KITESTUFF
Kites & Accessories for
KITE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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«Go with a Flow...»
— R.P., Zaandijk, The Netherlands

Flow Form 16 in bag.

Our KAP Workhorse is the
SUTTON FLOW FORM

Made in the USA by Air Affairs

Sutton Flow Forms are soft, stickless kites, made of ripstop nylon in sizes from 4 sq ft (0.3 sq m) to 450 sq ft.(42 sq m). The most useful sizes for KAP are 8, 16 and 30 sq ft.

While Flow Forms can be flown without a tail in light air, they are much more stable and predictable for KAP with a so-called FUZZY TAIL in most conditions. See below. The kite is not usually a high flier, with string angles of 45 - 50 degrees — good for getting your rig out over an inaccessible subject.

All Flow Forms are very compact for their size, and come with a nylon bag. Kite color combinations vary — the FF 8s and 16s are three colors with a white top; the FF30 pictured at left is one of several 6-color combinations. No color choice, but tell me what you don't like and I'll try to oblige.

The FLOW FORM 8 [2.5 ft (76 cm) by 3.5 ft (106 cm)] is a light lifter, appropriate for an autoKAP rig of less than 1 lb (450 g), and suitable for winds of 9 - 25 mph. (Beaufort 3 - 5).

FLOW FORM 8: U$58.00
includes line and hoop winder!

For an all-round reliable KAP lifter in a wide wind range, it's hard to beat a big delta, and as big deltas go, there's no better bargain than the

LEVITATION DELTA
from Into the Wind

designed by Christoph Fokken

Done up in striking colors and fully nine feet in wingspan, the Levitation Delta is a gentle floater in light winds, but has a manageable pull when the wind comes up. Like most deltas, it flies at a high string angle, 65 - 75 degrees or more. Made of lightweight 40-denier ripstop nylon with a fiberglass frame, it has an oversized keel and trailing edge flap for stability.

Though it will fly in a wider wind range, effective winds for lifting are 6 to 20 mph. The kite measures 55" high by 108" wide (143 cm x 274 cm), and comes in a heavy-duty ballistic nylon case, and can be collapsed to 30" (76 cm) long for easy travel.

You can fly the Levitation on lighter line, but we recommend 200-lb braided dacron for KAP unless the wind is really light.

LEVITATION DELTA: U$60.00

Colors and details may vary slightly.

For really light air, our favorite is

The FLED
by G-Kites

developed by Michael Andersen and Brooks Leffler

The Fled is a cross between the light-wind Flare and the traditional Sled. It's a stable, strong, light-wind kite that flies at a line angle of 65 - 70 degrees, just about perfect for KAP or line laundry.

NOTE: The Fled's wind range is 5 to 12 mph (2 - 3 Beaufort); while it will fly in less and a bit more, the spars are lightweight and a lot more wind is not recommended. It should be used as a light-wind complement to your kite bag, not an only kite.

At just 60" by 80" (1.5 x 2 m), the Fled is moderate-sized, so it's painless to set up and store and very easy to handle. With only three carbon spars, it sets up quickly, and the 2-leg bridle requires no adjustment. The kite comes with a long bag, but collapses to about 43" (1.1 m) for travel.

Despite its size, the Fled develops impressive lift; it will easily lift a camera rig of one pound in 6-8 mph wind, making it ideal for our BEAK series or an R/C or AuRiCo-controlled rig with a light point-&-shoot camera.

The Fled is very forgiving. It will fly with or without the included drogue tail, and with or without bowing the spreader spar, but is more stable for KAP with both.

Four color combinations are available. Most have black wings and white flares. Solid Black is temporarily out of stock.

G-Kites FLED: U$90.00
Note: Shipment to Canada/Mexico requires a surcharge. See above.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TAILS, LINE, & WINDERS

FUZZY TAIL

For smoothest, most stable flight, Flow Forms benefit from a tail. While anything that provides a bit of drag is better than nothing, my favorite is the FUZZY TAIL, a simple fringe of nylon 8" wide by 15 ft long [20cm by 5m]. It is attached to the bottom of the kite with a Y bridle.

One 15 ft segment is enough for the FF8 or FF16;
two in a row would be better for the FF30. Available in red, blue, yellow, or white; we'll match your kite.

FUZZY TAIL, 15 ft: U$10.00

WHICH LINE FOR WHICH KITE?

100 lb line is suitable for the Flow Form 8 and the Fled in all winds. In light air, you might use it for a large Delta, Rokkaku or Dopero, but be careful.

200 lb line is right for the Flow Form 16 or a Dopero or large Delta, or for the Flow Form 30 in light winds.

300 lb line would be advised for the Flow Form 30 in winds above 12 mph.

BLACK BRAIDED DACRON® LINE
is a good choice for KAP, because it combines good strength and low stretch with ease of handling, reasonable cost, and low visibility.

All line prices are plus Postage/Handling.

100 lb test/500 ft. U$12.00

200 lb test/500 ft. U$20.00

200 lb test/1000 ft. U$38.00

300 lb test/500 ft. U$27.00

The 8-inch Halo Hoop is appropriate for 100 lb line, and for less than 650 ft of 200 lb line.

Use the 9-inch Halo for 300 lb line, and for 1000 ft of 200 lb line.

For longer lengths of heavy line, the Windbreaker winder is recommended, available from most kite dealers, or the CordReel, from your hardware store.

Line not included.

My favorite traveling winder is the
PHANTOM STAR LONGHORN BOBBIN.

It's laser-cut from 7-ply birch plywood, and has a couple of advantages over the hoop: you can figure-8 your line, averting twists; you can belay your line by taking a hitch over one horn of the bobbin; and you can pack it in your suitcase more easily than a hoop. It does not launch and wind as fast, however. Capacity is adequate for 500 ft of 200 lb line.

PHANTOM STAR LONGHORN: U$16.00

Questions, comments, requests, suggestions? EMAIL ME

or drop me a note at POST OFFICE BOX 34, PACIFIC GROVE, CA 93950-0034.

Prices and specifications of anything on this page are subject to change without notice.