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Kids like kites. Kites are a pain in the rear end to put together. While I disagree with the general thesis, many people also argue that kids are a huge pain in the rear end. I am trying to break a cycle and not doing a good job. I'll buy a dainty little butterfly kite that is easy to put together. It also just basically crashes into the ground. Easy figure 8 then smash. Fine. I'll buy an "easy kite" on Amazon. I can't put this poo poo together and the instructions seem to assume basic Kite knowledge. In a past life I used to deal with 180kg equipment regularly. So it is not like I am so dainty flower. But my spouse, bless them, thinks I am dainty so they come in and just smash it and break it all leaving my daughter crying. So, what kite to I buy so I can go fly kites and not have to deal with a lot of assumed knowledge about how kites loving work because I do not know that poo poo? Absolute beginner level. I do not know what I am doing.
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Feb 18, 2021 07:57
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I know very little about kites, but instablility means that you need to have a longer tail on the kite.
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Feb 25, 2021 11:09
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I was hoping this was about those Xtreme kites where people like jump off the ground with their kite and fly like 60 feet or something.
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Mar 3, 2021 16:13
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An eddy kite or a box kite, op. https://www.kiteplans.org/planos/soyouwant/soyouwant.html
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Mar 4, 2021 16:54
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I've always thought Delta kites are pretty straightforward to fly: https://intothewind.com/kites/delta-kites/itw-kids-delta-kite.html Also check out foil and sled kites. They pack down really small, so they're easy to keep in the car or near the door for whenever it's a nice day. https://intothewind.com/kites/foil-sled-kites.html Unrelated story of kite-flying as a kid: One time on a trip to the beach as a kid, I bought a cheap kite at a toy shop. I flew it on the beach in pretty strong wind and, of course, being a kid, I let out all 600 or so feet of string that came with it. One of the spars snapped, and the kite crashed on top of somebody's house several blocks away. The string was draped over some power lines, but fortunately they were insulated and it didn't cause any damage. Safety Dance fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Mar 5, 2021 |
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Mar 5, 2021 16:49
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I grew up flying dual-line stunt kites with my dad and own several of them for wind ratings ranging from 30 mph down to practically no wind at all, and a couple parafoil power kites for upwards of +30mph that I use to smash my frail body against hillsides. I also own an ultralight that can apparently be flown indoors, like inside a gymnasium using nothing but the HVAC, but I'm pretty sure that's bullshit and I got ripped off. I'll never know because it broke the second I breathed on it too hard and I'm never going to bother repairing it because I hate it. Stunt kites are such a pathetically sad 80's hobby, I'm embarrassed to bust them out in public and I sicken myself when I take them out onto the lonesome rangeland like it's some kind of extreme sport. They're fun if you hate yourself, though. I used to fly formation with people three times my age, it's like water ballet for boring old dudes. I can do all kinds of dumb tricks like backflips and snap stalling into a half-axel followed with a coin flip into a lazy susan, which might sound stupid but believe me, it looks just like a kite getting all tangled up in it's lines as it flails around in mid air. Truthfully, it's the tactile feel of the wind at my fingertips and the power it can produce that's the entire draw for me, it's just a thing to do while you ride the vibe and feel the breeze in your hair. It's also a skill that translates pretty well into things that don't inherently radiate silliness, like kiteboarding or paragliding, unless you live in poverty like me and can't afford nice things. If you're a bougie bitch who has some money but not enough to buy yourself a personality, you can get a quad-line kite like like a Revolution and be lame in style. It compliments jorts and a jimmy buffet dress sense really well, and adults and children of all ages will flock to you in droves to ask about your weird expensive toy and to beg you to let them fly/break it, no matter how badly your desperation stinks or how much you wish they'd gently caress off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX10bu4A7mE If you still want to see how deep this rabbit hole of sadness goes, Prism are good for beginners. They make relatively cheap single-line and dual-line kites that are weirdly durable for the price and easy to assemble and fly--I mean, they're toys for children how hard can it be?
