inventing_man Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 How Can it be done ? Pilot stands stationary Just like on the beach .... But its INDOORS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrunya Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 I've actually thought of this. I can just imagine a big building where one side just has HUGE fans. It could be used to practice outdoor flying, then the fans could be turned off and closed to do normal indoor flying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 I've actually thought of this. I can just imagine a big building where one side just has HUGE fans. It could be used to practice outdoor flying, then the fans could be turned off and closed to do normal indoor flying Hi Watty Fans or Blowers ? and How large ( or many) do you think It will take ? Any Special Wall building to "tunnel" the wind ? Would it be better to use the fan or blowers as suction Pulling straight air into the kite ... instead of Blowing turbulent air into it ? How Long would the control lines be ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyjuggles Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Well, in the UK we are breeding world class snowboarders by sticking them inside massive fridges and teaching them to do jumps and rails on snowboards so why not? My only concern, which is similar really to indoor snow, is that without the tempering influence of real wind (or real mountains and snow) you might end up breeding a new type of kite flyer (snowboarder) who has now idea how to read the wind (terrain), different conditions or experience the delight (!) of pulling off an axel just as the wind changes (riding on ice!). . . Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Well, in the UK we are breeding world class snowboarders by sticking them inside massive fridges and teaching them to do jumps and rails on snowboards so why not? My only concern, which is similar really to indoor snow, is that without the tempering influence of real wind (or real mountains and snow) you might end up breeding a new type of kite flyer (snowboarder) who has now idea how to read the wind (terrain), different conditions or experience the delight (!) of pulling off an axel just as the wind changes (riding on ice!). . . Marty If a straight wind chamber can be done , then I suppose "turbulence" could be introduced . In the way of turning on some blowers, or turning the straight wind with big "rudders" . As a starting point, How long do you think the lines need to be ? This will define the building size > and cubic feet of air to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartman Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 How much money do you want to spend? I'd say, if money is no object, build it 260 feet wide and 150 feet high in the shape of a flattened half circle - no square corners. This should allow for team flying. Length depends on how many people you would want to have flying at the same time vs how much air you could move down the tube at a constant velocity. The fans would probably need some kind of louver system to condition the wind that is generated. I could use one of these wind tunnels here! Bart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 That would be Nice indeed , but just as a starting point lets say you have a room of around 30 foot square L ,W, H , and lines of 25 foot long flying a single ultra light in a wind of 5 -7 mph. What would it take in air handling equipment to get that . Then expand on it to see where a nominal size / price resides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JynxKites Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Build it in Wisconsin!... You'd have plenty of customers during our (too many) cold months! It's snowing as I speak we need an indoor range Jynx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Kite RANGE !! I never thought of it as a range... But that is for sure what it is LOL ! Dang !! I fired off an Email to a industerail air handeling company to see what they have to say . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melnsct Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Don't they already have one of these in Dubai?? It's in the same mall as the indoor ski slope. Melanie in Tennessee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Is there a link to it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Foster Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Perhaps one of those huge aircraft hangers with fans at one end. The fans should be exhaust fans, pulling the air through the building, just as mother nature uses low pressure areas to pull the air from high pressure areas. Air is much more easily pulled than pushed. Why don't you work on this, Watty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrunya Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hi Watty Fans or Blowers ? and How large ( or many) do you think It will take ? Any Special Wall building to "tunnel" the wind ? Would it be better to use the fan or blowers as suction Pulling straight air into the kite ... instead of Blowing turbulent air into it ? How Long would the control lines be ? I think the fans would work best because it would have a smoother wind (if that makes sense). The blowers would be too concentrated in particular areas while fans are more spread out. Ideally, it would be cool to be able to practice team stuff on 120' lines. But going all the way down to 20 foot lines doesn't sound as much fun. With REALLY short lines outdoors, there really is not as much you can do. The shortest line set I use outdoors is 30'. Perhaps one of those huge aircraft hangers with fans at one end. The fans should be exhaust fans, pulling the air through the building, just as mother nature uses low pressure areas to pull the air from high pressure areas.Air is much more easily pulled than pushed. Why don't you work on this, Watty? HA! I don't have the money or the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnmitchell Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Perhaps one of those huge aircraft hangers with fans at one end. The fans should be exhaust fans, pulling the air through the