....this is a simple copy/paste of another post in the regular section, but is tied to this kite.
It may not be the 5th line specifically .. but I kite alone 90% of the time, drift launch ..then land in the water. I much prefer a 5th line when reeling in a kite hand-over-hand.
I got this 12M, 'Unleashed' Freak Dog ... which may be an EH Ripper with a different, properly buried, name printed on it. I have Eric's line set and bar. I changed out his lines to thick fronts, added a Cabby stopper ball up the safety line ..but was, still, not totally happy. One thing; the bar is too low for me. I like to hang on the bar .. I enjoy bar pressure, so a low bar with light pressure is not to my taste.
So I took my trust North, 5-line bar and hooked it to the FD-12. It's not exactly
that easy. It took me a couple of scary moments to find the right lengths for the pigtails added to the front lines and the 5th pigtail which is connected to the pump leash loop. First go I had about 35cm too much back line which made the kite a wild, back-flying weasel .. the second go about 15cm too much back line tension, gave full power at zenith with the North bar all the way up .. the third was the Charm.
Wholey sh/t....
This kite was trans-fricking-formed. Winds were peaking into the mid-20kt range. The other two people out were on 9's. I've had lotsa of kites but
never one that goes upwind as fast. I could ride comfortably with one arm 70% extended with the kite about 60degrees in these winds. With the ability to completely luff the kite - it was never scary .. not one second.
I have also found the perfect jumper. I was having trouble with the stock bar only coming to about shoulder height with my seat harness. You can see in the bar picture how much farther the North bar will come up. I find it best -
for me - to extend my arms and do a pull up on the bar. I like to keep the bar overhead and then crank it. Back stalling is waiting in the wings, but at these winds, the bar rarely came down halfway. This is also
not a kite for 10 knots...
The kite is fast: throw back to about 1 and allow it to luff at the top of the jump and then crank down on the bar for a Pillow landing. You can pick from a standing-still or speed landing. I have said it before; this kite makes me look a helluva lot better than I am.
If you have this kite and can borrow a recent North bar: add pigtails (strong ones!) with a couple of knots to the front lines at about 15 and 18cm. Then make a 3m/10cm 5th line pigtail... better if you color mark them ... especially the 5th line -
Blue. .... then go find some wind.
Jim