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Ageing kites have more power?

 
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Pete

Since 29 Oct 2007
829 Posts

Opinionated



PostMon Sep 12, 22 12:17 pm    Ageing kites have more power? Reply with quote

I have an interesting perspective. I have a five year old kite that I have probably 350 days on. I noticed the canopy was fluttering, so I figured it was stretched out, and bought a replacement kite of the same model and year, but in better condition. I flew it and it seems to have far less power than the old kite.

Do kites get more powerful as their canopies get stretched out?

For the record, both 2017 North Rebel 11M's.

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Matt V

Since 26 Oct 2014
462 Posts
Summer- OR Coast, Winter - My van near good snow
Explosive Diarrhea



PostMon Sep 12, 22 4:34 pm     Reply with quote

Kind of.

That extra power you are feeling is going to likely be further back in the window, making it a bit tougher to get upwind.

Also, forward flying speed will be compromised too.

Sailors have been dealing with this for ages as sails are designed with a goal of "perfect air foil section" when new. That perfect or "design" shape dies as the fabric relaxes. No sail is made with the wrong foil section intending to "blow out" to the right one some time into its fabric lifespan.

That said, maybe North, in thier infinite wisdom of making changes every year, could have tweaked the previous perfect kite version to suck when new, but blow out to a good kite right about at the end of its lifespan when one hard crash means NANK anyway.

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