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Foil kite hot launch

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Peter_Frank » Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:24 pm

The kite has no power while it inflates, so no problem hot launching a double skin.

Some would say you should power it up, so it does not accelerate and it will fill much nicer, instead of having it flap up fast with sloppy ears :rollgrin:

It all depends on what you ride, say you ride freeride/wave hydrofoil with single skin kites - then you can hot launch powered or depowered, it fills up instantly.
And easy to land the same way.

If you ride in a lot of wind, with these, it can be a handful to launch and (hot) land.

Are you jumping powered on a TT or hydrofoil, with double skin kites, you can hotlaunch yes, but not land.
If you hydrofoil in marginal wind, hotlaunch and landing is easy with double skins of course.

And the hotlaunch when windy can be sketchy too if you dont have short lines.

If you have landed a fully inflated double skin backwards in some wind, and want to start again - I am pretty sure powering it up almost backing it, and slowly working it up should be the less powerful way, but can be extremely difficult.
Fully depowered will race it up at max power.

8) Peter
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Herman
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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Herman » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:23 pm

As Indicated above their are lots of different scenarios. However, If I am hot launching an inflated foil or open cell foil in a decent wind I hold it back with the floaters and release it asymmetrically so that flys to the edge of the window rather than straight up. I also move in the opposite direction and downwind so that the kite quickly reaches the edge of window while the movement down wind reduces line tension. Takes some practice because if you over do the asymmetry and leave one side stuck on the ground, the kite will trip over itself.

As the kite is mostly oversheeted with the leaders during this process I don’t usually bother to alter the trim from how it was parked. Usually this would be about half trim as that is how I put them on the tether. Trim is not that relevant as I am not using the bar, it is just me, the leaders and, the chicken loop that are in direct connection with the kite. For me, this gives the best feedback and control.
Last edited by Herman on Tue Mar 30, 2021 9:31 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby evan » Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:35 am

Always fully powered when on higher aspect ratio twinskins. If you let them shoot forward while they are not 100% inflated they will collapse violently to a point you can not recover from the mess if you don't be careful.

So keep the kite on the point of backstall, hovering in place and slowly let it move forward once fully inflated.


But I always side launch my race kites, makes you slide along the beach less when really powered and you can always pull it into a hot launch if there isn't enough wind by walking further Upwind.

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Pemba » Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:05 am

Herman wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 2:38 pm
Pemba.

Imho it is worth developing asymmetric braking skills so that you can land from the edge of the window rather than from Z. It can be done by asymmetric use of a brake handle but imho it is much easier to do with the leaders. You can be progressive with the braking in order to keep the kite in shape and have a less violent change in pull. Build your experience slowly, if possible, gradually using stronger wind, to see how much power you can confidently control before resorting to flagging. If you just brake hard with a handle you get the unpleasant experience you describe.

Try practicing by putting the kite at the edge of the window, work out how you want to transfer your hands to the leaders and then practice 60° rotations to start with. As the kite rotates down it will drift downwind so start in light wind so you are not overpowered when you recover the kite back to normal flying. You may be surprised how little brake you need. It is also easier to get your hands on the leaders if you trim in. Also the kite will be at lower AOA, possibly less powered, if you let go of the leaders but remember that you will have to pull in more brake as the trimmed in kite will be keener to fly.

Having said the above I mostly use my foils for landboarding and so rarely push the upper limits on them. If I felt overpowered I would seek an assisted landing if possible or flag out.

If I get it spot on the kite rotates backwards to more or less TE parallel to the ground, then I try to keep the kite in shape by not overbraking as it swings to dead downwind just off the deck where I apply more brake to make it sit. Obviously in strong wind you have to commit because you can’t just let go of the leaders with the kite dead downwind!
Thank you very much. With "asymmetric braking (skills)" you mean pulling in one back line more than the other, thereby backstalling the kite, but keeping it on or close to the edge of the window ? I think I understand and will try that, it makes a lot of sense, in fact I'm wondering now why I never thought of it..



Off course I would ask for help if there were other people. But that is often not the case. Therefore it (self landing) is a skill which I need to have/develop.

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Herman » Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:43 am

^^ Yes. Different pull on the leaders or floaters. It can be done with a brake handle by holding it offset and using the spare hand on the appropriate leader for any correction. However if you are holding the leaders imho you get much more feedback and feel to control the backward flying but getting hold of the leaders while keeping the kite steady needs practice. You don’t have to get exactly on the balls or handle junction, particularly with the bottom hand, as you can feel how much pull is required. Once the kite has sat you can gather the balls or handle. Again start in light wind to hone the technique and get a feel for it.

With regard to launching Evans point of avoiding a leading edge tuck and violent collapse is very important. Even with a side launch it is relatively easy to get a bottom half tuck making the kite drift back downwind where it can pop open and have you whizzing down the beach.
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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby SolarSet » Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:44 am

edt wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:42 pm
I hate landing my foil kites and if at all possible get an assisted landing. Launching them is easy. At some launches there is a wind shadow that you can reverse land them at easily but still would rather get someone to catch it.
If you compare lunching foil kite to landing yes you can say lunching is easy but if you comparing self lunching LEI and foil kite its no longer easy. There is loads of things that can go wrong during self lunching even below 20kts

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Adventure Logs » Tue Mar 30, 2021 5:33 pm

SolarSet wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:44 am
edt wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:42 pm
I hate landing my foil kites and if at all possible get an assisted landing. Launching them is easy. At some launches there is a wind shadow that you can reverse land them at easily but still would rather get someone to catch it.
If you compare lunching foil kite to landing yes you can say lunching is easy but if you comparing self lunching LEI and foil kite its no longer easy. There is loads of things that can go wrong during self lunching even below 20kts
With practice and experience, I would disagree with you, especially in lower winds. You can self launch a foil kite just as easily as self launching a LEI. Also you won't be dragging the leading edge like a LEI and really not launching through the power zone(non tethered lei launches).

The reason I launch/land trimmed for full power is it's easier to keep the kite backstalled during launch(reduces kite pull) and I know exactly how much backline tension I need for a soft backstalled landing. So really, as long as you do it constantly the same way, any trim setting should work. As always practice makes perfect, especially in lower winds.

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby keegster17 » Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:36 pm

thanks guys. Interesting thoughts My thinking is fully powered in low winds, is fine, but I depower, so the kite is not fully open and don't stand the chance to get thrown forward/upward. I almost feel better with kite slowly expanding, just in case of a wild gust comes thru.

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:38 pm

SolarSet wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:44 am
edt wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:42 pm
I hate landing my foil kites and if at all possible get an assisted landing. Launching them is easy. At some launches there is a wind shadow that you can reverse land them at easily but still would rather get someone to catch it.
If you compare lunching foil kite to landing yes you can say lunching is easy but if you comparing self lunching LEI and foil kite its no longer easy. There is loads of things that can go wrong during self lunching even below 20kts

I dont understand this?

Do you say more things can go wrong when selflaunching a LEI or a foil kite?

Or that many things can go wrong with both?

I ride both so must say I dont understand what you mean?

8) Peter

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Re: Foil kite hot launch

Postby JakeFarley » Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:15 pm

With my 21m, hot launching is a challenge as there is a wind shadow from the elevated parking lot and palm trees. I slightly inflate the center of the kite so that it does not produce a ton of power whe it gets above the wind shadow. I have to run back to get the kite above the wind shadow. In higher winds, I have slid across the grass or have run up under the kite. Not a good scenario.

I really like Herman's hot launch technique, getting the kite to the edge of the window, and will practice it next time out.


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