slingshot turbine Help

[Lloyd107]

Im struggling with getting upwind on my turbine despite feeling pretty powered. It just seems to want to go downwind. I found I i can go upwind if i edge really hard but even then its not great. I've tried sheeting in but that does not do much either. I find it really hard to get the kite to fly forward in the window.

Anyone know what i could do differently?

[kiterocky]

Turbine......

[dylan*]

Have you tried depowering it a bit? Should help it fly more forward

[knot_moving]

Not sure if this is a new kite or a used kite new to you.
What you are describing is the kite is oversheeted - steering lines are too short; or something is wrong with the bridle?
Regardless, I would check line lengths first. Connect all 4 lines together and attach to something solid. When bar is fully back against the quick release, all 4 lines should be tight.

If all 4 lines are same length then make sure you are using the same knot for both the front and back lines.

Good luck

[BiteMe]

Which year? Which Size?

The 17m is a medium aspect kite and I find when the wind picks up the pull down wind is pretty strong. It takes a lot of leg strength (like old C kites) to keep from getting pulled down wind. In lighter winds the pull is much less so it's easier to get up wind.

I've always thought Slingshot needs to make the 17m Turbine a little higher aspect so it flies more forward in the window

[ragzilla]

are you using a compstick bar with your turbine?
if so..... make sure all pigtails are set on the middle knot.

Light wind riding is a diff element & technique to riding powered up.
Dont edge too hard.
Edging hard will wash all your speed and will push you down wind.
Sometimes, you will find you will go better upwind with a moderate speed and moderate edge, than full speed and a hard edge.

Trim your kite just a little. Not too much.... maybe 1/4-1/3
as said before, this will make your kite sit more forward in the window.
When kiting light winds, most of us have a habit of over sheeting the bar. That little bit of trim can make up for it.

Down loop your water starts & transitions. You will loose ground on a down loop transition, but you wont loose speed and any loss downwind can be made up easily.
DOWN LOOP - DOWN LOOP - DOWN LOOP !! (front hand by the way)
A big bar should help. You should be riding your Turbine with a 23" bar as recommended.

dont fly your kite too low.
if you need to keep low to have power than its not the right size. Go home.... get drunk... today is not a kite day!
keep it high and forwards ( 10 & 2 ) if you need extra power do a quick down loop through the power zone, but dont keep it there.
fly her too low and you wont have enough lift out of the water, creating more drag, and you will be pushed downwind.

I have a 17m Turbine, and ive never had a problem with it.
however mine is fairly new.
Had an old 15m REV2 that used to be difficult in light wind. It was old & flogged kite, and I thought maybe the canopy was stretched or something, as it sucked to go upwind on even when powered up. That was a long season that year as we didnt get much wind past 15-20kn.
By the end of the summer i was smashing upwind on her. It just came down to a heap of light wind water time and learning the right techniques.

lastly..... stop riding your 136 twinny.... and go get yourself a big 150x46 twinny, or a mini directional.
let us know how you go!

[Lloyd107]

cheers guys

its a brand new 2016 17m with a 23inch compstick bar on 27m lines.

The lines are all equal. Ive tried sheeting in and it didnt help much

ill try riding with the kite a bit higher as i kept it low for my last few sessions

i ride a 138x42 and i don't particularly want to get a big board as i more wanted a turbine to get me out and having fun when my 12 stops working and the kite is a lot of fun for practising freestyle tricks

[joriws]

Basic physics is: The faster you ride relative to true wind the more apparent wind window will rotate towards downwind making it harder to go upwind.

So only way is to ride slower if you can or swap to higher AR kite producing the same/higher pull force but more forward in wind window when compared to Turbine.

[kiterocky]

Turbine is a old Project for light wind...maybe the 15 m its a bit better if u are light weight rider...try to use bigger fins on the board

[knot_moving]

cheers guys

its a brand new 2016 17m with a 23inch compstick bar on 27m lines.

The lines are all equal. Ive tried sheeting in and it didnt help much

ill try riding with the kite a bit higher as i kept it low for my last few sessions

i ride a 138x42 and i don't particularly want to get a big board as i more wanted a turbine to get me out and having fun when my 12 stops working and the kite is a lot of fun for practising freestyle tricks

The trick in light winds is to sheet out not in.
Use kite speed to generate flow across kite and power.
The turbine does respond to edging to move the kite forward in the wind window. But you have to have kite speed to get the kite to work.
In light winds the wind speed 40ft up is often 2-5kts higher than at 15ft so that is why in light winds you want the kite higher.
It is a very good light wind kite - I have a 2012.