Fractured Axel

Can this be downloaded somewhere - I have two basic questions:

1- The bridal knot settings. How do they work?

2- What weight or coin do you put in the tail. Any recommendations?

The LE std knot setting is on the Fourth knot all around.

The C Tee knot setting is all the way in near the Tee.

There should be weight in the kite already, although I've never bothered to look: Never have felt the need.

14g tail weight, same for all the range, the weight should be inside the pocket at the tail. As for the bridle settings, as Jim say's. The knots are there so that you can fine tune to your liking. Sometimes I think they shouldn't bother as it seems to bring more confusion, just set it and leave it alone.

There is a fold out flap that has no weight in the slots. However at the bottom of the central spine there seems to be that 14 gram weight attachment I assume what you were talking about - In the fold out flap there are slots to place additional? coins into the tail area. I am assuming this is for more weight as to one's needs - In terms of the bridle I would assume that the top settings the higher you set the knot the easier to fly in lighter winds - similar to the Q-Pro three knot setting which makes huge differences in the flight characterstics going from the top bridle setting in the low wind range to the lower knot in the higher wind range setting. The bottom knots near the male and female spreader ENDS is new to me - same ideaology? I have set it to the STD settings as per your instructions and will experiment. Its manufacturing is TOP END. Looking forward to flying it. Thanks again for the Std. setting.

One last thought - if you go with the first knot at the bottom spreader ends and just go top to bottom adjustments on the upper spreader knots on BOTH ends EVENLY(low wind (first knot) to high wind settings (last knot from nose going downward)) it would be similar to a QPRO bridle adjustment from the low to high wind range setting? One thing seems certain the top and bottom spreader knots SHOULD be EVENLY adusted to one another but differ only from the top to bottom spreader settings. We shall see ... if it falls from the sky I will stick with the FOURTH KNOT STD all around setting. I am knot even going to ask what the CENTER T knot adjustments are for ...

John,

I actually pulled the lead weight that was in the pouch and made a spine replica (shrink wrapped) and is exactly what Thomas spec's. The lead weight doesn't sit well in the pouch and pulls the sail to one side of the spine or the other (rests directly on the spine). I didn't like it so I redid it.

Otherwise, nothing has been changed since I had it. All stock bridle. I wouldn't change anything on there. I've never flown one that flew better than it does stock with bridle adjustments.

I'd leave it and enjoy it.

ITBVolks wrote:

The lead weight doesn't sit well in the pouch and pulls the sail to one side of the spine or the other (rests directly on the spine). I didn't like it so I redid it.

I'm also not totally convinced about the standard weight system.

Could you make a sketch, or take a photo, of your modified weight, so that we can all understand exactly what you have done?

Stuart

Without going into too much detail, and in general:

You want to think of where the tow points end up.

A good rule of thumb, independent of the effect on tricking, is "Up and In and Down and Out" - IOW, when you move the tow point up, you want to adjust in as well, and when moving the tow point down, make an adjustment out. But again, this is in general terms.

So, try to visualize what the various adjustments are doing to the overall position of the tow points, and go from there.

HTH

asburyparkjohn wrote:

One last thought - if you go with the first knot at the bottom spreader ends and just go top to bottom adjustments on the upper spreader knots on BOTH ends EVENLY(low wind (first knot) to high wind settings (last knot from nose going downward)) it would be similar to a QPRO bridle adjustment from the low to high wind range setting? One thing seems certain the top and bottom spreader knots SHOULD be EVENLY adusted to one another but differ only from the top to bottom spreader settings. We shall see ... if it falls from the sky I will stick with the FOURTH KNOT STD all around setting. I am knot even going to ask what the CENTER T knot adjustments are for ...

Thanks. Up and In and Down and Out. I did talk to the original seller and he had a different weight or that 14 gram or so custom weight bulit into the bottom of the central spine. Knowing that I will fly it with no added weight and try 6 gram add-ons with the US quarters (one and two).
Kitegem - any ideas on the central T knotting system???

The logic behind adjusting at the C Tee has always seemed somewhat fuzzy to me, at least as a stand alone adjustment. What you get, if you think about it, is a tow point that moves up and out, which isn't all that useful by itself.

But.

With a kite like the Ghost, which has a massive amount of adjustability with all those knots on the leading edge, there may be some usefulness to having a bit of movement at the C Tee.

You will note that there are a lot fewer knots to play around with at the C Tee.

That's probably just as well.

IF I were to play around with that, I'd probably go with a slight adjustment at the LLE bringing the tow point in again and up still more. IOW, more of a light wind adjustment.

