The Simple Delta Kite

When Cloud Cover Makes A Delta Fly Better...

Once out at the reserve, the weather still looked good, with light gusts coming through from time to time. That's all the Delta would need, to get right up there.

Just to pre-empt any trouble with slipping dowels, I took out some insulation tape and added a little more here and there. In particular, the spreader tends to shorten if the kite gets hit with too much air pressure!

Since the kite is so simple and quick to make (hence its name) you can live with the occasional bit of slippage. Just take some spare tape along to each flying session.

Make an even bigger and better Delta...

The wind was light but very gusty. Sometimes over-powered, at other times barely able to hover, it was a challenge to keep the Delta in the air long enough to get some photos. But after a little persistence, I managed to snap some beauties!

With the kite on only 20 meters (70 feet) of line, the sunshine and bright orange plastic helped produce some good results.

Now it was time to take some video, but it seemed a good idea to let more line out first.

It wasn't long before the Simple Delta kite was sailing about, on more than 30 meters (100 feet).

The gusts were still troublesome, occasionally causing the Delta to curve over to the left and loop a few times. Still, I managed to get some delightful light-to-moderate wind flying in, as can be seen in the video down there.

Being on a simple 1-leg bridle, the kite's nose would pitch up and down quite a lot, in response to changes in wind speed. If a lull came on suddenly, the Delta would float down on its face and even start to glide up-wind, slackening off the flying line. This can eventually result in a roll and/or dive to the ground unless you react quickly and get some tension back in the flying line!

In fact, for quite some time it was a matter of pulling in line every now and then, as the kite lost height in slow air. Before long, another gust would come through, and the Simple Delta kite would suddenly pitch nose-up, tighten up the flying line and soar right back up to as high as the line would allow it to go. If the gust was a bit strong, it was necessary to walk towards the kite or let some more line out to relieve the pressure. This gets tricky when you are running out of flying field!

Then, I suddenly realized that the kite was starting to behave much better. Sure enough, the sun had gone under for quite a few minutes. Not only that, but the entire sky had become more or less overcast. A thin, blotchy layer of cloud was ensuring that the blocking most of the sunlight. With less thermal activity in the area, the winds were light and smooth. Just like the Simple Delta likes them.

The pitching and looping antics gave way to more dignified flight, with the long ribbon tail swaying occasionally. Like a contented and slightly bored cat.

In no time, I had the flying line out to 90 meters (300 feet). At this length, the flying line had a considerable bow due to its weight. The wind speed did get a little light sometimes, causing the Delta to fly upwind on a loose line. So loose it touched the grass several times! Hence a few long climbs resulted, as I wound in and got the nose back up to claw at the breeze once more.

What the heck, out with another 30 meters of line!

After flying at this length for another 15 minutes or so, it was time to go home. Actually, a gust made the final decision for me, when one tip of the spreader suddenly pushed right through its tape! The effect was severe enough to cause the Delta to roll uncontrollably, losing height quickly until it flopped to rest on the grass. Just meters in front of a lonely tree that was hoping to snare it...

So, not a bad effort from the humble Simple Delta kite today. If you want to experience flying your own Delta, it only takes a few minutes to make this one. No gluing or sewing!

The story above was an actual flying experience with the Simple Delta kite. My write-ups are definitely warts-and-all since things don't always go totally as planned. However, half the fun of kiting is anticipating the perfect flight. When it happens, it's magic!

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