Question to SS Tech Support:
I’m fairly new to kiting and have spent most of my time on a 17 m Slingshot Turbine, which works well for my location; however, I’m looking to travel towards 20 mph+ wind. I purchased a new condition 2004 11m Slingshot Fuel that had been sitting around for a while and figured it would be an inexpensive way to try a C kite for the first time. Question: Can I use a Slingshot 2012 CSC Bar 17in x 20m with this kite? The front lines appear to be way to long. Was thinking of removing the stock pigtails from the front lines and using them on the back lines to even things out or just adding extensions to my rear lines? Since the front lines run .65 meters longer than the back stock (20m vs 20.65m), is this creating the exaggerated ratio? It makes sense that the front lines would be longer than the back (considering the width of the kite and space for trim adjustment), but it looks like I’ve got almost an extra 1 feet of line to account for.
Appreciate any feedback.
Cheers,
Donavan Brown
Answer:
Update for Case #28376 - "2004 Fuel + 2012 CSC Bar"
I would not use a 2012 bar with a 2004 kite. There isn't anybody that I can ask around here that knows the answers to your questions man sorry. I would just try to figure out what bar came with that kite and buy that. 2004 is super old for a kite man be careful!
Continued:
Anyone on this forum using older C kites with new bars? Was hoping for a better answer from SS tech support, the response is obvious “man”; however, not very thorough. This equipment still has some life in it, and the C-kite technology hasn't changed that much over the years, I plan to extract the remaining hours this kite has to offer. This will be a good exercise for me in kite tuning and understanding legacy products and appreciating the modern updates. Hopefully, helping me make a choice between a kite like the Naish Torch/SS Fuel 14 m or a North Dyno/Rebel of the same size. I like the idea of being able to fly the hell out of my kite, vs just parking it, although I know that seems counterintuitive; hence, my experimentation with an old inexpensive C-kite.
It's already been a fun experiment and the subtle issues I've had have shed light into specific features on new kites, like kook proof line connectors, one pump convenience etc. I got it to fly in 7 mph wind with some basic line adjustments, but still looking for a little more feedback.
Any input on the old kite + new bar, or just kite line adjustment on a Bow, Hybrid vs C-Shape would be appreciated.
I've read most of the white papers on the site about kite tuning, so I'm probably looking for feedback from someone who has flown a similar setup or knows Slingshot products new and old.
Thank You,
Donavan