Kite strings, or kite lines in hobbyist groups, comes in various different thicknesses, lengths, weights, and construction. Think of your kite line as the central nervous system of the human body, which transmit messages from your brain to the rest of your body. Your kite line helps you to control how your kite moves. If you have a line that is too heavy in relation to your kite, your kite may respond more sluggishly, or reduce your control of it, or your kite could completely not take off at all.
Different types of kite lines are manufactured differently — some will stretch and then stay stretched, while others will stretch with pressure, but then return back to their original form. Some types of lines are slippery and will slide against themselves if twisted, and some may tend to form knots instead. There are also twisted lines, and braided lines. The length of your kite line can also affect how responsive your kite is.
In this article, we will look at the 5 of the best types of kite lines, and why you should take into consideration the above factors when purchasing kite line. The topic of kite lines can be very subjective — everyone has a preference for a certain type of line material, or when flying a kite with a lot of pull which is affected by the angle of attack of the kite , a heavier line may be chosen.
Others choose based on the diameter of the line, which makes it easier to grip. Below are 5 of the most common types of material used for kite lines, ranked by how easy it is for beginners to use. In the world of kites, you may hear the name Dacron used frequently, and so you should. The name Dacron is a registered name for polyester under a company. It is so popular now that people tend to call polyester lines Dacron instead. Polyester is popular even outside of kite flying — fabrics woven from polyester thread is commonly found in apparel such as shirts, jackets, pants; polyester can also be used to make plastic bags, bottles, tarpaulin, or even to finish guitars and pianos.
Why is polyester or Dacron so popular? One of its biggest strengths is that it is stronger than other cheaper types of lines like cotton or nylon of the same strength. It is also relatively inexpensive to purchase, and is the most widely used type of line for single-line kites. With its high melting point, Dacron is also able to better resist friction and abrasion. While Dacron stretches easily, it also tends to return to its original length with little or no lasting stretch.
This makes it easy and cheap for beginners to maintain over time. Finally, Dacron or polyester does not tend to slide against itself, and as such, does not require special sleeving for knots. Each knot that you make on your kite line presents a place for friction, which reduces the overall strength of your kite line.
Sleeving minimizes the chance of your kite line breaking at the knot, and also makes for easier removal of the knot. Dacron also tends to be thicker than most other lines, which can provide a better grip for those who are new to this hobby. Polyester lines, as they are thicker, can be heavy.
This in turn reduces the responsiveness of the line. This can be an advantage to someone who is learning to fly a kite, but can also create a disadvantage by making the kite seem sluggish when it is not. This material is also not recommended for dual- or quad-line stunt kites, and should only be used for single-line kites.
As mentioned, the stretch of polyester or Dacron lines is a double-edged sword. As these types of lines have high elasticity, they can break much sooner than other types of line. When you have gone all the way over to the left, just repeat the process, turning in the other direction. If you get excited and pull too hard, the kite will jerk around fast and probably crash - almost like a bike when you turn too hard. But if you eased into it, the kite will gracefully curve to the right.
When you bring your hands back even, the kite will straighten out. If you keep turning, the kite will fly all the way around into a circle. This is nothing to panic about. You can easily put as many as a dozen twists in a good set of lines before your control of the kite is affected.
Just remember which way you turned, catch your breath, and then turn back the other way until all of the twists have come out. If your kite crashed with twists in the line, simply wind the handles around each other until the twists disappear. Instead of pulling with your right hand to turn right, try pushing with your left hand.
The result will be roughly the same although the turn will be a bit sharper. Advanced pilots use the difference to improve and perfect various types of maneuvers. Fly all the way to the left and right. Try a landing. Just fly out to the edge and steer gently toward the ground. The idea is to reach the ground about the same time the kite reaches the edge.
NEVER use steel line or wire to fly your kite. Hold your kite up by the bridle point and let the line out. If there is sufficient wind, your kite will go right up. Let the kite fly away from you a little, then pull in on the line as the kite points up so it will climb.
Repeat this until your kite gains the altitude necessary to find a good steady wind. Gravity pulls everything towards the centre of the earth. Anything on the ground can't get pulled down any further than that, but things in the air can get pulled down to ground level. The heavier a kite is the harder it will be to fly. Kites are generally made from lightweight materials so that they will fly easily.
Trying to fly a kite without a tail may result in the kite spinning and rolling a lot because the kite is unstable. A very long tail, such as the cm-long tail, will help keep the kite from rolling, but the tail may be so heavy that it will prevent the kite from flying very high. Trying to fly a kite without a tail may result in the kite spinning and rolling around a lot because the kite is unstable.
Adding a tail to a kite helps make the kite fly more stably by adding some needed mass and drag which pulls the kite back in the direction the wind is going to the lower back area of the kite.
Launch straight off the ground, on a long line. Pull in line to get the kite in the air, then let it climb up to full height. Home Single line kites - Introduction to Single line kites and a few knots Single line kites - Introduction to Single line kites and a few knots.
Single Line Kites Single line kites are designed to be stable in medium winds and are the easiest for younger children and adults to fly. A few simple knots that we use to fasten our equipment: The Overhand Knot The basic Overhand Knot is most frequently used to create a stopper knot in kite line, especially for kite bridles.
Though it's not critical, it is good practice to lock the working end of your kite line with a second simple overhand knot as shown below in the final 2 steps. The Larkshead Knot Without question the most commonly used knot by kite flyers, the Larkshead Knot is used to attach kite line to the bridle of many single-line kites and dual-line stunt kites. It also comes in handy to attach your kite line to some stunt kite wrist straps.
Attaching Stunt Kite Line-sets to Wrist Straps - Many stunt kite wrist straps come with a short loop of chord with an overhand knot stopper to attach their line-sets to. In this case, you would use a Larkshead Knot as show above to attach the kite line.
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