Tuning the sails

[mrdenny]

After joining the form and reading for about a week, I went out flying today for the first time in quite awhile. I noticed things felt kind of sluggish and due to my reading here I checked the tension of the sail for the first time and realized it was loose as a goose. Who knows how long it's been that way. I have had this 1.5 SLE since 2002. I adjust things on the spot and immediately noticed a huge improvement. I guess what I am trying to say is thanks guys. Now it's time to read more to see what else I can do and just how to keep thing as good as Rev intended. If I knew anyone around here that flew Revs I would surly tell them to join this form.

[antman]

i too like real tight sails when they get to loose i untie the bungees and retie them tighter then cut away the extra i just did my shockwave sail it to was flying bad with a simple tightening now all is well

[KiteLife]

Yup, I'm in total agreement.

[mrdenny]

I untied/retied the lower bungees. Like I said it worked great but, is there any difference or preference

in lower vs. upper bungees?

[Stephen Hoath]

For me tightening the top bungee is the best choice. The reason for this is that it pushes the verticle spars down. This means less rod sticking up past the leading edge. The means less snags when sliding on the ground etc etc.

Either way, try and make sure that all sides of the sail are even. Another tip, try and adjust the sail on a dry day, if the kite is wet you get stretch so when it dries out everything tightens up again. So if you tightened the sail too far you could have problems.

[mrdenny]

Good advice! I am glad I only tied the bungee and have not cut it yet. Now all I need is some wind.

[antman]

i notciced that with a tighter sail lighter wind peformance is much better

[stryker2]

Agreed! Tight is good

[Ruud]

Agreed! Tight is good

Hi all,

I have replaced the top bungee with an old piece of bridle line, and it flies even better.

[mrdenny]

Hi all,

I have replaced the top bungee with an old piece of bridle line, and it flies even better.

That’s interesting. Are you able to get the caps on and keep the tension? It seems like that might be a cleaner way of doing things. Take a picture for us.

[KiteLife]

Ruud, can you describe the difference... How it flies better this way?

Genuinely curious.

MrDenny, he still has bungi on the bottom end caps... Still easy to take on/off.

[johnnmitchell]

Ruud, can you describe the difference... How it flies better this way?

Genuinely curious.

MrDenny, he still has bungi on the bottom end caps... Still easy to take on/off.

I did this once, long ago, and it made the sail really stiff. I remember it had flown quite nice.The end caps were not easy to remove, but possible. However, it did not last long as the sail stretched very quickly.

It does have its pros and cons.

[KiteLife]

Yeah, excessive sail stretch would be a drag.

[CLTKiter]

Yeah, excessive sail stretch would be a drag.

A drag in more ways than one.....

[Ruud]

he still has bungi on the bottom end caps... Still easy to take on/off.

Indeed, and the difference imho is that it feels more precise.

The end caps were not easy to remove, but possible. However, it did not last long as the sail stretched very quickly.

That is too tight, my sail has just a little vertikal winkle that disapears when flying, and I have no excessive sail stretch.

[johnnmitchell]

That is too tight, my sail has just a little vertikal winkle that disapears when flying, and I have no excessive sail stretch.

You will get a horizontal stretch of the sail much earlier then when using a bungi. Not today or tomorrow but soon.

One of the reasons for a bungi is to help prevent the sail from stretching by stretching itself first. With a non-stretch connection to the end cap puts all the stress on the sail, thus stretch, no matter how reasonably tight or reasonably loose it is.

Believe me, I have been flying Revolution kites for 17 years and I have been through quite a number of sails. I have seen them stretch so much that they rip at the stress points, because I used very low stretch bungi material or string.

Another name for bungi is shock chord. The name explains it's self.

[Ruud]

John,

Don't get me wrong, I believe you, and I respect the things you did with a Rev, but I'm always try to improve things.

Are you coming to Berck next week, ifso maybe we can have a little chat about it.

Greetings,

Ruud

[johnnmitchell]

John,

Don't get me wrong, I believe you, and I respect the things you did with a Rev, but I'm always try to improve things.

Are you coming to Berck next week, ifso maybe we can have a little chat about it.

