I have a Torch and a couple Fuels. The Torch was my main kite for about three years. My biggest airs are on that kite. I use an 11m fuel as my main winter kite for light air/unhooked. It's been stripped down to two struts. A pristine 7m fuel lies in wait. On the right day, it comes out like a sword, ready to go slay dragons! Such an awesome kite.
Agree completely with what EDT says. Agree with MM regarding slack WRT 5th lines, especially in the older generations (pre 2007) that the OP is talking about.
I use a trimable 5th line on Fuels but run the stock high Y set up on the Torch. The edge seeking nature of the Torch suits the longer 24m line set up for massive airs and easy upwind. That kite has loads of top end. The fuels are grunty and suit shorter lines. They have a single point 5th line attachment, not a split like the Torch. Tensioning the 5th has a different effect on shape. It flattens the kite, significantly depowering it. A cleated 5th lets you choose from completely slack, letting the fuel fly free with a little flex, to just off tight like MM refers to so the kite keeps all its power and doesn't deform at all, to actually tensioned, which flattens the kite a touch helping it fly further forward with less power for easier upwind, to over tensioned which pretty much completely neuters the kite for safe transit of sketchy ice or rocky shorelines with the kite up. Also super handy for sitting out squalls, ass in the snow, kite at the edge down low. Highly recommend this mod for Fuels. Many old C kites were strictly 4 line and do not have a suitable attachment for a 5th line. Have a look at yours. They all have a pump leash attachment, make sure its as reinforced as the pigtails are or you will rip it off the kite the first time there is any sudden load on the 5th.
As mentioned, you can take struts off C kites. I would only do this for foiling or snow kiting. It significantly lowers the kites wind range. I only use my stripped Fuel on snow in under 16 knots. That used to be its absolute bottom end on water! C kites are a really stable shape and won't invert easily. Easy enough to experiment with deflated struts to figure out which ones can go.
The only other mod I would try on older C kites is what *Matt Pendle did back in the day with Globerider kites. He ran a short line between two front line attachment points. just a simple loop of pigtail gauge line from front to rear front line attachments (they are only a few cm apart and not all kites have them). Just enough to make a short 10 cm deep V bridle. Then you run an SS ring with pigtail on the V. It extended the pivot point and gave it a little range on the line to better depower his C kites. Doesn't exactly make it into a Naish Pivot, but his C kites were the bomb and his thinking was sound. His ideas were often copied. Remember you will need to extend the rear line pigtails on the kite to match the fronts.
Matt Pendle is an unrecognized pioneer in our sport. Yet another Fenchman we owe thanks! He started at the beginning with WIPIKA. His legendary airblast was the first amazing C kite. Tricky to fly like everything else back then, but those things were the DNA behind all the first big boosters. His "KPO" or kite power optimizer bridle outlined above was the first of its kind on an LEI. He figured out bridles on LEIs early. The Globerider SONIC was the first really good bridled kite. So good it was copied pretty much panel for panel and named the Waroo. Remember the 9m Waroo? It owes everything to the SONIC.
Bottom line, If your old C kites have more than one option for the front line attachment (which many did) you have the option of a tiny V bridle for each front line that will give the kite a little better upwind and better gust handling. They will still be slow, underpowered, and heavy by todays standards.
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