Hey Don, how long are your stunt kite's flying lines?
Depends one the size and weight of the kite but depending on the wind... I ALWAYS use the lightest gauge spectra as possibe.
Seems to me the longer they are, that more stretch would be possible.
Is that correct?
Yes..that makes sense...whether the lines are single strand cable...Spectra cheapie dime store dacron..etc.
I enjoy flying kites usually on about 85 ft. and never over 100ft. but again that so much depeds on the kite and the wind speeds.
I know I have flown cheap stunt kites on Dacron, and they stretch pretty good @ around 100 feet or more, requiring extra input to control it than it does closer in.
Sorry Jim, not trying to hijack your here...
So now in addition to tying techniques we have to deal with pre-stretching these lines before each flight?
NO! VD~NO! Once the Spectra has been pre stretched properly...and carefully the stretch is no longer an issue. Only in flying precision kite events...IN HIGH WIND CONDITIONS many picky competitiors ALWAYS CHECK THEIR LINES...SAME GOES FOR COMPETITION STUNT FLYERS..DAAA? It only takes a moment to check the lines for either sport kites or your handles for control line stunt.
MORE STUNT MODELS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED by folks not double checking their handle adjustments and even some have been known to even hook them UP BACKAZZ WARD, right?
Just what does that entail? Something similar to a pull test? And how long is the pre-stretch good for? If something is claimed to be extremely low stretch line, then why are we stretching it before flight?
Spectra lines ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL...and that is why I recommend HIGH QUALITY SHANTI COMPETITION LINES. Although they cost more..IN THE LONG RUN they are far and away cheaper since they have extremely low stretch, even when brand new..Plus they are soooo smooth and slick..and in flying mode....this also keep wind drag and reduces line drape which effects not only stunt models....but the average quality 8foot stunt kite usually weighes less than 10 ounces and many of the new age control line stunt model often are over 60 ounces?..
I'm not trying to be critical, I just have a lot of unknowns here.
Bottom line:
The JURY IS STILL VERY MUCH OUT ON USING SPECTRA FIBER FYING LINES...but I can assure ou that after playing around with multi strand stunt model cables...ON MY SPORT KITES. IT WAS LIKE FLYING ON CHAINS...in comparison to flying on quality SHANTI SPECTRA FIBER LINES
I'm already sold on the idea for 1/2A lines.
I will bet ya...that you will be quite pleasantly surprised.
Hey Schultzie, stunt kites is where my son learned to finally do control line aerobatics. I think Jeff Johnson is the one who put him on one in Wichita Kansas in a 30 mph breeze. ::) Now I am making a statement here. My opinion only. I do not think if a stunt kite break a line that it will put too many people in danger. n~ DOC Holliday
Where do you get the sleeving material and what is it?Any kite shop or online kite shop...but I would go to www.cuttingedgekites.com and tellum...Don Shultz (their old Boeing kite buds sentya') H^^
In the high performance events: Speed, Racing, Carrier, and Combat, it is essential to equalize the lines so as to let the contestants compete based on the merits of engines, airplanes, pilotage, and sometimes, pitting.LL~I TOO...WOULD NEVER IN THIS LIFE TIME USE SPECTRA FOR FLYING ANY MULTI AIRCRAFT MODEL EVENTS or rat race or any other control line event where more than one airplane are flying together...since SPECTRA LINES when rubbed or schaffed together, depending on the contact could easily melt SPECTRA LINES...INSTANTLY!
To that end, many have events further equalized fuel and even limited competition to specifc engines.
Using dissimilar lines in Combat and Racing is certain trouble. When the lines get tangled, somebody (the guy with softer lines) is going free flight. With equal lines, there's a much better chance of a harmless crash inside the arena.
Opening the choice of lines to what amounts to anarchy is a huge step in the wrong direction. With the wide variety of sizes, brands, and materials used in fish line, who is quailfied to pass judgment on what you can use? Do we need to hire a consultant from The Pro Bass Shop to inspect lines and terminations?
Under the current stunt rules, there is effectively no lower limit to the lines you can legally use, so fish line won't be much of a hazard compared to the thin grades of steel lines that are aready permitted.
"Under the current stunt rules, there is effectively no lower limit to the lines you can legally use..."
Seems like an erroneous statements since MINIMUM line size per model weight is specified in the CLPA rules.
Have to pop in here and bring some actual tests and data to the furor.Yes! Spectra lines will USUALLY "MOST OF THE TIME" BREAK AT A KNOT...and any knot will reduce the strength even as much as 50%.
Braided Spectra(tm) line is the only stuff to use. The "fusion" products, such as SpiderWire fusion, which are still around in some stores, is not nearly as shock resistant as the braided stuff. They will break at the knot pretty easily if a plane gets loose on the lines and hits the end. I have not done any tests on the monoline line made with various fluorocarbons, but all the test data I've seen(which isn't much) on fishing line says the solid monoline products all have significantly more stretch.
I just tested(again) some Powerline Fluorescent Yellow, rated at 100 lb. It has a diameter of about .019 when stretched hard, .020-.022 when not under tension. Using the sleeve method shown above(using 70 lb. test Dacron hollow line, which is a tight fit) I made a short piece of line up, pre-stretched it to 35 lb. for a minute or so a couple of times, and then pulled it 'til it broke. It broke at 50 lb.
I made up a second test piece using a surgeon's knot(a simple double overhand knot with the loop passed through the knot twice). Prestretched at 35 lb 2-3 times and pull tested it broke at 47lb.
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When you are referring to "Spiderwire" are you talking about Spiderwire brand Stealth High Performance Braid? That is what i have been using for a couple of years now and is available at most sporting good stores including Wallyworld..Any thing with the name SPIDER WIRE has always sounded fishy to me and my old kite buds SPIDER .Stealth High Preformance braid, I personally haven't tried any lines lately that are designed for fishing. Many of the top mfg. of sport kites..have carefully tested many many brands of Spectra and so far I tend to feel the same way they do.
I have worked with Phil C for a good while to try and get experience with Spectra. His background in materials science is a major plus. There are 2 things that have not yet been said. First, Spectra has an obvious and major electric advantage over steel in terms of both lightning strikes and static.FIRST.
Spectra seems to be totally nonconductive. As far as I can tell with 110 volt informal testing, a VOM reveals no conductivity at that voltage. My guess is that at lightning voltages, it might be that Spectra with moisture offers an ionization path, so conductivity might not matter much. This means that the shock hazard for those few who insist on flying during thunderstorms is lessened, but not eliminated. I'd ask Don Schultz to give us the benefit of his experience with kites as to shock hazard. A great and separate advantage is that the lines tend to attract much less dirt due to static charge. The extent to which this reduces sliding friction has yet to be studied.
Shultzie-
Shanti kite line is made out of Spectra:
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