andylc wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 10:41 pm
Forgive me for being thick - it would be great if someone could work out how to get a foil kite like the Soul to turn faster. I’m not sure I quite get why this is not possible. The Soul in particular once inflated is a really solid kite in the sky, so why is there not a way to make a bridle system that will make it turn a bit less like the Titanic especially in the larger sizes?
In case of bigger sizes you need to calculate that the wind flow over the kite is slower as well. Like if you are driving a car with 8 mile an hour you can't realy do some wild slalom course because you are just too slow and you cant get the same dynamic turns as if you would drive 25 or 40 miles an hour speed. Most Lei users tries a 15M foil kite in 12 knots and then comparing it to his 11M Lei in 20-25 knots, which is stupid. He should compare it to 19M Lei in 12 knots and then he gets a correct answer.
Tips to make the Soul faster turning:
-use bigger bar, 60 cm for 15 and 12M Soul.
-Definitely grab the bar at widest position some Lei riders still try to hold them in the middle just like a 7-9m Lei.
-Shorten the rear lines 2-3 cm, this definitely does help.
-Consider use line extensions, if you want more power, as line extensions are enables you to put the kite more into the power zone. The 15, 18, and 21 M definitely needs a 3 M extenision in lighter winds.
-Use the Infinity bar and not the Force bar, Infinity bars has a slightly wider "stance" where you can hold them and buy this you can use more force for the turning.
The above settings should handle every turning problem you might have but there is still one more theoretical idea:
Souls were designed with the idea that they could do a wide powerfull loop without the sides going into a negative spin (just like the Sonic does), this enables less experienced riders to generate a lot of power in the loop or turns. If you shorten the Z bridle lines the way that the Z lines are a bit shorter close to the tip of the kite then you will get a faster turn. Chances are high that you might cause other problems, such as slightly less performance or maybe less stability by changing the reflex profile.