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.

[stlimkh]

okay. I'll try that in my next flight.. Thanks...

[big bri]

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.

More wrinkly than his Wifes WHAT .Dangerous ground,wife and Wrinkles on the same page.

Anyways,Great advice from the Bear.Also Try,just movin ya hands down the Handles an inch or a tad more.See if that cures the Flapper.I find if my hands used to creep up high on the handles.Then the sail sounds very loud.Ballos adjustment should then Silence the Baggy Boy[flutter]

Have a good weekend everyone

BRIAN...

[Scott_of_melnsct]

More wrinkly than his Wifes WHAT .Dangerous ground,wife and Wrinkles on the same page.

I don't know how to spell the sound I make when something strikes me so funny that I go straight to not breathing. It's sort of a slow wheezing sound. Look forward to meeting you in real life someday Bri.

[Baloo]

Dont forget to meet me too Scott.

Bri couldnt possibly be as funny without me.

I am the catalyst in the reaction. Hee hee.

[dean750]

Okay, over thought or not, this concerns my Baby...... (Thks again Bazzer )

Is a sign of needing attention on the lower vert bungee's when the tip of the sail is to one side or the other of the vert rod, and the bungee is equally tensioned?

Usually the tip of the sail is to the outside of the vert tip. The LE cap to the vert cap angle of sail is very tight, but the trailing edge from vert cap to vert cap is a little sloppy.

Heres what I was thinking. Tell me if I'm in the right area or not.

Since the sail, LE to vert tip is tight, it's in the right spot. So with the kite logo down, I should tune the inside bungee knot (tighten) to pull the tip of the sail even with the vert cap? I know I've over thought this again. Sorry.

I just use my Leatherman pliers to hold the end of the bungee and try to roll the knot toward the vert cap. It's pretty much micro adjusting but pulls the tip of the sail back to where I thought it should be.

It does tighten the trailing edge a bit. So I really only do it in light wind. It's something I correct before flying.

Looking up, all I can say is sorry.

Heres my question.

Should I continue making micro adjustments for certain wind conditions, or should I just tune the sail and be done with it?

My worry is that as I said about 20 something pages ago is that the LE cap to the vert cap of the sail is very tight.

Also, the LE to LE caps are very tight.

So, "SHOULD" I maybe loosen the LE cap bungee's slightly and then adjust the vert caps so the sail tip is even with the center of the vert cap? Tighten the trailing edge without over tightening the outter edge of the sail.

My fear is by continuing to tune the inner knot for the trailing edge is that I'm also pulling the outter edge of the sail tight. I've seen and flown a team kite that is wacky on the lower tip and outter edge of the sail. Black really shows the stretch marks.

Hoping one of ya all, or all ya all have the answer to this question. I've noticed an out of tune sail can affect a persons flying ability and style. I can't believe I've been jerkin' the kite around like I have.

Dean

Edited September 12, 2009 by Dean750

[JeffD]

Earlier in this thread a reference was made to tightening the bungi until there was no wrinkle at the vert spars.

I think I read somewhere else on the forum that tight enough was when there WAS some wrinkle in the sail at the verticle spars and that this would smooth in flight. This is what seems right to me.

Could someone straighten out this wrinkle before I have to think the word "wrinkle" again and it looses all meaning and becomes just another strange sound?

[Baloo]

Was going to quote your post Dean, however not sure the server could deal with it

OK, so here is what I THINK you are asking, tee hee, only teasing.

As far as the caps at the bottom of the sail are concerned I think yo will find they kind of self centre on the bungees. So tighten either side and it will slip till it is in the middle. Your mention of what I presume you mean the "point" of the bottom being one side or the other, must admit I have never noticed, nor worried about this. Of course now that you have mentioned it I will immesiatly get all my kites out, note it down for all of them, and be worried if any of them are different (tease).

Question for yourself, when you tease them to one side or the other with your Leatherman (cool pliers btw, I have the Wave which do you have?) after you have flown it do you check it again, I would suspect that in flight it settles back to wherever it wants to be.