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Apr 13, 2021 04:50
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I got a little foil for my kid that’s pretty fun. It takes a fairly sustained wind of about 20 mph to stay in the air, so it’s not great. Fun when it works though. I also got a cheap dual line a few years ago and it’s kind of a blast. I can’t do much other than loops and low passes and a weak box, but it’s fun if you’re stoned.
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Jul 10, 2021 18:17
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Nice, a kite thread. I was looking at Into the Wind kites and Prism, and may get a Zenith 5, seems like the most basic kite, which is what I'm going for. Anything else to consider? I used to like flying kites as a kid and want to get something.
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Jul 20, 2021 00:36
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Lol the OP got banned for trying to gently caress a kite
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Aug 28, 2021 01:58
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So, not many people do kites here? Shame.
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Sep 5, 2021 03:42
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I think not many people know about this thread. I'd do kites more, but I live in an urban hellscape that's not very kite friendly.
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Sep 7, 2021 16:11
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Kites are rad. I have too many other hobbies to seriously get into them, but I live in a high wind area and I'd love to get a bol that I could stake to the ground and watch spin in the park. Right now my kid is obsessed with the P.O.S. pocket parafoil that I've had literally since high school and always asks if we are going to "do kites" - there is a big kite festival near where we live this weekend and he's going to absolutely lose his poo poo
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Sep 9, 2021 02:05
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I love kites, but I haven't flown in a while, but now I want to get them back out. I lived in Beijing for quite a few years and I would go hang out with the old retired guys who flew kites practically every day. at the nearby park. I ended up going to a kite market that was outside of town and bought several kites, a couple of reels, one with 1000m of line, all for 150rmb, which at the time was just under $20US. I liked them so much I bought several more and then bought a golf club travel case to bring them back with me one Christmas, although sadly I don't think anyone I gave kites to ever flew them. Other good kiting memories (back when China was still fun), include the night kites. There was a bridge over a moat along the second ring road. On nights where there was a nice breeze, a few guys who had kites with LEDs on their lines and on their kites would meet, it was awesome watching these kites with flashing lights suspended in the dark. I had a friend from Weifang, and one of my big regrets was to never make it to the Weifang International Kite Festival there. I had a foreign friend who went and said it was amazing.
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Sep 9, 2021 17:37
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Hui Tai Lang posted:Other good kiting memories (back when China was still fun), include the night kites. There was a bridge over a moat along the second ring road. On nights where there was a nice breeze, a few guys who had kites with LEDs on their lines and on their kites would meet, it was awesome watching these kites with flashing lights suspended in the dark. I had a friend from Weifang, and one of my big regrets was to never make it to the Weifang International Kite Festival there. I had a foreign friend who went and said it was amazing. Weifang also has a kite museum as I understand it. I attempted to go by the last time I was over there, but it was closed for some reason or the other. One the same trip I did come across some old fellow flying an impressive rig on one of the Qingdao beaches. He has some massive reel that was made of of a hefty gauge of wire. The Mrs. found on on Alibaba or something and it's been out in my garage for a bit now. I've got 1000 ft of 100 lb test line on it and it could hold plenty more. Similar to the story mentioned upthread I was flying an 11ft delta at a local park a year or two back and the crossbar snapped at altitude and full extension. drat thing landed in a tree two neighborhoods over and through some woods. I had to have her babysit the reel while I dove around to try and find it and then had her swap with me once I found it and explained to the bemused homeowner why the hell I was in their front yard. After some pulling and tugging it disoged and she disengaged the know and I reeled it back in without causing any further damage or trouble. I don't believe I've flown since, we just don't have many good places around here.
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Oct 10, 2021 05:47
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AliExpress has hella cheap kites, folks.
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Nov 19, 2021 09:28
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necroing this v.dead thread to say that i flew kites the other day and it was fun and relaxing. kites are good.
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Jun 15, 2023 12:38
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Big if true OP. The baby is getting bigger do I’m hoping to be able to get her in on the fun at some point soon.
