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Tied to the Sky

Prism Isotope & Mantis Kite : Tech Tips


Prism Kites has had reports from Isotope and Mantis owners that they were having trouble getting them to fly stable without wandering back and forth. It took a while to diagnose the problem because whenever we'd get a kite back to check it would fly perfectly- frustrating! After much detective work we finally figured it out, and kites in production from summer 2015 onward were tweaked to address the problem. Here's what you need to know- please pass the word if you hear from someone having trouble:


Mantis: The Mantis flies nice and stable as long as the Velcro at the end of the spine is tightened enough to put a downward bow in the spine when it's assembled. If the Velcro is loose and the spine has no bow it will reduce stability, especially in stronger winds. That info is in the instructions for the Mantis, but there is now a printed tag sewn right onto the Velcro to remind customers as they assemble the kite.

Isotope: The early Isotopes had a similar issue with spine tension, but with the opposite result- of all the rotten luck!  For the Isotope, the kite can be unstable if the spines are tensioned very tightly with the tail Velcros during assembly. This flattens the sail too much for stable flight and the kite can wander back and forth in stronger winds. To fix it in production last summer we shortened the Isotope spines slightly so it would be impossible for a customer to pull the Velcro too tight.

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Thanks to Prism Kites for this information.  These issues are related to kites in the first run of production, early last Spring.  Great Canadian Kite Company didn't receive kites from this manufacturing lot but we have received customer service calls from those who purchased this lot from other kite retailers.  We have provided this info and sure it will help you really enjoy your kites!

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Sky Shark Performance Kite Framing

We take great pride in providing a reliable Canadian source for quality perforce kites and accessories.  We stock a good supply of SkyShark air frames that are ideal for kite repairs and kite customization / upgrades and projects.   We found this great information on the SkyShark website and thought you might be interested.

Sky Shark™ Competition Air Frames
 are world renowned as the very best competition tubes. It is no wonder, the best flyers in the world use Sky Shark™ Air Frames. The facts speak for themselves, there is no equal to the weight to stiffness of Sky Shark™. The consistent quality of the fibers and tubes offer un-matched reliability and performance. Sky Shark™ is committed to bringing the the very best to kite flyers of all abilities. Whatever level of kite you fly or manufacture, use the very best products, Sky Shark Kite™ Products.

The "P-Series"

The Sky Shark™ P Series Straight Competition Air Frames. These tubes can be cut and ferruled anywhere using a solid carbon rod. They can also be ferruled with any of the New Tapered tubes except the 2PT. These tubes work great for building sport kites as well as single line kites.     All of our P series tubes are non-tapered, with the same inside diameter as tapered tubes. You can join any P series tubes with the tapered tubes. These tubes are made in much the same way as our wrapped tapered tube with the exception of materials used . The P-series also use a different layering of materials which makes it possible to cut the tubes anywhere and ferrule them without breaking out the wall, unlike the tapered tubes.   A common question is "what is the difference between P-series tubes and the tapered tubes?" Weight verses stiffness. Example 3pt, at 12.5 grams, has the stiffness of the P-200 at 14.5 grams.Which is more durable? The P200. The 3pt is an ultra light performance tube wind range 2mph to 12 mph or more depending on design. The P-200 could take winds up to over 20 mph and not break. It would lack the performance of a stiffer tube, but can take it, unlike the 3pt. The P series tubes also have a smooth finish and this year come in either a black or the original gray carbon finish except for the p90 and p400 which only come in the grey.

 

  •  (Ferrules-- You should always use solid .2400 rod in all tubes with the exception of 2pts, P90s and 2ps which you could use lighter 2400 tube ferrules.)

The "PX Series"
We have a new series of tubes the P1X, P2X and P3X.  The new tubes have a new woven look, they are very much the same as the old P series tubes, same ID and OD. The big difference is the tubes are made with a higher modules of carbon which makes them 15 to 20 % stiffer that the old P series tubes.

The "PT Series"

These tapered air frames are exceptional. We have increased stiffness up to 50%. What's the secret? New material combinations! All of the Sky Shark PT series tapered tubes are made on the same mandrels. This means that all of the inside diameters are the same, at .244 I.D. You can use a .2400 or 6mm ferrule across the range. 

 

(source: http://www.skyburner.com/skyshark/ss-products.html )

 

 

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