![]() Fit a spreader so that when the kite is held upside down by its towing point the off-clearance or gap between kite and strut is 0.12 to 0.16 of the distance measured along LE from the nose to the spreader pocket mark. Spines are the same diameter as the wing spars (or their wood equivalent).ġ1. Make sure the two wing spars flex exactly equally (by hand) and install as a symmetrically matched pair (eyeball them). Fit a spine, just tight enough to give a gentle curve. Sew all on, remembering to leave appropriate gaps for inserting frame parts.ġ0. Glue the pockets on and draw the line across each showing the gap. Mark the positions for the spreader pockets, perpendicular to the centerline, and draw lines twice-the-spar-diameter in from the leading edge across each pocket position, parallel to LE, to mark the sewing line for the gap for the spars. Glue the towing point tape on with it pointing to the "B" mark on the centerline. Finish sewing the tail tape on, not forgetting to leave the opening for the spine.ĩ. Leaving a gap for the spine at the rear/bottom end, sew the final outer row of center sleeve stitching. With that row done, glue on the tail tape. Sew the row nearest the stitching already there first, starting from the "B" mark and running to either end of the sleeve. Hem the fin and sew it into the center sleeve aligning the "B" marks. Sew the two wing halves together along the line drawn in step 2. Sew the wing sleeves, leaving a space at the tips for spars to be inserted.ħ. Glue the tapes for the wing spar top end reinforcements in position, and make certain your original spar end lines are visible for when you sew.Ħ. ![]() Ripstop folded 3 or 4 times is fine for small kites, and made double thick (two layers) for medium sizes.ĥ. Make reinforcing tapes for both ends of the wing spars, nose and tail ends of the center sleeve, and a towing point tape. Mark spreader attachment point, towing point position, spar ends (adding extra length at least equal to spar diameter).ģ. Similarly draw lines showing where the wing sleeves will be folded to, for a 4x spar diameter finished width. Mark center sleeve sewing line at 4x the diameter of the spine material from the cut edge. A narrow strip of ripstop cut along with the grain can be placed inside or outside a single-fold hem and sewn in along with the hem.Ģ. Double-stitch hems wider than about ¼inch (6mm).įin grain: If making the fin with the grain perpendicular to the center spine, the edges will stretch because they are cut on the bias, that is, across the grain of the fabric, unless they have extra reinforcing. Fins are easier to hem with the grain parallel to the edges. Cut the fin allowing for a hem and with a "B" mark on the centerline (long) side. This is not, however, recommended for stretchy fabric.ġa. Grain: Although I generally prefer the fabric grain in line with the centerline, parallel to the trailing edge, on some designs it is aligned with the leading edges instead, as on my Whirlwind and Wildcard. Cut out the two wing halves together, one on top of the other as shown. The maximum lengths are for light wind versions.Īverage spar lengths for normal flying would be something like 34"(86cm) for 3/16"(5mm) wood or 4mm fiberglass 36 to 41"(91 to 104cm) for 1/4"(6mm) wood or 5mm fiberglass, with 39"(99cm) normal for 95 to 98 degree nose angles. Fiberglass equivalents are approximately: 1/8"(3mm) wood=3mm fiberglass, 3/16"(5mm) wood=4mm fiberglass 1/4"(6mm) wood=5mm fiberglass 5/16"(8mm) wood~=1/4"(6.35mm) fiberglass, but not quite - scale a 5/16"(8mm) wood kite down by around 92.5% to make one in 1/4"(6.35mm) fiberglass. Frame Specifications:Ī rough guide to hardwood wing spars and spines is to use 1/16" of diameter for each 2 feet of span, and use the next size up for spreaders. Rough Guide Before you begin Read the section on frame specifications first, because your starting point is the length of the wing spars, and this depends on the material used. The 0.50 position remains the optimum, giving the most pull and the best handling, while for stronger winds the towing point may be positioned further forward anywhere within the range of 0.50-0.375, and sometimes beyond.įollow this link to a tool for quickly designing standard deltas: On-line Delta Kite Calculator thanks to Jesse Gersenson The range expands as kites are scaled up. Use anything between 0.50 and 0.375 for bigger kites. * 0.5C does not apply to scalloped, clipped wing, or extended keel deltas.
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