16m x2: spilling air on turns when underpowered

[Guest]

love the x2s, have a 12m and a 16m, they fly great especially in the upper limits of their wind range but does anyone else feel that the 16m spills too much air on the turn when at the low end of the wind range?

Jungles

[Toby]

what exactly do you mean by "spills too much air" ?

[Bengan]

Hi,

If you sheet in on the bar as you would normally do on an ARX to pump the kite and generate power you will most probably oversheet and stall the kite a bit.

When slightly underpowered, try to sheet out and get the kite moving forward, go downwind until you pick up speed and the kite generates it's own relative wind.

Since the X2 is more designed to fly on the front lines, it will actually generate more power when sheeted out and moving. Try it, it works for me.

Thanks,

Bengan
http://www.colonawatersports.com

[Guest]

thanks for the replies, when i say 'spills air' i mean the kite seems to twist as i redirect the kite and it loses any pulling power. it looks like it is not catching / holding any wind as it turns.

as for flying off the front lines and sheeting out, i have tried this approach and it definately helps.

thanks, jungles

[eyal]

hi to all
i have the X2, 16m and 10m for about 3 weeks and i've also noticed that the kite generates more power when sheeted out and moving, but now i don't know how to depower the kite while surfing.
another thing is the line which attached to the chicken loop and the "v" strap is wearing out very fast near the knot next to the conection to the "v" strap.
any comments/advices will be appreciated
thanks eyal

[Guest]

A kite is not supposed to 'catch' air. Most power from any foil is generated by the air flowing over the foil, and the suction effect on the lee (downwind) side. Luffing will cause power to be lost, but but 'spilling'. The faster the wind flows over the kite and get out of there - the more power it can generate. Having a foil sheeting too close so that it appears to catch wind, will stall the foil and loose power. This is just as bad as luffing.

Anyway - my 14m X2 seems to fly very efficiently. However it's higher aspect and shallower foil mean that there is a lot of forward force (to make the kite fly fast) and less sideways force. So it generates power, but doesn't pull as hard as some kites. This is good for manouverability, range and speed, but bad for raw grunt if you are using small board etc.

[Hernan]

I haven t flyed the X2. I fly Airblast, which are fast and shallow profile kites. I have found that the best setup is have the front lines equal to the back lines only when you are fully sheeted. You ride them mostly on the fronts. It has no sense oversheeting the kite as they not generate more power and stalls in low winds.
Line lengh and board speed has much effect on how you feel these kites.
They have a very large wind window so you have more range but also have to find the sweet spot for the conditions,
Sounds like X2 are alike in this.
Flying fast has more to do with board speed than moving the kite fast.
Riding fast generates aparent wind and sits the kite deep in the w-window getting the most power and solid feeling from the kite.

[Bengan]

Eyal,

Do you have a picture of your line with wear on it. If so, mail it to me bengan@colonawatersports.com, I would like to see it. We are using the X2's here everyday and had no problems at all.

For de-powering, when I get yanked and can't hold the edge anymore, I sheet in to stall the kite, works good.

Bengan
http://www.colonawatersports.com

[eyal]

hi Bengan
thank u for your reply
i don't have a picture of the line with the wear on it but the situation is that several fibers from the line have loosened and are noticeably woren near the knot to the v strap.i think that the bar which is most of the time fully sheeted out, is the cause of it.
eyal

[Ray-au]

I have seen the grey chicken loop line strart to show signs of wear after just one day hard sailing, they are of the same material as ARX which last for maybe two months if you sail hard every day, as we do here in summer, I think the plastic bit in the bar may speed up the wear since sand can get stuck more easily than in the old steel hole. Naish just want to keep the dollars rolling in