Flexifoil Bar tuning

[pixelpedro]

He ya'll, my brother has flexifoil Ion3 ('09 I think), anyway, I took the kite out for a spin the other day, and that thing is super cool, but I noticed that the safety leash depower attachement line, has a ring on the end where you attached the safety leash, well that line goes through a metal ring that's attached to the chicken loop, that broke, so the line doesn't allow the bar to go all the way down.

In the process of figuring out WTF was going on, I noticed that the lines aren't adjusted right, I mean I fly cabrinhas, he flies the Ions, but my question is simple:

Do you adjust the bar and lines on all kites the same, meaning could I use the blow video to adjust his lines? just don't know if all manufacturers are different, but I can only imaging that the concept is the same, have all lines the same length when the bar is powered up. Right? or does it vary from manufacturer?

Thanks in advance.



p.s. sorry for the explanation on the first paragraph, is just that I think is relevant that that line won't allow the bar to go all the way down, cause it broke, and not sure if it may or no be relevant to tweaking the lines.

Thanks again

[tmcfarla]

Most kites use equal line lengths (which is to say, yes, you can use that video to check if the lines have gotten out of adjustment). Although I've never used the ion 3, if the lines are different lengths by about an inch, then it probably isn't adjusted well; if the lines are different lengths by a foot or so (and it is the bar that came with the kite) then they are probably supposed to be like that. My first generation ions use equal line lengths, but I don't know specifically about the 3rd generation ions. I have noticed that one of the ions that I have (15m) seems to fly better when I sheet the bar out just a little bit (maybe an inch or two), a different ion with the same bar does not need to be sheeted out a bit to prevent back-stalling. In practice, it really hasn't affected my flying the kite at all, and I've been using it as such for years without bothering to change it. You should be able to tell if the kite starts acting up when the bar is pulled in all the way. If a kite is acting a bit funny when sheeted out all the way, just pull the depower strap in about an inch and see if that clears it up.

[Laughingman]

Yep all lines should be the same length when the bar is fully pulled in. I like to add a 4th knot an inch up to the outside line attachments on the kite just for that bit of extra power.. You can stall the kite when totally sheeted in this way but it is good practice to ride with the bar slightly sheeted out anyway.

[pixelpedro]

Cool, thanks guys, that's what I thought, but just wanted to check before fixing them.

Thanks.