the wind window.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI
The post above this went up nine years ago. I came across a video that brought this old post back to mind, see below.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI


The video caption blames the incident on a poor kite release but from the look of things the lines were crossed on the kite. That is a front line was accidentally connected to a rear attachment on the kite or vis versa resulting in crossed lines and a soon to be out of control kite. It is one of the best videos I have seen, thankfully without injuries apparently. When your lines are crossed, the kite doesn't want to bite into the wind initially and fly up but bumps and hesitates. This is a tip off to both an informed kite launcher and to the kiter himself. Once released the kite drifts down into the window, the lines tighten up and the kite flies at light speed 180 degrees to the other side of the window. The kiter is usually dragged at high speed as well.

This has resulted in fatalities and serious injuries since near the start of the sport. "Kook-proof" or polar line connectors in theory should have ended this problem. The guy is flying a North kite, I think North was one of the first to use polar connectors years ago. Still, people often will find a way of screwing things up. ANY kite can have uncontrolled looping. The first serious incident I saw over ten years ago involved a two line kite.





Setup a routine for rigging and checking that you are comfortable with and stick with it. Preflight your kite and lines before riding. ANYTHING that makes your lines of unequal length tells your kite you want to turn, the more unequal the length, the harder and more violent the turn. Crossed line attachment creates a radical turn. Other things that impact line length include a line tangle, wrapped wing tip, seized pulley, stick or object stuck in the lines, tangle on your bar or on you, etc. etc..

So called "Death Looping" is caused by unequal line lengths as well and can be very hard to stop out once it starts. Depowering may no longer work due to twisting and if the kiter is tangled he can't release the kite. The looping can continue pulling the kiter at speed sometimes lofting him out of the water until something breaks. A number of kiters have been killed by looping kites over the years.

Kite helpers should look down the lines to see that they form nice "V's" and are free of tangles. The kite should bite into the air and want to fly if it is rigged right, you are in the correct position relative to the wind window and there is enough wind. If the kite bumps and stalls, put it down and check the kite and lines again.

It is EASY to avoid launching with crossed lines, but you have to go at things correctly.

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http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.p...378536&start=0

Another lengthy post on the subject of crossed kites and consequences is at:
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.p...auncher#p78057

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