What is everyone's favorite kite for a good freeride day? I'm relatively new to the sport but have heard great things about the Switchblade?

RPM all day everyday

Best ts. Or fone bandit. Those are my favs

Naish Pivot

its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

your going to find everything everyone says about freeride kites tho is just what there instructor told them.

very few people are disciplined "freeriders" thats just the easymode begginer setting untill you figure out what your physically capable of or enjoy before you go wave/freestyle/wake/.....race *shudders* ....anyways

so basicly why its everyones favourite is due to a few things main one being some years ago it was one the most durable kites around (shape and design wise) so it lasted longest in schools so more schools used them and thus passed them on more to fresh students who just regurgitate whatever there instructor told them without having actually tried many other kites.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

i use to THINK this when i flew them several years ago now i KNOW it because i dickaround trying to design paraliders/kites

hope that helps

What ever kite you get use to....

Switchblade for me and has been since 2006 ( have flirted with other kites but keep coming back)
I use it with a twintip ( freestyle and wakestyle) a surfboard and a foil...
Sure there are other kites which are better at each discipline but as an allrounder it's pretty hard to beat.

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Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

There's so many great choices. I cut my teeth on Switchblades, but preferred the Rebels and ended up on Airush Lithiums.

Try before you buy if possible. Kites are, well, like trying on shoes. All are nice but some fit better than others.

As you progress, you'll find your personal "style" of riding. This will also effect which kite is right for you.

For the time being any kite that's geared toward being more "all around" with a decent range will serve you best.

...My buddy loves the North Neo. It's not just a wave kite only. I tried his, nice and definitely a contender in the Freeride category.

Personally, my preferred fit when I was learning the ropes, was the Airush Lithium. It has a great bottom end, as good as it gets. Turns much faster than the Switchblade, which makes it more forgiving while progressing. Not that the Switchblade is "bad" kite, to the contrary, it's great kite. My progression was faster on a plug n play kite like the Lithium, but it's something you won't outgrow.

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windtzu said..
There's so many great choices. I cut my teeth on Switchblades, but preferred the Rebels and ended up on Airush Lithiums.

Try before you buy if possible. Kites are, well, like trying on shoes. All are nice but some fit better than others.

As you progress, you'll find your personal "style" of riding. This will also effect which kite is right for you.

For the time being any kite that's geared toward being more "all around" with a decent range will serve you best.

...My buddy loves the North Neo. It's not just a wave kite only. I tried his, nice and definitely a contender in the Freeride category.

Personally, my preferred fit when I was learning the ropes, was the Airush Lithium. It has a great bottom end, as good as it gets. Turns much faster than the Switchblade, which makes it more forgiving while progressing. Not that the Switchblade is "bad" kite, to the contrary, it's great kite. My progression was faster on a plug n play kite like the Lithium, but it's something you won't outgrow.

Thanks for the input. The two I feel like I'm really deciding between are the Switchblade and the Pivot. Ive heard so much good stuff consistently about both kites. I really need to choose one or the other! Not an easy decision.....

Again not to disparage the Switchblade, but I'd lean toward the Pivot. While progressing, I'm a fan of quicker turning kites.

Others may argue to the contrary, but the only person who's right is you.

So demo both if you can and then decide.

Try any C shaped bridled three strut kite and please make your own decision. Kites like GTS3/Enduro/FX/RPM. Fly one of them and will notice the difference between SB, Pivot and any C shaped bridled three strut kite.

No one has asked...

what akind of free riding do you intend to do? Jumping, wave riding....or will you want to unhook? All of the above? This changes the type of all round kite you should demo. Note the last word in the Sentence before. We all have our certain 'slant' eventually. Then it comes down to a certain brands feel that clicks with you, but honestly that can take a few years.

Water, wind and board choice conditions are also factors to consider.

switch blade if only for the better resale value and has not lost its appeal. even if it seems to be one of the few kites left on the market with 5 struts

Like HP I tried a few other brands F-One, Slingshot went back to Cabs if only for the reliability and familiarity.

If you are buying second hand the other brands will usually be cheaper.

The only problem I have now is deciding between switchblades or drifters.

Drifter for me, Does everything as needed. It may not be the best at powered looping but it does the job.

Great kite

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weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

I thought the switchblade was the best lawn mowing kite

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Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

Good question.

Im really just looking for a kite that will let me grow and decide what I enjoy. Unhooking isn't a priority at the moment.

