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Forums > Kitesurfing General

Windless kites

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Created by gokid > 9 months ago, 1 Jan 2014
gokid
QLD, 491 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:01PM
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Been kiting in some very light winds the last few days,so has got me wondering if zero wind kites will ever be avaliable

Will a kite ever be developed that flys in very little or zero wind,just by moving it you generate power and speed

Seems like kites are getting more a more refined each year,will a zero wind kite be avaliable one day

Will they get good enough to boost in very little or no wind

glendog
QLD, 520 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:06PM
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i had a go of a mates zepher 17 today. i only weigh 60 kg. seriously tho there wasnt much wind at all and i was pretty comfortable. maybe one day you wont need anything.

Haydn24
QLD, 473 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:29PM
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Seriously? Do you know how a wing works? To generate lift to keep it flying?

No, a zero wind kite will never exist (unless it has some sort of man made power source)

wave6ft
QLD, 142 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:42PM
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I would like a kite and board combo that would work from 5 to 8 knots get so many days here like that but don't think that it can be done

gokid
QLD, 491 posts
1 Jan 2014 7:48PM
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Select to expand quote
Haydn24 said..

Seriously? Do you know how a wing works? To generate lift to keep it flying?

No, a zero wind kite will never exist (unless it has some sort of man made power source)


The kite would be powered by swinging it back and forth and looping by using your own arms and your weight

It would require good technic

Maybe the heavier you were and the more agressively you moved it,the faster you would move and the higher you could jump

I think its possible

Kazan
QLD, 699 posts
1 Jan 2014 8:40PM
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There is!

Flysurfer Peak single skin

KiteDesigner
NSW, 169 posts
1 Jan 2014 10:29PM
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Its always windy, just depends how high your kite goes, slipstream runs at 200 MpH and its only about 2km up. Just go grab some ultra thin strong 2km low drag lines and punch through the slip stream. Just take into account everything that could go wrong before you try it....

Trapped
NSW, 220 posts
1 Jan 2014 11:01PM
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Didnt I read somewhere on here something about filling kites with helium or hydrogen?
If the kite had a zero weight then maybe it would be possible.
Thoughts anyone?

Haydn24
QLD, 473 posts
1 Jan 2014 10:07PM
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So many facepalms in this thread

NickT
WA, 1094 posts
1 Jan 2014 8:07PM
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You should of saved this topic for April fools day!

gokid
QLD, 491 posts
2 Jan 2014 9:31AM
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Seems to me all the best light winds kites are big kites 17m +,the idea being having a large wing catches more wind

But the problem is swinging and looping a big kite is difficult,they are slow

I can fly my 7m kite in no wind, Ive done it !

Need someone to launch the kite,or throw the kite

then I just swing the kite back and forth,looping it and agressively moving it generating speed and power to keep it flying

its not that hard

If you filled the leading edge and struts with helium that might help too

Just need to make a supa powerful smallish kite

Probably need to reinvent the board too,maybe a remake of one of those foil boards

Just imagine cruising around the ocean on a oily smooth windless day,looping and throwing the kite back and forth,going where ever you wanted

Going upwind would not be a problem as there is no wind

Be a good workout too

Blackbeard
WA, 103 posts
2 Jan 2014 8:13AM
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Will a brick fly in no wind I wonder if I loop it backwards and forwards?

stamp
QLD, 2776 posts
2 Jan 2014 10:27AM
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they have invented one. it's not cheap though:




hamburglar
ACT, 2174 posts
2 Jan 2014 12:02PM
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thats just ridiculus ........ how would i get time to do anything else like mow the lawn, go to the pub, nurcher relationship's with the kids, learn to spell

Chris6791
WA, 3271 posts
2 Jan 2014 11:33AM
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Select to expand quote
Trapped said..

Didnt I read somewhere on here something about filling kites with helium or hydrogen?
If the kite had a zero weight then maybe it would be possible.
Thoughts anyone?


