Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1993 07:59:27 GMT From: plepez@ulb.ac.be (Lepez Philippe) Message-ID: <9303130759.AA07258@is1.vub.ac.be> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: what is in an angle ? HI all, As a novice I try to understand something's, and I play around with the info I have. So I started to draw on transparencies and at a normalise scale all the plan of kite I have. What was my surprise when I saw large similarities . There are 2 families : the 100 degree nose (TotL) and the 112 degree nose (fire dart, gizmo, Dart135t ..). Can somebody explain why ? In fact there are others questions lying there : what is the effect of changing the aspect ratio ? if different design have in common their nose angle, they mainly differ by the trailing edge, so what is the effect of the shape of the trailing edge ? OK, I understand that I am really asking how does one design a kite and why ! Any pointer and elements of answer would be appreciated . Good winds . Philippe. PS. The basic program that Simo Salane send us give 96 and 108 degree for the noses what are the right figures. -- Philippe Lepez (CP 125), | | Good kite Universite Libre de Bruxelles, | Email: plepez@ulb.ac.be | + Good wind 50 av. Roosevelt, | Phone: 32.2.6503553 | ---------------- 1050 Bruxelles, Belgique. | Fax : 32.2.6503323 | = A lot of fun ! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 19:42:40 +0000 From: dadams@dstrike.demon.co.uk (David Adams) Message-ID: <732224560snz@dstrike.demon.co.uk> Organization: Data Strike Computers Subject: Re: what is in an angle ? In article <9303130759.AA07258@is1.vub.ac.be> plepez@ulb.ac.be writes: >As a novice I try to understand something's, and I play around with the info I >have. So I started to draw on transparencies and at a normalise scale all the >plan of kite I have. What was my surprise when I saw large similarities . There > >are 2 families : the 100 degree nose (TotL) and the 112 degree nose (fire >dart, gizmo, Dart135t ..). Can somebody explain why ? > >In fact there are others questions lying there : > >what is the effect of changing the aspect ratio ? > >if different design have in common their nose angle, they mainly differ by >the trailing edge, so what is the effect of the shape of the trailing edge >? > >OK, I understand that I am really asking how does one design a kite and why ! >Any pointer and elements of answer would be appreciated . You right, you are. The best answer I have ever come across is in a book(let) by Mark Cotrell, again (see other message re: ferrules) from the Kite Store. This book goes in to some depth on the subject. Most kites it would seem vary the nose angle between 90 and 115 and it is conincedence that you found three kites with all the same angles, well not really since it is a fairly narrow range but it could well be slightly different, and other kites are. -- David Adams = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =