Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Stock
9m 2008 waroo, 25-30 knots (confirmed by ikite). My only experience with bridle tangles has been on 06,07, and 08 waroos. I've experienced the looping kite via tangled bar many times on both C kites (even with a 5th line) and bow kites. So there are many reasons a kite can go into the death spiral and it is not restricted to modern bridled kites. Any kite can do it, but bridles make it more likely.
We are fortunate these days to be aware of it and have QR's on our leashes. These days I do not hesitate to ditch the kite... not good I know but we don't have many options do we.
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Thanks for the additional info, it is important to get into details like this, I appreciate it. I had heard some of the earlier Waroos would sometimes wrap a wingtip. I thought the tendency was reduced by the redesign of the bridle in later models. Still, you went through this recently with a 2008? I too have tangled lines on bars although the last time was years back on a C kite. I called what resulted the "corkscrew of death."
I wonder if flat kites and the new super depower C kites pull a lot harder and faster than comparable traditional C kites back in the day? If the angle of attack control works with these new kites there is no question you can carry a substantially larger kite easier in higher wind than with old C kites. Still, if that new kite enters into a high aspect radical turn in a powered looping state I wonder if the forces and speed are a lot higher than in the past? Might explain some of these rare cases of riders being looped to death. Guys would be pulled inverted and submerged even with two line kites, had that a few times myself. Still, I don't think the forces were quite as extreme.
Input on this? Also, more stories of looping newer kites would be very much appreciated. Until the industry is made aware of a problem it is unlikely that there will be much uniform resolution development.