Lessons Learned
Had an epiphany? Stepped in a metaphorical cow pie? Share the experience here.
Kite Disappears ... but...Still Flies
Flying kites just about everyday..... over Wind Watcher proving grounds....
The year 2020 keeps bringing the heat.....
Looking out and one moment my new SUM
AC vented 8 foot ROK kite is flying well with a bit of stress from gusts in the 20-25 mph range. I considered taking the kite down as the winds near the maximum for this new kite kite. I checked the wind forecast and confirmed these were the peak winds for the day
and the wind speeds were forecasted to drop for the rest of the day ...so I let the kite fly on.
A few minutes later I looked out over Wind Watcher proving grounds (my back yard) ... and the kite was gone!
I started running ... following the line down (for a second time this week for this kite) into the valley below not knowing what I would find....
- an empty line (no kite) ...
- a runaway kite flying free away from me....
- a kite in a tree ...
- a kite in a power line ...
It has been that kind of year!
Much to my surprise ... upon rounding the hill crest I could see down in the valley below a wounded kite with a broken horizonal spreader still partially flying with it's head up (with broken horizontal spreader) moving slowly side to side still attached to the kite line!
The big red vented Rokkaku has now used up two of its nine lives in just one week!
Repairs are planned with some stiffer tubes....
Enjoy a video (1st image below (you need to click on it to see the video on flickr) and pictures below of the failed components.
WW
Comments
Hi WindWatcher,
I'm very happy that the story had a happy end, for you , for "my ROK vented", for the general situation of humanity....
it is very difficult to add a comment... the area near your proving ground looks critical
just a bit more seriously
1. for an horizontal spar "2 tubes" it would be stronger the solution 0.5 + 1 + 0.5 = 2
2. the broken tube looks NOT a P4X SKYSHARK, maybe from serie P90...P200... (but I have never seen a broken P4X in my hands)
3. if now you use a SPECTRA line and you fix to a strong, solid fence take into account that a sudden gust in a fraction of seconds is transferring the load to to the anchor point... when you have the kite line in your hands you give some line,... you walk a bit... the max load is anyway your weight... so I suggest to add some elasticity between line and anchor point (there are solutions foreseen for strong dogs, or for boat to harbour,... ) even if it is november I suggest "spring time"
Wish you all the best possible
SMAC from Italy
Amazing that the kite stayed up in that condition - it's a very determined flyer for sure! You have more faith in your weather forecasters than I could ever have in the ones here in New Zealand. Often the peak wind is twice what they forecast (and probably in a different direction). I hope your run of bad luck has finished, for now at least.