Yes, it was a windy day and I thought that it was more than enough wind to bring the Super Vented High Wind Kite version 1.1 to the field for a test spin. The main question though was were can I go to fly it on a 40 meters line set?
The last time I flew that kite I went to a somewhat limited flying field where I had to fly on shorter lines. But now I was looking for a field where I could fly it using my team lines. So I went to this place that I could use those lines, but I was somewhat concerned that the surrounding trees would create a bit of turbulence.
On arrival I could immediately see that yes, it was windy and the wind came from a direction that probably would mean gusty as well. Anyway, I decided to give it a go.
Soon the all black Super Vented High Wind Kite was ready to fly. Anders has made a modification to the kite, hence the v.1.1. He has made for two of the mesh panels to be covered by ripstop panel so you can adjust the venting of the kite …at least somewhat.
You can put on or remove two panels on each side of the spine for tuning the kite for the current wind conditions. I decided to keep both panels on and did a quick inspection of them prior to flying just to check that everything was good to go. And it was!
I hooked the kite onto my 40m flying lines and I was ready for some action!
Up it went and I could immediately feel two things. First, the kite ‘gripped’ the wind much better now with a little less ventilation. And second ..yes it was very, very turbulent up there!
But despite being turbulent, it was possible to fly the kite through it by moving around on the ground combined with occasional ‘pumping’. This would not have been possible with a full vented version of the kite, so the removable panels surely made an impact! 👍
After some time flying I considered to tweak the bridle somewhat too, hopefully improving the kite’s flight characteristics a bit more. I started with lowering its nose just a fraction. It felt like this adjusted angle of attack added a tad more pressure to the sail.
Then i put the town point a couple of centimeters out, making for a ‘wider’ bridle. This little tweak added even more pressure to the sail and slowly but surely the kite started to behave more like I wanted it to!👌
After playing around with the bridle flying straight lines, figures of eight, smooth turns and turns of a more snappy style, I even tried to do a handful of tricks.
Axels and half axels are there and I even pulled off a few series of cascades. Then i got really close to an axel to fade, pop up fade and…. a comète! 🤩 …and even got it on video!
Finally a quick summary…
Yes, the Super Vented High Wind Kite v.1.1 will definitely cover the upper wind range for our team flying given winds not too bumpy. I could really feel its potential for those seconds the wind was on the smoother side and it even allowed for some tricks when executed correctly.
Now it’s just to look for a field that will allow for some more quality flying in smooth winds! …and as soon as the wind is coming from the north, I know exactly where to fly!
Stay tuned for more soon … hopefully! 🤞
