Why Wont It Fly

The dreaded question. Most common with novice two line trick kites. Below I have added information that seems to solve most people's problems. If this doesn't solve your problems them drop me an e-mail

Often when I'm out flying I come across new flyers trying in vane to fly their kite. I always try to make a point of walking over and having a quick chat to any other flyers that I see. Very often with new flyers they complain that the kite wont get of the ground. The kite spins around out of control and ends up in the ground. Many people blame the kite and moan/mutter/curse. In 9 out of 10 cases I find that the answer is simple.

Ok then here we go.......I start with a couple of main pointers.

(click images to enlarge. use back button on browser to return to this screen)

KITE ASSEMBLY

When assembling your kite make sure that the bridle is not tangled around spreaders and that the bridle comes off all attachment points cleanly. See above.

Make sure the standoffs are symmetrical. If not this can affect the flight. See above.

LINE ATTACHMENT

A large number of new flyers grab the kite out of the bag and tie the lines on the bridle and try to fly away. Most fail to read the instructions on how to connect the line in a method that is simple and easy to remove instead of being in knots. Start with tying a simple four inch loop in the end of your kite string. Then follow the diagram below for the larks head loop to attach lines to the kite. When flying your kite let out all of the line.

Q. No matter what we do, we cant get the kite to fly. It will only get a few inches in the air then it spins into the ground. What could be wrong? or is it me?

I usually find that novice flyers let out all of the lines which is correct but a point that is missed very often by novices is that they don't equalise the line lengths. With every twin line kite, equal flying lines is paramount. Failure to have equal lines will cause the kite to spin in the direction of the shorter line. Un-equal lines will mean when you take off the kite will instantly turn and not drive straight up the wind window. ALWAYS adjust your lines to make sure that they are the same length. this is the first main problem to overcome before you come across any in flight problems.

Q. When my kite flies I seem to get a pulsating/waving feel on my lines and the kites flight is juddery. What could be causing this?

Firstly make sure your not flying your kite in winds that exceed the maximum recommendation for your kite. Gusty winds can cause uneven flight. If you are flying in suitable winds and you are having these problems then it sounds like a problem I have encountered myself when adjusting the bridles on my own kites and also in testing of kites. The bridle adjustment is set either too nose back or nose forwards. The bridle needs to be adjusted. As described in the bridle section. As a basic start point, I like to set the bridle so that when you hold the attachment points for your lines on the bridle, the spine of the kite lays flat. Remember if the nose slopes towards the ground (nose back) this changes the angle of attack and the kite will turn more responsively and fly in higher winds. the trade off is that you need more wind to fly. If you have the nose raised (nose forward) then the kite will fly in lighter winds but you loose a little of the responsiveness in turns. It affects some kites more then others. By adjusting the bridle too much in either direction will cause the juddering problem. Remember to only make small adjustments and have both sides of the bridle equal. By being able to adjust the bridle it transforms your kite characteristics in varying winds. play and you will see. Always remember your base bridle settings.