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Jun 15, 2023 16:36
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babies love the bright colors and surprising behaviors of kites. kites: for the young and the young at heart! my kid was fully on board with kites after he figured out that they wouldn't make airplanes crash. what even is scale, kid. what even.
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Jun 15, 2023 18:51
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That’s on you for not using more line and a larger spool. Common man.
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Jun 15, 2023 18:59
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. Kites are for healing--not hurting. Please ignore the existence of fighter kites. Also, stunt kites can get kind of dicey in crowds.
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Jun 15, 2023 21:15
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God I’d love to try fighter kites sometime. As best I can tell they basically don’t exist in the states.
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Jun 15, 2023 21:30
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Warbird posted:God I’d love to try fighter kites sometime. As best I can tell they basically don’t exist in the states. look up kite festivals near you. if you want to truly go hardcore nerd, check out a kite club. they're out there. there's a whole world of kite stuff out there. people are weird. you, too, can get that weird. god, i wanna fly a kite right now.
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Jun 15, 2023 21:39
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treat posted:I grew up flying dual-line stunt kites with my dad and own several of them for wind ratings ranging from 30 mph down to practically no wind at all, and a couple parafoil power kites for upwards of +30mph that I use to smash my frail body against hillsides. I also own an ultralight that can apparently be flown indoors, like inside a gymnasium using nothing but the HVAC, but I'm pretty sure that's bullshit and I got ripped off. I'll never know because it broke the second I breathed on it too hard and I'm never going to bother repairing it because I hate it. I enjoyed reading this post, again
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Jun 16, 2023 01:10
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I did not enjoy reading that ban post
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Jun 16, 2023 01:28
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Goons are like a box of chocolates, etc.
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Jun 16, 2023 04:00
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i flew a stunt kite recently and, while it did make me feel like a giant dork, it was very fun. it was one of the prism synapses. i'm too old to care about looking cool, so i'll probably fly a stunt kite again soon.
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Jun 16, 2023 16:39
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holy poo poo
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Jun 17, 2023 02:02
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Flew a kite yesterday. Probably gonna fly a kite today. Kites: relaxing.
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Jul 24, 2023 12:32
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Insanite posted:Flew a kite yesterday. Probably gonna fly a kite today. i did end up flying that kite. later, i flew a different kite. the next day, the weather conditions were not amenable to kiteflying. what a bad day that was. i waited a day, and then i was able to fly kites again. here is a fun and cheap single-line foil kite: https://prismkites.com/collections/single-line-kites/products/bora-7 here is a dual-line kite for doin' sick tricks and poo poo: https://prismkites.com/collections/dual-line-foils/products/synapse-140 tbh, kind of like just chilling with a single-line kite. it's kinda like air fishing. or maybe that would be catching birds somehow, i guess, but i don't want to hurt birds. no, i want to fly kites.
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Jul 31, 2023 23:13
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I was looking for a different thread but found this one and figured I'd say kites are real fun, I've got that same synapse 140 and man it's a hoot. Just giggling away as I surf the sky with my weird green kite, feels good mang.
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Oct 17, 2023 21:00
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:I was looking for a different thread but found this one and figured I'd say kites are real fun, I've got that same synapse 140 and man it's a hoot. Just giggling away as I surf the sky with my weird green kite, feels good mang. Responding to this post at the speed of kites to say that that is a fun kite.
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Nov 22, 2023 22:12
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So here's a bit of a hail mary. I had a 11 ft wide delta kite I was fond of for the sheer stupidity of size and ease of just tossing into the air since it was a goddam sail. However a few years ago the lateral bar whatsit snapped in half mid flight with predictable results; naturally while at full extension on a 1000ft line. It put me off flying for a few years but I've started getting the itch again and want to get it back in the air, but it was a no name I got from a now long closed kite store in ATL and I have no idea how to source a carbon fiber tube dohickey to replace it and get it back in the air. Anyone have some suggestions?