That's been discussed before, helium atoms are really small and will bleed through the bladder fabric in no time.

kiter77
VIC, 273 posts
2 Jan 2014 2:36PM
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Never say never www.horvath.ch/en/kite-lab/

Spookyluke12
QLD, 120 posts
2 Jan 2014 2:14PM
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You can tic tack a skateboard to get it moving from dead still, so it might be possible to be powered by a kite by steering it, that has different technology to what we're used to. Not sure how, but it could happen. The sport is only 15 odd years old. I don't think we've topped out on the technology yet. Attitude's like gokid's change the world.

2 Jan 2014 3:41PM
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If it were possible then it would be a perpetual motion machine. Doubt very much that a kite will ever claim that title. There are already zero wind kites, but the flyer has to move to create the wind (action) that then creates deflection and a small amount of lift (reaction). Kite fly mainly by deflection and less by aerodynamic lift, kites are quite inefficient wings.

Agree with Haydn24, so many face palms!!!

CowboyWA
WA, 55 posts
4 Jan 2014 5:36PM
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Select to expand quote
gokid said..

Been kiting in some very light winds the last few days,so has got me wondering if zero wind kites will ever be avaliable

Will a kite ever be developed that flys in very little or zero wind,just by moving it you generate power and speed

Seems like kites are getting more a more refined each year,will a zero wind kite be avaliable one day

Will they get good enough to boost in very little or no wind


Why on earth would one bother.?
People must have a lot of time

THE DONG
VIC, 518 posts
4 Jan 2014 9:17PM
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Select to expand quote
hamburglar said...
thats just ridiculus ........ how would i get time to do anything else like mow the lawn, go to the pub, nurcher relationship's with the kids, learn to spell




THE DONG
VIC, 518 posts
4 Jan 2014 9:17PM
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discussion over

kyteryder
NSW, 692 posts
4 Jan 2014 9:31PM
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Surfing seems like a logical extension to no wind kiting

The5MetreKid
QLD, 179 posts
4 Jan 2014 9:48PM
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but how would you go UP wind??

bjw
QLD, 3647 posts
4 Jan 2014 10:30PM
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Select to expand quote
The5MetreKid said..

but how would you go UP wind??


The term downwinder would be confusing too.

kiteboy dave
QLD, 6525 posts
4 Jan 2014 10:38PM
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There is a whole sport called indoor kiting. It's not the manliest thing you've ever seen.

KBwhokbs
WA, 68 posts
4 Jan 2014 10:24PM
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Who would have thought, indoor kite flying. No not very manly but strangely fascinating.

Elroy Jetson
WA, 706 posts
4 Jan 2014 10:29PM
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I'm thinking a large remote controlled plane with high lift wings and running on Lithium Polymer batteries would be the go.

3 Lines. One Centre line connected to the middle of the plane. Steering lines connected to the wind tips.

Just imagine sine-waving the electric plane while powering around a perfect 3-4ft glassy lineup!

Ha ha. We would soon be the most disliked water user. It wouldn't take long for us to be more hated than SUP's or goatboats.





Elroy Jetson
WA, 706 posts
4 Jan 2014 10:43PM
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The Pesky seagulls are also a good source of no wind power.



Just remember to drop by the fish and chip shop on the way to the beach.

craggers
WA, 475 posts
5 Jan 2014 7:07PM
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Select to expand quote
Haydn24 said...
So many facepalms in this thread


This sport has evolved from people wondering 'what if, even if people laugh at me...'.
Give the innovators some oxygen, c'mooooooooonnnn.

Trapped
NSW, 220 posts
5 Jan 2014 11:19PM
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Select to expand quote
Chris6791 said..

Trapped said..

Didnt I read somewhere on here something about filling kites with helium or hydrogen?
If the kite had a zero weight then maybe it would be possible.
Thoughts anyone?


That's been discussed before, helium atoms are really small and will bleed through the bladder fabric in no time.


What if we lined the bladders with something similar to latex? just have it as balloons basically.

Chris6791
WA, 3271 posts
6 Jan 2014 4:10AM
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^^ helium party balloons (latex or foil) go flat fairly quickly. I read somewhere that 'they' had looked at helium as a alternative fuel for fuel cells in cars or something but they couldn't build a cost effective tank that didn't bleed helium at an unacceptable rate.



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"Windless kites" started by gokid