building, just as mother nature uses low pressure areas to pull the air from high pressure areas.Air is much more easily pulled than pushed. Why don't you work on this, Watty? Seems to me there were some blimp hangers which are arch shaped somewhere in California that aren't being used. It would be on an ex-Naval base, but I can't recall the name however El Toro seems to ring a bell. I think fans behind you would be best, just in case the REV got loose it wouldn't be eaten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfarl Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 I think the fans would work best because it would have a smoother wind (if that makes sense). The blowers would be too concentrated in particular areas while fans are more spread out.Ideally, it would be cool to be able to practice team stuff on 120' lines. But going all the way down to 20 foot lines doesn't sound as much fun. With REALLY short lines outdoors, there really is not as much you can do. The shortest line set I use outdoors is 30'. HA! I don't have the money or the time! To make it like the winds I am use to, use oscillating fans with random automatic on/off switch and variable speed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS Kite Stakes Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Essentially you are talking about a wind tunnel. Here is some info on wind tunnels, and on the worlds largest, located in the NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California: http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/WindTunnel.html I bet someone with enough cash or clout could get some time in that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andelscott Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 For a few years now, there have been indoor windsurfing competitions (mostly for display purposes) and they say it is different from sailing outdoors (no surprise there). Banks of fans generate the lift they need for speed and jumps. Force 4 is a good starting point for them. The London boat show featured indoor windsurfing from 2004 to (?) 2006 or 2007 and other European events have run. Some YouTube videos show the fans they used around the pool. Fortunately kites are lighter! This one gives a good shot of the fans they used: In a kite context, I'd guess the scatter from the far wall would need careful planning to prevent carnage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choccy Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 But its INDOORS? I'll let you know how I get on next year when I take my kite here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloo Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 I'll let you know how I get on next year when I take my kite here If you are going to do that please remember to ask them to turn the fans down to stop you being splattered on the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcom714 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 I'll let you know how I get on next year when I take my kite here Now THAT looks like fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyjuggles Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 A quick google brings up this info: http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=35&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=348&backPid=29&cHash=07e9ddca42 Which states that the fans generate up to 30 knots (about 35 mph) which is waaaaaaay more than we would need - assuming about a 10mph wind is arguably 'perfect' wind you'd only need a couple of those fans. Also according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsurfing#Indoor_windsurfing there are a permanent indoor facilities being constructed around the globe including Germany. So all we need to do is find some German kite flyers to organise (in partnership of course) the first (w)indoor rev flying championships - there could even have be a water flying heat! Marty (actually quite excited about this concept now!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyjuggles Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 A quick google brings up this info: http://www.pwaworldtour.com/index.php?id=35&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=348&backPid=29&cHash=07e9ddca42 Which states that the fans generate up to 30 knots (about 35 mph) which is waaaaaaay more than we would need - assuming about a 10mph wind is arguably 'perfect' wind you'd only need a couple of those fans. Also according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsurfing#Indoor_windsurfing there are a permanent indoor facilities being constructed around the globe including Germany. So all we need to do is find some German kite flyers to organise (in partnership of course) the first (w)indoor rev flying championships - there could even have be a water flying heat! Marty (actually quite excited about this concept now!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventing_man Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 The hangers For Blimps are at Moffett Field Ca. And they are huge !! And being used for storing aircraft and Now 1 airship . The NASA wind tunnel is just next door to them . I was stationed there in the late 70's . When the wind tunnel was working , you knew it ...It was LOUD ! Sounded like a jet landing with thrust reverser's on full . We just need a breeze, not a Cat 5 hurricane So it ought to be not to difficult to realize . I have not received any e mail replies yet . Marty , maybe you can inquire of some Industrial air firms on your side of the pond and see what they say ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor99 Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 would it not be cheaper to book a flight to the Polynesian Islands and to stand on a beach in the wind? Or am I missing the point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyjuggles Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 would it not be cheaper to book a flight to the Polynesian Islands and to stand on a beach in the wind? Or am I missing the point Now i'm liking THAT concept even more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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