Herman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 1:00 am
Just to be jocular I won’t agree with either! If single skins were more powerful arguably they would be the race kite of choice. Power is a rate of energy per second and is watts needed to win races, bike or kite. However if we are talking pull I think Peter is on the money. This is not a new phenomenon, just ask people who remember the C quad!
You are right, power and pull is not the same.
Although - racekites need to be efficient meaning maximum lift/drag ratio, on cost of agility (turning) which they dont need as they are going with the maximum controllable size in a given wind.
Meaning when I ride a 5 m2 Peak they ride 20 m2 racekites
The ability to give power on demand is extreme for light small kites, this is where many single skin kites excel, if not too big.
But one could make a really powerful/pullkite in double skin with more camber in a small size also, which would not have max L/D for racing, but be able to ride in the lowest possible wind relative to its small size, especially taken into account it need to be flown around so span must not be too high.
Last winter we had a fun example on skates on the ice, in maybe 2-5 knots of wind or something, on the limit where just possible to kite-skate.
I used the 5 m2 Peak4 and it worked perfectly, easy although not much riding speed in this low wind, but fun.
My experienced buddy used his 9 m2 racekite, and he said (and it was easy to see) that it kinda "raced to the side of the window" and lost its pull now, as no speed to generate pull.
Looping constantly did not work well, not fun at least, and would require longer lines.
So at low speed they are not good, compared...
Just an observation, a bit surprised eventhough it makes sense - in a tad more wind (or skate speed) the small racekite would probably work great.
Peter