Power kites - Introduction
The power kite is a kite with power & it can potentially pull you. It's great fun, battling with the kite, sliding along behind it and to the further potential extreme of being lifted off the ground.
Much better still is harnessing this power for traction purposes which has endless possibilities. Blat along on a snowboard, mountain board or a three-wheeled kite buggy achieving speeds approaching 50mph.
Although this is all maybe a bit too dramatic. It would be wrong for you to assume that a 2m/6ft kite would have the power to allow for serious traction activities, or even that a much bigger one would be suitable to power kite in a very low wind. In addition, you need to understand that it is very possible to fly a power kite without constantly being dragged behind it.
The power a sail produces varies from kite to kite, (which are suited for different activities) and the manner in which the kite is flown. A large kite static above you produces very limited pull, but one in a dive or upward flight can be very frightening, if unexpected. Most importantly though are the wind conditions (even a small power kite can be a monster on a blowy day).
Most power kites look something like a para-glider when flying, using the wind to inflate cells through a front vent. The canopy is supported by a bridle, sometimes very complicated, other times more basic. (Pictured above a Flexifoil which has a spar across the front that allows for no bridles).
Two or four lines? Flying a four line power kite is a little different from flying with two lines but not hard. Being inflated by the wind, the kite tends to blow back into shape. To get the best out of it you need to tilt (not pull) the handles to turn it. Four line kites are generally used on shorter lines (25/m75ft) The top lines take all the power and are therefore generally have a higher breaking strain. By tilting a handle the kite will rotate from it's centre, not the end (as a 2 line kite would), thus having a smaller turning circle - they have many other advantages as well.
With a four line kite the angle in which you set the kite at (by what degree you tilt the handles or fine tune the lines) greatly effects its power. Tilt the handles right back and you will have a fast kite with minimum pull, tilt right forwards and the kite slows and increases its forwards pull (great for buggying), keep tilting the handles forwards and the kite will stall and eventually fly backwards - perfect for landings and keeping your kite on the ground ready to go.
What size: At the smaller end of power kites you can fly them in most winds, but will not get significant power unless in stronger winds. With bigger kites, these can still pull immensely in medium and light winds (some are huge). However, a big kite in a big wind can be very dangerous and in the worst-case scenario, you will have no control over it or yourself. (Nowadays most power kites come with safety systems so that you can let go to de power. These are also available from us separately). So to be able to say buggy or surf in all wind conditions you will need several kites. For example, an 8sq m for light winds, 4sq m for medium winds and 2sq m for very windy days. What size kite you get is up to you, many flyers simply purchase an average size kite and forfeit its power when using it in light winds. An avarage kite would be between 2-4m.