If you loosen the LE bungees you will give yourself more "bits" to catch when you do inverted slides and stuff.

Long answer short, just tune it and forget about it. I think even a baggy sail Rev has the potential to fly MUCH better than I could ever fly it. For me flying a Rev or any other kite (except one of those Power things that tries to kill me every time I try one) should be a fun and relaxing thing to do.

However if your thing is teasing and experimenting to get to that %100 efficiency, as it is with some folks. The go with it. Do be sure to let us all know how you get on. Then we can do what you did, without all the experiment stuff.

One final say, whatever you do in your adjusting, be sure to make it reversable, just in case it makes things worse. And ALWAYS only adjust one thing at a time. If you do two and it makes things worse, how do you know which or both have made it worse. Or indded on thing might make it worse, the other better then you think it is no better but it is and it is'nt.

Blast, just looked back, was hopeing my reply would be longer than your question, still think you have me beat on this one though.

[dean750]

Thats kinda what I was thinking too Baloo. Thank you.

Dean

[Baloo]

Of course as ever, I do stand to be corrected. This is only a Bears eye view.

[dean750]

Seemed like a good view to me.

Mines the Surge btw.

Dean

[JoneZ]

What about leading edge tension? I have a relatively new rev, with about 6 hours of flight in mod. to high winds. I've already re-tied the lower vert. bungees to compensate for that stretch, but I am noticing that my leading edge bungees aren't very tight.

So, my Q, is what do I do about this, if anything?

Thanks!!

[KiteLife]

I tighten my top bunjees just enough to bring the "nubs" of those end caps closer to flush with the leading edge.

The rest, I take up or release at the bottom.

[JoneZ]

so basi

**friggin PMPs.....

So basically don't worry about the leading edge tension. Snug is good?

Reason Im asking, is because with the vert. tightened up, there is a bit of vertical 'wrinkle' on the sail. Its by no means overtightened, but I just noticed that my leading edge tension wasn't the tightest in the world.

I also tightened the top bungees as well, but noticed that it was putting a crease in my leading edge,, so I loosened it bit by bit til that was gone, then took up the rest on my bottom bungees (which I've had to adjust a total of 2x since initial flight).

Edited January 14, 2010 by JoneZ

[KiteLife]

Your logic seems sound.

[chewbaka]

i do not use bunjees at the LE anymore!

the caps are fixed with bridle-line on my kites.

have a look:

the caps are tied downwards as much as possible = no snag!

this ist practised by team4fun since years, works fine.

[[email protected]]

I've been flying a couple of hours a day, everyday, since May. When I'm done I may lay by the bay and eat some hay

Anyway....

Tightened up the shock cord a bit at the vert tips at the bottom of my full-sail B. The tops are very tight already.

Had quite a bit of wrinkles previously. Cut about an inch of shock cord from each side, now the sail is quite a bit smoother on the verts. I think I cut away about a 1/4" too much on each side, because the sail seems a little too smooth on the verts, but I'll get it right next time. Since I'm right-handed, the original right side shock cord seemed to be a little more stretched than the left side.

Conditions today were comparable to yesterday. I definitely had an easier time flying in low wind today. I can't remember if this is how the sail "felt" when I first started flying or not, as this was my first Rev kite ever, but there is an improvement in "attitude" today. Although a standard B, today it flew horizontal reverse better, tracking a bit straighter. Axels today were much improved, with faster revolutions than I've ever pulled before!

I felt upright lateral slides were a little more difficult today compared to yesterday. I had to adjust my hand positioning a little, and still couldn't pull it as far across the window as yesterday. This could be due to my skill level though, as I often have a difficult time with the upright lateral slide in low wind.

Overall, my B seems a little more nimble today.

As usual, taking the advice posted in a topic is helping to improve my experience

[REVflyer]

just a caution my friend,

most folks tighten the bottoms but don't "adjust" the top bungies. The problem with this path is that the down spars may now protrude above the leading edge and become a potential snag point for your flying lines. Make certain your bottom only adjustments don't negatively impact your kite.

[pond44]

So now (Aug 2013), all the wrinkles are gone and everyone is happy.