Fractured Axel

Sub · Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:09 pm

Can you help me figure this out please.
Conditions: 2-5mph flying UL
Half axels near the extreme outer edges of the window were mostly going turtle, even with the nose pointed at 10 o' clock. Why does this happen?
Compared to the middle of the window, with nose at quarter past, quite respectable half axels. At 10 o' clock in the middle of the window they were of cascade quality.

Curious, any suggestions??

fworley · Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:34 pm

Theres more wind in the middle of the window - thus more pressure on the
sail and tension on the lines ... and the kite does not fall into a turtle.

There - thats my guess ... I think you need less slack / smaller inputs (with the passive hand) at the end of the window.

-Frazer

jr · Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:44 pm

I'd hazard a guess that, because there's no more forward drive on the kite, the pop and release causes it to drop backwards and eventually settle on its back. Some kites seem more prone to this than others, I remember trying to tune a Level 1 kite with Martin ( :shock:

) a few years ago to make it cascade properly, as after a couple of turns it would start to nose-away and want to flip on its back.

MikeLos · Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:25 am

too long and too strong input.

try to figure out how little inpute you need to make this trick.

Pierre · Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:25 pm

Smaller input and pull the kite back immidiatly!

Sub · Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:14 pm

Thanks for your adivce guys. I've had a couple of days to work on this. I concentrated on input technique in both STD and UL.
@MikeLos, Pierre & Frazer. It came down to input vs slack management ~ really helped to tighten this up. I was giving it loads of slack like a full axel. At the extreme edges where there's no wind to keep the sail pressure, slack management appears to be crucial in mastering this trick.
Btw, cascades are looking better as a result too, am really pleased.

Follow-up question: do you pull the bottom or release the top before the main input, and why do you do it that way?

Stan Doff · Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:55 am

Sub wrote:
It came down to input vs slack management ~ really helped to tighten this up. I was giving it loads of slack like a full axel. At the extreme edges where there's no wind to keep the sail pressure, slack management appears to be crucial in mastering this trick.

That's interesting.
Except for a couple of flukes every half-axel I've attempted has put the kite on it's back.
Lack of slack management may be my undoing.

MikeLos · Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:03 am

Sub wrote:
Follow-up question: do you pull the bottom or release the top before the main input, and why do you do it that way?

combo. but depends on wind, in strong wind pull the low wing is more important (you just have no chance to just push the top wing in this condition). in low wind push th top wing is more important - you must save every inch of ground and puling the low wing is not a good way to achieve this task. but it's always combo - just changing the accent between top and low wing.

Sub · Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:45 am

MikeLos wrote:
...but it's always combo - just changing the accent between top and low wing.

That makes perfect sense to me.

MikeLos · Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:01 am

Sub wrote:
MikeLos wrote:
...but it's always combo - just changing the accent between top and low wing.

That makes perfect sense to me.

mmm. i hope my english is not SO bad and you understand correct what i'm trying to say :-k

high wind - PULL lower wing/push upper wing
low wind - pull lower wind / PUSH upper wing

Pierre · Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:55 pm

You're English is much,much better than my Russian!! ;-)

Sub · Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:18 pm

Your English grammar is fine, much better than my Russian too!!
changing the accent is a lovely way to describe it. When learning I search for the moments when it's my turn to be in control and to discover how technique can make a difference in the outcome of the trick. It helps when I'm on the field to recall key words to remember what to focus on. So in this move I now check the accent during the lead up to the main input. It sounds technical when I write it down here, but in play its fluid and in the moment.

Thanks for your help!!

MikeLos · Fri Feb 15, 2008 8:45 am

Sub wrote:
changing the accent

may be it's just too russian english

Sub · Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:14 pm

I had a chance to work on this again today. 3-5mph breeze, UL

MikeLos, I figured out the pull/push accent is a semi-stall, like aproaching a snap-stall. But just enough to tip the air out of the sail (top away, bottom towards) turning the nose slightly up, whilst stepping forward when the breeze is stronger. With upper hand now in a position to pop for a half-axel.

What else can I do from the semi-stall?

MikeLos · Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:34 pm

Sub wrote:
What else can I do from the semi-stall?

half-axel-to-fade :cool:

Cascade

comete
insane
rolling suzane

Fractured Axel

Half Axel to Turtle

Half Axel to Turtle