NEX wrote:I saw the Squids new printed kites at Portsmouth, bloody cloth layout is fine if you want flappin edges after a bit of use, all the edges with cloth cut on the diagonal, bout time they got that right.
We shall see how well they hold out but as they are SUL sails and a bit of bag in the trailing edge is not necessarily a bad thing I am not worried yet. So far the benefits from the skin being all one piece are far outweighing any negatives.
If you know of another way of laying out the material so it can be printed on one piece I would be interested to hear your ideas. Does anyone know what the stretch characteristics of Icarex are?
As for the Chinese kites, you get what you pay for. However, I am not aware of any kite designer who is happy that their kites are being made by someone else and sold for cheaper. I can't imagine Mr Benson being impressed if some one started making DS in a similar way, even if you could get a colour choice that Tim doesn't make. From my experience the complexity or otherwise of the original kite is not an issue when it comes to the reproduction market.
It would be interesting to find out if anyone knows the legal implications of knowingly buying a copy of a kite. Would you be personally liable for any losses the original manufacturer might believe they have sustained?