Kitebuilder.com

[stevef]

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The following is in the tech sheet section, but i still get questions on this at least once a week, so I am repeating it here. These recommendations can also be used as a reference for many other kites with similar spans.

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Rokkaku Spar Recommendations:

I must give credit where credit is due and acknowledge Kevin Shannon as the original source to this list. These are his preferences when framing his award winning Rokkaku's. I've asked Kevin for an in-depth tech sheet on his building techniques and he promised "one day" to get to it.

For now, here is what I suggest to kitebuilder's when they call asking for my recommendations:

HORIZONTALS
up to 40" - 3/16" fiberglass
41" - 50" - RET248
51" - 60" - RET40
61" - 70" - RET75
71" - 85" - RET414
86" - 100" - RET505


VERTICALS
up to 45" - RET40
46" - 60" - RET370
61" - 78" - RET414
79" - 110" - RET505
110" - 130" - RET610

Most of the stability/instability comes from a combination of bridle and
bowline adjustments. Basically, for more stable flight, add more bow and/or
move the towpoint down. Although, the size of the kite and wind conditions
also play a roll. Of course, I assume your kite is built symmetrically. An
unsymmetrical Rokkaku can be very difficult to fly straight!

One of the first Rokkaku's I made (circa 1992) was an eight footer. To make best use of materials with zero waste and to my
way of thinking, "a balanced kite", I did the following:

The horizontal requirement was 80 inches and the standard length of a RET414
spar is 54", So, for the upper horizontal I used a full length on the
leftside and ferreled it with a 26" piece on the right. I wanted a
"balanced kite", so on the bottom horizontal I used the full length 54"
piece on the right and coupled it to a 26" piece on the left. I took my new
kite to my first Maryland Kite Society Kitebuilding Retreat and proudly
showed it to Mel Govig. Mel looked it over, took a puff on his pipe, smiled
and said, "Steve, what you got there is a propeller!" I said, huh? Mel,
further explained that when the horizontal is framed and ferreled in that
fashion, when you bow the kite the spars bow unevenly and form a propeller,
hence very unstable flight! I whacked myself in the head and couldn't
understand why I didn't think of that.

So now I always split my horizontal into thirds and make sure the top is
framed exactly like the bottom.....

I have attended every MKS Retreat since, and I gotta tell you, each year I
still learn something new. Tho, I do miss Mel.

-steve
_________________
Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
CONGRATULATIONS to all the forum winners at this year's AKA Kitemakers' Competition!