Im looking for a kite that is responsive, easy to turn with, has a good wind range and doesn't really have an area of weakness.

The Switchblade is obviously an option with that in mind, but some say the slow responsiveness might make turning a bit tougher.

I've heard from several instructors that can try anything that the Pivot this year has just been amazing. A great all around kite with exceptional responsiveness, turning and low end range.

Thats how I really got between the Pivot and Switchblade. I do realize the resale value of the switchblade is great, but I want the best for what I want (turning, wind range etc).

Ok.

Lets back the truck up a bit and talk about the different types of kites.

At one end you have low aspect. Short fat kites. The turn fast have good depower at the bar relaunch easy and drift well.
Wave kites and learners kites are in this bracket. Typically they are 3 strut. But they don't go upwind very well (despite what the salesman tells you) and there jumping is the worst. These kites can get pretty boring after a while unless your ripping down the line on monster waves.

At the other end you have high a aspect long thin kites. Typically 5 strut. These kites turn slower, relaunch is more difficult and they drift like ****. But There crank upwind like a mofo and boost into the stratosphere. They also go real fast. These are usually toted as advanced kite. The upwind, lift and speed makes the generally more exciting kites to fly.

A mid aspect kite will be in between these 2 extremes. They come in 3 or 5 struts and will have better upwind and jumping than the aspect kite and better relaunch and drift than the high aspect kite.

Apart from aspect you have 3 different types of lei's. A sle (supported leading edge) kite with a bridle and flatter wing curve. More depower, better relaunch less direct feel. Typically more powerful per meter and has more float in jumps. Turns slower.
A "C" kite that is shaped like a C with lines connected directly to the kite. These turn the fastest and have the most direct feel. They loop like Mojo's and tear you off the water and drop you like a stone. They have the worst relaunch and depower.
Then you have a Hydrid that is a C shaped kite. With a small bridle. Gives you the some C kite advantages of good turning and wang in the jumps with the advantage of some extra depower and relaunch ability of the sle.


From your explanation you will benefit from a mid aspect sle or Hydrid C.

From the ozone range (this is what I know best as that's what I fly)

Reo low aspect sle wave kite 3 strut
catalyste low aspect sle learner kite 3 strut
enduro mid aspect sle 3 strut
C4 Mid aspect C/Hybrid C 5 strut
Edge high aspect 5 strut sle.

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Jlip9 said...
What is everyone's favorite kite for a good freeride day? I'm relatively new to the sport but have heard great things about the Switchblade?

Airush Flow.. It's a no brainer how good these are..

Currently own a quiver of 2012 north Rebels 8, 10, 12. Fantastic powerful kites. Stable yet responsive. Great for breezes over 14 knots. Strong and will take beginner punishment. Careful if you invert a five line kite as it acts like a knife, I tore my twelve as a result of not acting on the chicken loop. Note: Horizon Sails if you need a kite repair !

Also own a 14.5 Ocean Rodeo Flite - my favourite kite may even move to it when the Norths wear out. It will go the lighter winds say 8 knots up and relaunches easily in them. It moves how and when I want it to. Mate has a Cabrinha Swithblade 14, it moves like a truck in comparison, you have to anticipate the slow response times.

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Jlip9 said..
Good question.

Im really just looking for a kite that will let me grow and decide what I enjoy. Unhooking isn't a priority at the moment.

Im looking for a kite that is responsive, easy to turn with, has a good wind range and doesn't really have an area of weakness.

The Switchblade is obviously an option with that in mind, but some say the slow responsiveness might make turning a bit tougher.

I've heard from several instructors that can try anything that the Pivot this year has just been amazing. A great all around kite with exceptional responsiveness, turning and low end range.

Thats how I really got between the Pivot and Switchblade. I do realize the resale value of the switchblade is great, but I want the best for what I want (turning, wind range etc).

what is your weight?

Flat water, choppy water, waves, tides/currents what are your water conditions?

Wind conditions, type...where do you live and kite?

board and size?

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windtzu said..

Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

yeah less panels less stitching less costs 3 struts arent as durable as 5

what planet are you on and how did you get there?

who said anything about assumptions? seriously it bothers me a bit when people talk **** about stuff that they dont even have the faintest idea.

www.surfplan.com.au/sp/downloads/index.aspx

go build me a 3 strut bow kite thats more durable then a 5 strut bow
you peanut

No such thing as a freeride
Have you seen the cost

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windtzu said..

Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

Kozzie, my reasoning is based on a conversation I had with a guy who use to build kites and worked at Airush a time back. Perhaps he had not the faintest idea. You may be right > For the record I disagreed with you, and I didn't feel the need to insult you...What's with the personal remarks, "...you peanut." Really?

Hey, I have no issue with a back and forth banter. But dude, there's no need to behave like an ass.

Select to expand quote

windtzu said..

windtzu said..

Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

Kozzie, my reasoning is based on a conversation I had with a guy who use to build kites and worked at Airush a time back. Perhaps he had not the faintest idea. You may be right > For the record I disagreed with you, and I didn't feel the need to insult you...What's with the personal remarks, "...you peanut." Really?

Hey, I have no issue with a back and forth banter. But dude, there's no need to behave like an ass.

because you ARE a peanut and if you get some spaghetti from your pantry were going to find out just how MUCH of a peanut you are

now that you have some strands of spaghetti i want you to break some into various lengths. and i want you to continue breaking them paying close attention to how much force is required to break them. now your hopefully realiseing something recurring here its that your a peanut and that the shorter the span the stronger it is. now this reasonably obvious rule carries across not just for spaghetti or timber or paper or peanuts but also for fabric. now just sit and look at your pile of spaghetti for a bit and think about it for a bit.

now if you could kindly picture a kite with NO STRUTS and one with 10 what are we thinking now? are we begining to see something occur? in your little peanut head you peanut brain. yes thats right they one with no struts is going to just be a very large piece of fabric with quite a big span. now to make it twice as strong were going to chuck 1 strut bang right there in the middle.... now we can see the canopys now 2 much smallers sections allmost half the size of the original span, remember how much more force was required to break those half pieces of spaghetti then it was for the long unbroken one? now wheres the 2 weak spots? in the middle of the 2 big pieces of cloth again? thats right it is. and if we were going to add 2 more struts what would happen? thats it peanut now youve got the hang of it. now problem with evenly placeing struts in the weakest points is that the struts themselves create quite a bit of drag. so were going to shuffle them down a little bit so the drag is reduced and the strength and durability IS IMPACTED it is but only just a bit. not nearly as badly impacted as if there were only 3 struts

but yeah hope that explains it for you seeing as you were to lazy to simply click the link and press a couple buttons on surfplan and figure this **** out for yourself.

kite/sail/wing designers have all sorts of little tricks but they all still have to obey some pretty simple principles. you failing to see a very very basic principal most 5 year olds have seen is beyond me but hay its the internet i could honestly be converseing to anyone right now even a peanut

ps

maybe the airrush designer shortened the sections of cloth on the leading edge ? remember that pasta? go look at your leading edge. see all the stitching? imagine each one of those sections being some pasta now imagine each one of those sections costing money. if you want a strong kite you want it to cost alot it will cost alot because of the kilometers of stitching. and yeah 5 struts is basicly as ideal (in there current sizes) as its going to get for durability without them affecting flight characteristics to much with weight and drag and cost. i feel a rant about torsion and yawing comeing on but ill try stop

Select to expand quote

Kozzie said..

windtzu said..

windtzu said..

Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

Kozzie, my reasoning is based on a conversation I had with a guy who use to build kites and worked at Airush a time back. Perhaps he had not the faintest idea. You may be right > For the record I disagreed with you, and I didn't feel the need to insult you...What's with the personal remarks, "...you peanut." Really?

Hey, I have no issue with a back and forth banter. But dude, there's no need to behave like an ass.

because you ARE a peanut and if you get some spaghetti from your pantry were going to find out just how MUCH of a peanut you are

now that you have some strands of spaghetti i want you to break some into various lengths. and i want you to continue breaking them paying close attention to how much force is required to break them. now your hopefully realiseing something recurring here its that your a peanut and that the shorter the span the stronger it is. now this reasonably obvious rule carries across not just for spaghetti or timber or paper or peanuts but also for fabric. now just sit and look at your pile of spaghetti for a bit and think about it for a bit.

