W



top		 Winderssee also Handles & Straps
 
Winders come in all shapes and sizes and can make a big difference to the ease with which you store your lines and also the durability of the line set. Below are some examples....
  Spool - ideal for single line kites (remember always wear gloves when handling line in flight)
  Pro-Winder - can be used to wind both lines of a pair at once. Store the line in a figure of 8 wind to avoid putting a twist into the lines when stored. Usually has a bungee cord to hold the lines and straps in place when wound
  Card Winder - Usually supplied with pre-cut and sleeved lengths of line. Not as good as the Pro-Winder as lines tend to take on a twist when wound on.
  Winder - There are many wierd shaped winders, particularly for single line kites. Each to their own!
     
 



top		 Wind Speed...
   
 
Beaufort
Number		 Miles
per hour		 Km per Hour Description

0

<1

<1.6

Calm: Still: Smoke will rise vertically.
Generally the realm of ultralight kites

1

1-3

1.6-4.8

Light Air: Rising smoke drifts, weather vane is inactive.
Generally the realm of ultralight kites

2

4-7

6.4-11.3

Light Breeze: Leaves rustle, can feel wind on your face, weather vane is inactive.
most sports kites will fly pretty well

3

8-12

12.9-19.3

Gentle Breeze: Leaves and twigs move around. Light weight flags extend.
most sports kites will fly pretty well

4

13-18

20.9-29.0

Moderate Breeze: Moves thin branches, raises dust and paper.
most sports kites will fly pretty well

5

19-24

30.6-38.6

Fresh Breeze: Moves trees sway.
starting to get a bit hairy

6

25-31

40.2-50.0

Strong Breeze: Large tree branches move, open wires (such as telegraph wires) begin to "whistle", umbrellas are difficult to keep under control.
might be time to pack up & go home

7

32-38

51.5-61.2

Moderate Gale: Large trees begin to sway, noticeably difficult to walk.
well hairy.... definately time to go home

8

39-46

62.8-74.0

Fresh Gale: Twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking into the wind is very difficult.
!!!!

9

47-54

75.6-86.9

Strong Gale: Slight damage occurs to buildings, shingles are blown off of roofs.
!!!!! !!!!!

10

55-63

88.5-101.4

Whole Gale: Large trees are uprooted, building damage is considerable.
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!

11

64-72

103.0-115.9

Storm: Extensive widespread damage. These typically occur only at sea, and rarely inland.
!!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!!

12

>73

>115.9

Hurricane: Extreme destruction.
forget it, if you haven't already blown away yourself
   
 

     

top		 Wind Window...
  The wind window is the area of the sky in which the kite will fly (assuming there is any wind at all!). Typically the higher the wind speed the larger area of the sky will fly in.
 

from the side, with the wind blowing left to right, the "wind window" is represented by the darker blue area.

Above a certain point, the wind reduces in strength
 
in the diagram below, viewed from the top, and with the wind blowing bottom to top, the wind window is represented by the darker green area. Beyond a certain point to the left and right, the wind reduces in strength.
 

     
 

     

top		 Wing Tip...
  Elastic (bungee cord) or cord is used to tension the sail at each wing tip. If storing the kite for long pewriods of time unused, some people recommend loosening the tension at the wing tips and spine to prevent undue sail stretch


picture from the Gone with the wind site
   
 

   


© 1998, Kite Fantastic - Peter Edwards, Revised: September 19, 1998.