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Nov 23, 2023 03:40
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Warbird posted:So here's a bit of a hail mary. I had a 11 ft wide delta kite I was fond of for the sheer stupidity of size and ease of just tossing into the air since it was a goddam sail. However a few years ago the lateral bar whatsit snapped in half mid flight with predictable results; naturally while at full extension on a 1000ft line. It put me off flying for a few years but I've started getting the itch again and want to get it back in the air, but it was a no name I got from a now long closed kite store in ATL and I have no idea how to source a carbon fiber tube dohickey to replace it and get it back in the air. Anyone have some suggestions? Look up kite enthusiast groups around you. You’ll find a lot on Facebook because many of that set are old. Maybe check out some kite forums. Kite people are very, very into kites. You can buy replacement rods in all sorts of dimensions from kite shops, but a little expert advice to make sure you’re making good choices couldn’t hurt. Insanite fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Nov 23, 2023 |
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Nov 23, 2023 03:47
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I'll double check but I want to say it's slim pickings around here. Since that place in ATL closed as did the one in Charleston I don't think there is a kite shop within a 8 hour drive of here. Would be delighted to be wrong. Don't recall any FB groups either but may as well go fishing again.
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Nov 23, 2023 06:13
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Warbird posted:So here's a bit of a hail mary. I had a 11 ft wide delta kite I was fond of for the sheer stupidity of size and ease of just tossing into the air since it was a goddam sail. However a few years ago the lateral bar whatsit snapped in half mid flight with predictable results; naturally while at full extension on a 1000ft line. It put me off flying for a few years but I've started getting the itch again and want to get it back in the air, but it was a no name I got from a now long closed kite store in ATL and I have no idea how to source a carbon fiber tube dohickey to replace it and get it back in the air. Anyone have some suggestions? Worst case Ontario—do you think you could fabricate one out of fiber/resin (I worked in a boat shop in HS, so I’m biased when it comes to basic fiberglass/etc work) or make one out of commercially available carbon fiber rod/tube?
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Nov 23, 2023 06:58
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If you can figure out the length and diameter of the snapped spar, you can order a replacement. https://thekiteshoppe.com/categories/kite-parts-and-supplies/spars-rods-tubes Of note: If you need to cut a spar to length, use a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut carbon fiber. Wear a respirator when doing so; you don't want to breathe carbon fiber dust.
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Nov 23, 2023 07:01
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Warbird posted:Don't recall any FB groups either but may as well go fishing again. https://www.kite.org/community/kite-clubs/ Kitemaking is a not uncommon activity with my local clubs. Might be able to find someone who can give you pointers through this, too. Safety Dance posted:If you can figure out the length and diameter of the snapped spar, you can order a replacement. https://thekiteshoppe.com/categories/kite-parts-and-supplies/spars-rods-tubes This also could work! AFAIK, spars can vary--tapered or not, flexibility, strength, etc. You might end up doing more trial and error with this route, or it might be fine. 
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Nov 23, 2023 15:36
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Warbird posted:So here's a bit of a hail mary. I had a 11 ft wide delta kite I was fond of for the sheer stupidity of size and ease of just tossing into the air since it was a goddam sail. However a few years ago the lateral bar whatsit snapped in half mid flight with predictable results; naturally while at full extension on a 1000ft line. It put me off flying for a few years but I've started getting the itch again and want to get it back in the air, but it was a no name I got from a now long closed kite store in ATL and I have no idea how to source a carbon fiber tube dohickey to replace it and get it back in the air. Anyone have some suggestions? I snapped a spar on mine a few years back and just went to Hobbytown USA where they have a big selection of carbon fiber rods. I was able to get one close enough to the right size and cut it with a nail file I think. Haven't flown in quite a while but it never failed.
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Nov 26, 2023 01:42
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Oh huh, that’s not a bad idea. I think I still have the pieces of the OG spar so I might give that a try. I also bought a tail whatsit for my smaller delta on Black Friday so I’m looking forward to messing with that. Side note, what is the going stance on kite reels? I got one in China that is of questionable quality but built like a tank. I’m debating trying to make a better one.
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Nov 26, 2023 02:09
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