now if you could kindly picture a kite with NO STRUTS and one with 10 what are we thinking now? are we begining to see something occur? in your little peanut head you peanut brain. yes thats right they one with no struts is going to just be a very large piece of fabric with quite a big span. now to make it twice as strong were going to chuck 1 strut bang right there in the middle.... now we can see the canopys now 2 much smallers sections allmost half the size of the original span, remember how much more force was required to break those half pieces of spaghetti then it was for the long unbroken one? now wheres the 2 weak spots? in the middle of the 2 big pieces of cloth again? thats right it is. and if we were going to add 2 more struts what would happen? thats it peanut now youve got the hang of it. now problem with evenly placeing struts in the weakest points is that the struts themselves create quite a bit of drag. so were going to shuffle them down a little bit so the drag is reduced and the strength and durability IS IMPACTED it is but only just a bit. not nearly as badly impacted as if there were only 3 struts

but yeah hope that explains it for you seeing as you were to lazy to simply click the link and press a couple buttons on surfplan and figure this **** out for yourself.

kite/sail/wing designers have all sorts of little tricks but they all still have to obey some pretty simple principles. you failing to see a very very basic principal most 5 year olds have seen is beyond me but hay its the internet i could honestly be converseing to anyone right now even a peanut

ps

maybe the airrush designer shortened the sections of cloth on the leading edge ? remember that pasta? go look at your leading edge. see all the stitching? imagine each one of those sections being some pasta now imagine each one of those sections costing money. if you want a strong kite you want it to cost alot it will cost alot because of the kilometers of stitching. and yeah 5 struts is basicly as ideal (in there current sizes) as its going to get for durability without them affecting flight characteristics to much with weight and drag and cost. i feel a rant about torsion and yawing comeing on but ill try stop

If you are going to talk about strength and in particular failure then you need to be considering the particular mode of failure, your spaghetti analogy is considering a bending failure which cannot be achieved with fabric alone. I think you'll find that there are failure modes in a kite where additional struts may make a small difference but the bursting type failures common to kiting (kite hit by wave, bursting from tomahawking the kite etc) are a pure function of tensile strength of the materials. Most other failures are tears from an object where again struts don't really have an effect (again there are places like keeping more tension in the canopy where they would have an effect but this is also likely to be negative).

I can't believe no-one said core xr4 8 m with a sensor 2 bar, the auto unwind on the centre lines actually works and the kite does everything,

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Andy T said...
RPM all day everyday

I've heard he hangs around male toilet blocks offering a freeride all day everyday

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blueprint said..

Kozzie said..

windtzu said..

windtzu said..

Kozzie said..

weebitbreezy said..

Kozzie said..
its the switchblade. not just mine but the entire worlds.

now basicly what you NEED is a fat little bow kite with a long chord length and low aspect ratio. this makes it very durable lots of "depowerability" and handles gusts very well with consistant pull so very little stalling possibilitys.

and thats basicly it.

Could say the same about the North Rebel. Bow kite, plenty of trim/range, handles gusts and easy upwind. The shape has been around for donkeys years too.

But if it were me picking from the North range I'd take out a '14 (onwards) Evo.

could say the same about any fat bow kite thats the point its the design and construction not the brand.

one thing worth noteing is all those "freeride" kites you see with 3 struts is just to keep production costs down. there not as strong/durable. also you can spot a cheap **** kite by how few "sections" are on the leading edge. the smoother/closer to a circle any aerofoils leading edge the better it will be and all those stitched sections add more robust/strength because of the pressure and span of the panel

3 Struts not as strong/durable? I disagree for all cases and don't believe you can assume this for all kites. The Airush Wave (3 strut) is as beefy as it gets, along with other 3 strut designs out there. While some mfg may choose to design three struts to keep costs down, it's also an intentional design element independent of cost.

Kozzie, my reasoning is based on a conversation I had with a guy who use to build kites and worked at Airush a time back. Perhaps he had not the faintest idea. You may be right > For the record I disagreed with you, and I didn't feel the need to insult you...What's with the personal remarks, "...you peanut." Really?

Hey, I have no issue with a back and forth banter. But dude, there's no need to behave like an ass.

because you ARE a peanut and if you get some spaghetti from your pantry were going to find out just how MUCH of a peanut you are

now that you have some strands of spaghetti i want you to break some into various lengths. and i want you to continue breaking them paying close attention to how much force is required to break them. now your hopefully realiseing something recurring here its that your a peanut and that the shorter the span the stronger it is. now this reasonably obvious rule carries across not just for spaghetti or timber or paper or peanuts but also for fabric. now just sit and look at your pile of spaghetti for a bit and think about it for a bit.

