Has anyone had their SB3 canopy fold in half while powered up?

I was out at rosebud on saturday with the rest of the melbourne kiting community it was reaching 30knts at times.

Three times my kite folded in half and spun out of the sky. I check the bladder pressure which was fine and i didn't feel overpowered.

Has this happened to anyone else? any idea how i can stop it?

thanks

Never heard or seen anything like it.And I have seen a lot of SB3's!

I would say that you must have had your kite under inflated I know you said you checked but... this seams to me to be the most comon oversite no matter what brand of kite.

The SB3 kites are Tough real Tough so pump em hard until you cant pump any more!
No idea what pressure dosnt really matter just rock hard! (dont worry your stock pump will not let you over inflate the kite without breaking the pump)

Do this and you will be fine.

cheers

Luke

Did it fold just as you relaunched it off the water or when the kite was in the middle of the window?

This is a common problem with most bridled kites. Their LE folds or does something crazy when they are heavily depowered and flown in the middle of the window. I've had it happen a few times during a hot launch. I let the kite travel to the edge of the window nowdays before relaunching, or keep the power on a bit more.

can happen with a fast kite in stronger winds if the back lines are too slack as well as the already said pressure problem....

same as above it.
Depending on wind strength I usually give my 8m another few pumps 3-6. When it is over 25knots. The switchblade 2 was renowned for this happening more pressure = no more problem. My SB3 has only done this once .....reason being a leaking bladder. pressure had dropped and kite folded in and out about 5 times and each time I expected it to tear it makes and awful sound when it keeps happening.

Had the same issue with my 07 9m Rebel.

Now I pump the LE up nice and hard - Problem solved.

It's happened to me when using my mate's SB3. He said it was because I was over-sheeting, i.e. you were probably at the upper limit of the kite and really pulling the bar in? I found it unnerving and quickly went back to my Airush and now decline any offers to use his kite! Hopefully the suggestion to increase the pressure will solve it.

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LaurieP said...

It's happened to me when using my mate's SB3. He said it was because I was over-sheeting, i.e. you were probably at the upper limit of the kite and really pulling the bar in? I found it unnerving and quickly went back to my Airush and now decline any offers to use his kite! Hopefully the suggestion to increase the pressure will solve it.

I was sending it each time it went so that may have something to do with it. I've emailed Cabrinha so will see what they say.

I'll keep an eye on it for any slow punchers in the bladder but it felt solid when i came in.

Thanks for the feed back guys

Seen and had it happen a couple times, generally caused when kite is under inflated....and the catalyst is when the kites going through the power zone, and the kite is completly depowering quickly, this causes the rear lines to go loose quickly and the wing tips fold back briefly. Only seems to happen in some weird senerios... Pump it hard, and sheet in a bit, hasn't happened again

The 10m....sweet, sweet kite

I Fly a SB3, but Never had it happen to me.

My General rule to inflating my kite :- I don't go by how much pressure but obviously I have enough. I was told to inflate the kite and if it was difficult to fold the edge over then the pressure is OK.

My way of getting it right:- I count the number of pumps I inflate at, 75pumps seem to be good pressure. prob a bit anal but it Works for me!

I had a guy ask if he could use my pump one day cos his just broke, i say yes and walk over with him. he starts pumping and my pump breaks.
I checked his kites LE, it was super hard.
So these guys wernt lying about not being able to over inflate the kite.

Greg

I find my bandit does this if i set it up with too much depower. Try powering your kite up at the kite and you should be right.

Yep Agree with the previous posts.

I ride an 11m Waroo Pro and it has to be pumped up HARD and also on at least the fourth knot on the back lines.

Any slack backline when turning the kite and it will fold.

Fitzy - Gold Coast OZ

I have the same problem every time i use mt 12mtr airrush reactor,on 20mtr lines
it has 6 battons,and it falls out the sky when i change direction with very little rear line pressure on it.
the 11.5mts lift pro does the same manouvre with no problems at all

Yep, we've been through all this with our SB3's. They are a high performance kite and so they trade off performance for other issues. Inversions generally happen due to pilot error, like overrunning the kite while down-looping. As others have said, pump it up super hard and keep your power on when you loop the kite. I can almost always feel it before it inverts because the pull starts coming off in pulses. That's when you have to sheet in hard and bear upwind!!!

My mate has had this problem only with his 8, not his 12. He got advise from Cabrinha to modify the bridle by putting in an extra pulley, kind of like the old "Crossbow 1 conversion". I think it makes the kite fly a bit more "C" shaped, but he seems to think the problem is solved.

here's cabrinha's response to my email:

"Aloha James,

The first thing that comes to mind is that you're riding the kite beyond it's recommended wind range. You really should be on a 6m SB3 in 30 to 35 knots. We ride 8's almost every day here and have never had a problem with our SB3's folding our collapsing. The only time we've seen that happen is when the kite is under inflated or used in a ridiculous amount of wind that really requires a smaller kite.

Best Regards,

Cabrinha Support"

pretty helpful advice, didn't even bother to ask about the riders weight!

anyone think 30knts is a ridiculous amount of wind?

Fairly cheap respose. I guess it just confirms what has already been said throughout this post, but they could at least have made a better effort to explain. IMO 30-35knots is not a rediculous amount of wind ( it certainly is honking though )

Just pump it harder

The switchy is a grunty kite for its size....

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dave...... said...



The switchy is a grunty kite for its size....

you're right it is, but those wind charts are way off, my 12 may stay in the air with 10knts but i'm not gonna get out on the water. I don't think you can pay them any attention.

But are the end of the day, the advice on this thread has been much more useful.

pump the hell out of it!

Interesting that they claim ( on this scale see above ) the 12m can be used from 10knots to about 18knots.

In my experience my 12m will not even stay in the air in 10knots (hindenburg style) and as for 18knots being the upper limit for the 12 pfffft.... thats rubbish it is more like 23-25knots IMO
I weigh 81kgs

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jamiemor said...

here's cabrinha's response to my email:

"Aloha James,

The first thing that comes to mind is that you're riding the kite beyond it's recommended wind range. You really should be on a 6m SB3 in 30 to 35 knots. We ride 8's almost every day here and have never had a problem with our SB3's folding our collapsing. The only time we've seen that happen is when the kite is under inflated or used in a ridiculous amount of wind that really requires a smaller kite.

Best Regards,

Cabrinha Support"

pretty helpful advice, didn't even bother to ask about the riders weight!

anyone think 30knts is a ridiculous amount of wind?

Kinda goes back to my original reply - you are at the upper limit of the kite's wind range (or according to Cabrinha, well over it) and thus you have to really sheet in so as not to be overpowered. Maybe try sheeting out a bit but compensating by digging in your heels more/doing more of the poo stance?

Cheers.

good point laurie, i think keeping tension on the front lines, therefore leading edge is key. not so sure about the poo stance though! won't do me street-cred any good!