Greetings,

Ruud

Really, I just want to make you quite aware of the down falls from my experience before you destroy a good sail.

The goal to achieve, is to find a material that will develop the bellow you need in the sail, that does not stretch, even over a period of time. Then your solid connection to the end caps would work well over a reasonable length of time.

You might be able to do something with an all mylar sail by cutting a slight curve on the seams between pieces in order to achieve the below you need. Of course, you will have to develop a panel layout to create this bellow. If you ever looked precisely at a Synergy Deca, they use this concept, but with Icarex. Mylar has another downfall in that it is slick relative to the roughness of polyester or nylon. This tells me the air would slide off maybe too easy.

Icarex did make a mylar backed polyester around 10-12 years ago. It looked like the P38(not P31) on the front, with a smooth mylar back. This might have been the perfect solution. Unfortunately it appears that it has long disappeared from the market and to top it off, the available colors were very limited. Maybe with luck, you might still find some of it somewhere.

Sorry, both Berck and Cervia are out for me this year. I am hoping to go to both next year.

[Madquad]

Really, I just want to make you quite aware of the down falls from my experience before you destroy a good sail.

The goal to achieve, is to find a material that will develop the bellow you need in the sail, that does not stretch, even over a period of time. Then your solid connection to the end caps would work well over a reasonable length of time.

You might be able to do something with an all mylar sail by cutting a slight curve on the seams between pieces in order to achieve the below you need. Of course, you will have to develop a panel layout to create this bellow. If you ever looked precisely at a Synergy Deca, they use this concept, but with Icarex. Mylar has another downfall in that it is slick relative to the roughness of polyester or nylon. This tells me the air would slide off maybe too easy.

Icarex did make a mylar backed polyester around 10-12 years ago. It looked like the P38(not P31) on the front, with a smooth mylar back. This might have been the perfect solution. Unfortunately it appears that it has long disappeared from the market and to top it off, the available colors were very limited. Maybe with luck, you might still find some of it somewhere.

Sorry, both Berck and Cervia are out for me this year. I am hoping to go to both next year.

So....one year later..... are you going to Berck this year John ??

[briansommers]

is there a link or something that would show exactly how to "tighten your sails"? - I have been out of flying for about 3 yrs and I want to get back into it again.

[Morrunya]

I'm sure there is a link somewhere, but it is really very simple.

All you need to do is make the bungees shorter. To d this, tie a new knot in one end of the bungee, then cut off what is left sticking out.

[big bri]

is there a link or something that would show exactly how to "tighten your sails"? - I have been out of flying for about 3 yrs and I want to get back into it again.

Welcome Back To The Darkside.The force has pulled you back in .

I havent or dont remember alink with pictures or diagrams.I bet ther is one though.

Best advice i could give is,keep everything to equal tension.Stephen Hoaths advice early in the thread and John Mitchells helped me sort a bag boy out.

BRIAN...

[JD]

Welcome Back To The Darkside.The force has pulled you back in .

LOL

[Baloo]

Steve de Rooy tuned one of my sails for me at Portsmouth. Still trying to work out if it was a good thing or not.

I instantly thought once he had done it I would be able to fly as well as any of iQuad.

And do you know what, it was magical. My kite behaved just like the team kites.

That was until I picked the handles up. Then for some reason it just flew around all over the place. Well sometimes it was in the place I wanted it.

No honestly thanks Steve.

[stlimkh]

I'm wondering how do I know if my sail needs tuning. I have a ~4 mth old B-series. My wife's is ~1 mth old. But mine flutters a lil' when I fly fast and hers doesn't.

Is the fluttering normal?

[Baloo]

Try tuning a little more brake into your flying set up. If you fly with loose brake lines it is easy to get sail flutter.

I am fairly sure Steve told me to tighten the sail till nearly all the wrinkle was taken out of it along the vert spars if that makes sense. So have a look at your sail when it is set up. If it looks more wrinkly than your Wifes, tighten it up a bit. See if it gets better. If you leave the bit of bungee on initially it is easy to untie the knot again if thigs dont get better.