My advice would be to take it slow with all the fiddling and weight adding. Try and have an idea of what your goal is. It's much easier to make adjustments to a kite you've spent a lot of time flying. Give the designer a chance. Then if you want to make a change you'll have a pretty good idea of what that change is and how to get there.

It's not like the Ghost has a problem tricking or flying as is.

It comes set up to fly pretty well in its mid-range right out of the bag.

I know I've spent hours adjusting a new kite prematurely, particularly a new low wind kite, only to find myself working my way back, slowly but surely, to the (you guessed it) stock settings.

It's one thing when a kite is just off, but that's not the case here or with any of the better offerings these days.

HTH

Thanks for the advice. My long term goal will be to see how low a wind range it can fly in and vice versa - when the wind picks up what are the adjustments to calm the kite down (i.e., down and out?). Trying it tomorrow - we shall see.

Kitegem - Well I flew the Ghost today and was impressed. In some ways it really grabs the low wind almost as well as a Benson IS - its incredible how it captures the wind in the low range. Now the bad news - I bought this kite with a custom weight glued to the end of the central spine but the cost of the kite was almost half price. I am sending it out to be brought back to its original spine design. The person told me the weight is the same as the weight supplied by Kitehouse (14 grams). With the weight fixed as it was I was flying in 2-5 mph winds and I was peforming multi-lazies like CRAZY! No effort. INCREDIBLE RESPONSE. EFFORTLESS. However - trying to do a FADE from the ground (belly down & nose away was basically IMPOSSIBLE!). As was the flare/fade. I was able to pull some fades from broken JL's but still difficult as the kite was buried in a rock solid BACKFLIP once there. I guess my point KITEGEM is that I thought the standard knot adjustments (fourth knot) were perfect but will need to explore more in pure beach winds if any adjustments really do anything - my initial reaction to all these knots is they are confusing - I will not say worthless until about 100 hours on this kite. Its a CLASSIC fly with much potential. I would say that adding weight when this kite gets back to a normal design from my kite surgeon has much potential. The multi-lazies were incredible but it was a trade-off in very difficult FADES. I am sure I can get it back to a happy medium. Its a WINNER but unlike the Fearless or Sea Devil where its hook and go there is some personal fine tuning required but the potential as a SUL in terms of its tricking capabilities is VERY WIDE and in many ways - EXCITING.

Ok, here is something you can do: start moving the lower leading edge knots away from the leading edge. Try it around knot Six or Seven. By doing that you will be moving the tow point up and in. I think you will find the fade gets easier.

This will make the kite a little more old school. It will have less presence on the lines. It will still be trick friendly just not as trick friendly as on the stock settings. It should be more familiar to you with a slight adjustment there.

At some point it will get difficult in the jacobs ladder the further out you go from the leading edge, so; just pay attention to the attributes that are important to you and adjust accordingly.

I personally do not like to adjust the upper knots away from stock. I find it impacts trickability to a great extent. YMMV

I also do not adjust at the Ctee: that really impacts pitch, so I leave those all the way in by the tee.

If you want the absolute most lift for low wind flying, then move the lower knots all the way out to the last knot away from the leading edge, the upper leading edge knots all the way up near the leading edge. It will be very light on the lines and much more conventional in a SUL sort of a way.

Personally, I like the Taz so much on this kite, I only adjust at the LLE, and only to the point where I don't lose it.

HTH

Kitegem - Thanks - I will remember that but I am going to change back the spine. As a point of reference when do you add the 14 gram weight to your GHOST? Do you add any weight? As I mentioned if you want to do multilazies its real easy - add the 14 gram weight and ENJOY. At one point in this 3 hour test run I did have the settings out to the final knot on the LLE but had the upper LE on the first knot (i.e., UP & IN). Still - fade unfriendly. I doubt the 4th knot on the ULE would have helped. In low winds with the 14 gram weight you are almost LOCKING yourself in to certain tricks. I will continue with the surgery on the central spine. The 14 gram fixed weight has to be removed for LOW WINDS IMO - this 14 gram weight has to be an option - it KILLS the versatility of the GHOST in low winds in FADE type moves. I will remember the LLE suggestion upon its return from repair. Sorry to add the previous owner did not full understand the potential of this kite by freezing 14 grams on the central spine simply because the 14 gram given by Kitehouse kept falling out. An unfortunate overhaul if you ask me - again - in MY OPINION.

How could the previous owner keep losing the weight, is he stupid?

I still maintain the factory setting aren't worth changing from, it's a low wind competition kite and not meant to be an indoor floaty kite like the Inner Space.