Found a DIY from 10years ago in my searches, an idea that has now been adapted in many closed foil kites. <<LINK1>>
I have a used 19m Speed3 that flys with the Leading Edge pushed in on almost all of the cells. It inflates quickly and flies well. I made new mixer lines with 7/64” Amsteel, the correct lengths, and adjusted the mixer A=Z=B=C and A=Z, B-1.5, C-3, with no change to the LE. I removed the WAC like the 21m Speed3 and no change. The kite holds air fine, but not as good as a new kite. I read where kites that with porous fabric maintain less pressure and the wing shape is less rigid and easier to deform. So I recoated the kite using Marine Goop. <<LINK2>>
Inflating the kite on the ground before and after with a fan it held air better after recoating but on the ground the LE shape was always correct. Then I flew the kite and no change I could tell to lessen the pushed in LE cells. I could next measure the lines and compare it to the line-plan that Flysurfer publishes. But, I’m not convinced the front of LE is a line shrink/stretch issue. Since almost all of the cells along the LE are dented inward, not just one or a few, and it seems logical that higher internal pressure force would help the LE keep shape against the wind. The denting inward effect seems to be more pronounced when I’m moving on the water than when flying static.
I’ve read the early Ozone/Chrono kites were criticized for leaking pressure along the seams and deflated quickly once landed. The new/old PL Arc and new FS Bridled foils hold their air quite a while after landing. I was wondering if Ozone added the LE rib stiffeners to solve lower internal pressures and/or give the kite a longer life. The race foils keep trying to get a thinner profile which has less volume allowing quicker internal pressure changes and performance would be lost with a deformed LE.
Any good ideas on adding LE stiffeners a closed cell foil kite?
Or...other ideas that might push the LE back into shape?