One of the fascinations of kiting is that you can design and create something that can fly! And it feels so good when that flying object you’ve just created flies as god as – or even better – you’ve hoped for.
That’s a pretty good description of my feelings yesterday when finding and flying the Black Edge in optimal conditions!
If you’ve read the other posts about the Black Edge here at the AERIALIS Kites website, you probably know that there has been some tweaks and modifications leading up to yesterday’s session.
I’ve tweaked the bridle somewhat to have the kite to perform and feel the way I’d like. It was a little reluctant in its forward drive but now I’ve got it right where I want. Crisp and responsive and it’s easy to adjust speed. Nice!
Another tweak, or rather replacement, is stiffening the LE. The first “version” was equipped with SkyShark P90 for the middle rod and P100’s for the outer ones. This setup however, was a bit too soft for my liking. (You can see the LE bending – too much – in this video.) This was remedied by replacing it with a P100 for the middle and P200 for the outer rods, which makes the LE significantly stiffer, thus improving overall flight characteristics.
The bridle makes the Black Edge really sensitive on the brake lines, meaning delicate wrist control. I can see that some pilot might dislike this sensitive setup. However, I really like it and when I got used to it the kite stops on a dime even from a really fast forward drive. Inverted hovers can be very well balanced and inverted slides are super easy.
Flic flacs…? Yup! Giveaways!
Yesterday provided excellent conditions to really test the BE. Winds between 2 and 5 m/sec (4,5-11mph) is the kite’s optimal wind range and that was what the wind was like yesterday! I had a blast with the Black Edge feeling sooo good!
2 responses
Nice precise “surgical” (inverted) side slides!
About the flick flacks, if I may ask since I don’t do them – How would you recommend starting doing them? Any special conditions? The feeling? Kites/frame/settings/handles that will and will not do them? Did it take long to learn compared to e.g. the axel, catch and throw, bicycle rotation, clock work… Short lines I think that I have figured out, making the walk of contemplation shorter… (I know – shamelessly asking for details…)
> Nice precise “surgical” (inverted) side slides!
Thank you! ?
…and the flic flac…
Short lines (10’ish) meter makes it easier. I think the best position to do the FF (flying on 10m lines) is with the kite about 50-60% up in the wind window straight downwind.
That puts the kite in a good angle for the quick double pop of the brake lines and will allow some safety distance between the kite and the ground.
I think the bridle is the most critical part of your setup for doing FFs. With a somewhat low lower tow points the kite flics (and flacs) easier than with a higher one.
The handles will also have an impact I guess, but I have never really experimented with different handles.
But make the double pops really quick. They should be like Pop! Pop! … not like Pop … and … pop.
The first pop will flic the kite, the second will flac the kite back into flying again.
I don’t know if others have this experience, but I find it easier to FF from an inverted hover compared to an upright one. I’m not sure why, but I *think* – for some reason – I can do a quicker double pop holding my handles so the kite sits in an upright hover compared to my hand position when doing an upright one.
Well…anyway… Just my 2 cents.