now if you could kindly picture a kite with NO STRUTS and one with 10 what are we thinking now? are we begining to see something occur? in your little peanut head you peanut brain. yes thats right they one with no struts is going to just be a very large piece of fabric with quite a big span. now to make it twice as strong were going to chuck 1 strut bang right there in the middle.... now we can see the canopys now 2 much smallers sections allmost half the size of the original span, remember how much more force was required to break those half pieces of spaghetti then it was for the long unbroken one? now wheres the 2 weak spots? in the middle of the 2 big pieces of cloth again? thats right it is. and if we were going to add 2 more struts what would happen? thats it peanut now youve got the hang of it. now problem with evenly placeing struts in the weakest points is that the struts themselves create quite a bit of drag. so were going to shuffle them down a little bit so the drag is reduced and the strength and durability IS IMPACTED it is but only just a bit. not nearly as badly impacted as if there were only 3 struts

but yeah hope that explains it for you seeing as you were to lazy to simply click the link and press a couple buttons on surfplan and figure this **** out for yourself.

kite/sail/wing designers have all sorts of little tricks but they all still have to obey some pretty simple principles. you failing to see a very very basic principal most 5 year olds have seen is beyond me but hay its the internet i could honestly be converseing to anyone right now even a peanut

ps

maybe the airrush designer shortened the sections of cloth on the leading edge ? remember that pasta? go look at your leading edge. see all the stitching? imagine each one of those sections being some pasta now imagine each one of those sections costing money. if you want a strong kite you want it to cost alot it will cost alot because of the kilometers of stitching. and yeah 5 struts is basicly as ideal (in there current sizes) as its going to get for durability without them affecting flight characteristics to much with weight and drag and cost. i feel a rant about torsion and yawing comeing on but ill try stop

If you are going to talk about strength and in particular failure then you need to be considering the particular mode of failure, your spaghetti analogy is considering a bending failure which cannot be achieved with fabric alone. I think you'll find that there are failure modes in a kite where additional struts may make a small difference but the bursting type failures common to kiting (kite hit by wave, bursting from tomahawking the kite etc) are a pure function of tensile strength of the materials. Most other failures are tears from an object where again struts don't really have an effect (again there are places like keeping more tension in the canopy where they would have an effect but this is also likely to be negative).

bursting failure 3 struts verse 5 with a 5 strut kite with the strut valves open theres more area for the pressurised air to escape to. meaning it bursts less.

the whole point here is 5 strut kites are stronger and more durable then 3 strut kites. you can crap on about whatever you want but thats not going to change it.

you want to talk about tears now? from ****ing shells and rocks? this has NOTHING to do with the whole ****ing point of all of this bull**** conversation is to try explain to some dolt that whatever horse **** his designer friend fed him that kites arent some sort of magical device the whole purpose of struts and bladders is to create a rigid structure your starting to pull what if scenarios from the clouds about how the spaghetti should be cooked first. do you want me to use matches as an example next time? paddlepop sticks? i didnt think he had a pile of paddlepop sticks left over from his 2nd form class 50 years ago or whenver it was. next time ill use his computer desk as a model and tell him to cut half the legs off or maybe just nock out every 2nd noggin in his bedroom wall it really doesnt matter because were discussing something thats bleedingly obvious to anyone who has even stacked a pile of chicken bones on there dinner plate like some sort of aztecian catacombial sacrifical alter its very very basic it doesnt even REQUIRE us to mention it at all. you could ask 9 out of 10 people on the street hi which one of these kites is stronger 2 identical kites but one has 5 struts the other 3 and what are they going to say? honestly **** it your RIGHT YOUR ABSOULTELY RIGHT!!! oh how my world has turned im going to go cut out half the struts from all my kites because its going to make them stronger im going to do the same with my paragliders to im just going to change them from haveing 48 cells to ****ing 24 cells HALF the cell walls! THEYLLL BE TWICE AS STRONG!!! and my parachutes to no more struts in those **** em all off man there going to be so strong after i remove all these struts actually let me do some maths here.... if i make all my kites 3 strut kites.... ill have 10 kite struts for sale! and same goes for my wings my 50 cell gliders ill cut out 25 cells makeing them twice as strong! and lighter!!! wooooooeeeee and dont think your getting away reserve chutes! now for my skydiver canopys! god there going to be strong once i take out these cells !! why didnt i think of this before?!?!!? your a genius youve saved me from my foolish ways. next time im building a prison or a airport or a hospital im just going to halve all the ****ing struts oh the spans!! columns so far apart ill be saveing millions AND makeing the building stronger! i gotto go going to rip up all the floorboards and halve the joists so my house is ready for any earthquakes that might come in the new world where everythings ****ing bull****