Fractured Axel

ObijuanKenobe · Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:17 am

I have been wondering about leaders, and what other uses they might have besides protecting the kite from undue wear during wrapped tricks. :-k

Does the weight of the leader (esp. if it's long enough or heavy enough) change the way the lines bow under their own weight? This could effectively make it easier to trick, as the slack (whenever given) would dip the line under the kite more at the kite end of the lines than without leaders, right?

This could make small fishing weights at some point on the lines actually a viable idea to test.

obi

TobyR · Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:46 am

You need leaders if you want to use a yo-yo line - that's one other use. And they might slide down the leading edge to rest on the yo-yo stops better than flying line. Probably less likely to snag and wedge under the corners of reinforcement patches too.

I'm sure you're right about the weight pulling them down too, I've wondered about this and I don't use them on my Akuji SUL as I have enough trouble getting it to yo-yo (one pop) already, forget about fishing weights for SUL I reckon. In higher winds, the wind itself probably does a pretty good job of bowing any slack line and pulling it down, but maybe some merit in moderate breeze?

Toby

Miles F · Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:59 am

If the drag on the leader is the quality you're after the logical extension (no pun) would be to fly on some 100 dan + ropes?

This maybe worthwhile for high winds but hopeless for calmer conditions.

Why not vary the gauge of leader you use or perhaps use some "tufts" / "fuzzies"?

My guess is that drag in the line is what you might want, i.e. retardation of the lines along the resultant of kite direction and wind direction. Fishing weights only pull on the line as the resultant of gravity and momentum which might not be as helpful.

DWayne · Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:18 pm

Obi, my experience is that leaders do help the lines fall out of the way faster. They also make it easier for my old eyes to see tip wraps 40 meters away. That saves me a little walking now and then.

Denny

Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:44 pm

I always use 90lb line and leaders on SUL kites rather than 50lb because the line drops quicker when tricking, so less tip wraps. However when there's wind I'd say a quick release/step forward would give just as much 'dip' in the line as say a fishing weight, unless that weight was stupid heavy, in which case I'd think would become more a liability/danger than a help

Aeri · Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:03 pm

how long do you make them?

I've got them at about 2m now (not including the ones on the kites)

DWayne · Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:17 pm

Aeri wrote:
how long do you make them?

I've got them at about 2m now (not including the ones on the kites)

Mine are 1.25 meter

Denny

Keithgrif · Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:03 pm

We use 6m leaders for our team kites, but that's because it was getting expensive with replacing lines

Also, extra weight on the lines near the kite will, like a nappy, alter the nose angle forward.

Vee · Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:05 pm

Leaders can also help if you are forever cutting lines at the kite end (more common with pairs & team flying). Make your leaders a meter longer than where you normally cut the lines & even if you cut the leaders, they're a lot cheaper to replace. Most of our leaders are similar weight to the lines.

axelant · Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:43 pm

I've been using 2m of 500lb PK line as my leaders for a couple of years now and I do take them off in very light winds but otherwise I don't really notice them.

Unfortunately they haven't stopped me getting lots of tip wraps :-(