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Q-Power Line - The Design Goal:
To produce the best line in the world specifically
for traction kiting.
Up to this point in time all line used for traction
kiting has been a compromise, utilizing line
developed for other industries or dual-line stunt
flying. Traction kiting has specific needs and
Q-POWER LINE
is the first line that has been designed
specifically to meet the needs of demanding traction
kiters.
Q-POWER LINE
has been engineered specifically to address these
needs.
Traction Kiting Line Requirements:
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Provide low to no stretch.
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Line stretch is normally uneven due to differing
pressures on top and bottom lines; this causes
the kite to go “out of tune” and requires
frequent “re-equalization of lines”.
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Line stretch tends to inhibit “feel” when flying
the kite
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With braided line, the fibers try to return to
their stable state (that of a linear or straight
line), when tension is applied, from their
normal braid angle. The continual tendency for
the braid to tighten with time and for the
fibers to assume a more linear orientation
results in continual
stretch over and above the actual stretch of
the fiber.
Q-POWER LINE
utilizes an internal core consisting of a linear
bundle of continuous Spectra fibers. All strength in
the line is attributed to the core only, with the
over-braid’s function limited to keeping the bundle
together, keeping dirt out of the structure and
stiffening the line. Since the internal fibers are
linear from the start, there is no continuous
‘stretch’ as found in traditional braided line,
where the braid tightens with use. Any stretch in
the line is therefore limited to the elongation of
the actual fibers, which is minimal when compared to
braided line.
This minimized tendency to stretch and long term
length stability.
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dramatically increases the pilots ability to
‘feel’ what the kite is doing
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improves kite responsiveness
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minimizes the need to ‘retune’ the flying line
lengths
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reduces kite instability caused by unequal
‘stretching’ of the leading and trailing edge
flying lines
2) Make the cross-section round to minimize
ribboning effect.
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What is ribboning effect?
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The tendency for normal hollow braided Spectra
line to flatten and then act like a ribbon in
the air, vibrating back and forth. Thereby
having a much greater effective drag than the
apparent static diameter would suggest.
Q-POWER LINE’s
internal core bundle of fibers resists the tendency
to flatten out and when compared to traditional
braided line
Q-POWER LINE
has a very round cross-section. This round
cross-section minimizes the effective diameter and
drag. Traditional braided line can have an effective
diameter of up to 5X the lines static diameter,
substantially increasing parasitic drag.
Q-POWER LINE’s
round cross-section minimizes any ribboning effect
caused by flying lines flattening out and therefore
effective line drag is minimized. Minimized drag
equals maximized performance.
3) Remove the need to sleeve lines when tying
loops.
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Most lines require sleeving at the attachment
loops to increase knot strength and prevent the
line from cutting into itself. Traditional
braided lines benefit by at least a 15 to 20%
increase in knot strength for sleeved line over
un-sleeved line.
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Traditional sleeving of lines is awkward to do,
especially with the large-diameter, high-test
lines used in Traction Kiting. The sleeves also
add weight and drag to the line, must be moved
if the lines need to be shortened and need to be
knotted on the ends to prevent the sleeving from
slipping on the line.
Q-POWER LINE
is over-braided at a very high braid angle (almost
90 degrees). This high angle allows the over-braid
to cushion the internal bundle, in effect
self-sleeving the line.
4) Minimize the tendency for line to pick up dirt.
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Dirt is the major cause of line wear and failure
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Traction Kiting lines can get wet and pick up sand
in their braid when they lie on the beach.
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When the pressure/tension is released on normal
line the braid opens up, allowing the line to
pick up dirt within the braid structure. When
the foil is re-launched the braid is pulled
tight, trapping the abrasive dirt particles in
the internal braid structure. These particles
then act like miniature knifes, cutting
individual fibers and destroying the line
integrity from the inside out. The
Q-POWER LINE
over-braid is made with the finest denier Spectra
2000 fiber available. This fiber allows us to
make an unbelievably tight over-braid, over a
rigid core. This tight braid does not relax like
normal line when tension is removed and for this
reason the line does not pick up dirt, and
therefore does not have the wear problem that
normal braided line has caused by dirt becoming
trapped in the braid.
Very Tight Over-Braid Prevents Dirt from Becoming
Trapped in the Line Thereby Substantially Increasing
Line Life.
5)
Optimize the strength to weight ratio
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Line weight is not as significant a factor as
effective drag, however with flying in light
winds, with long lines, or flying high up-wind,
the weight of the lines does have a tendency to
pull the kite down. This requires the pilot to
translate more of the kites power into lift (to
keep the kite in the air) and less of the kites
power into forward motion (reducing speed). The
use of 100% pure Spectra fibers both in the core
and the over-braid gives
Q-POWER LINE
the highest strength to weight ratio possible.
The Highest Tensile Strength to Modulus Ratio for
the best Light-Wind and Up-Wind Performance.
6) Reduce the tendency to tangle
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Braided Spectra and Dyneema Lines tend to be quite
soft and pliable. This caused the lines to have
a tendency for knots to form if and when a kite
collapses and falls to the snow or water. If the
lines knot or tangle then re-launches are
difficult if not impossible or dangerous. The
high-angle, tight over-braid incasing a linear
core construction on
Q-POWER LINE
has the added benefit of stiffening the line,
thereby minimizing the tendency for the line to
‘self-knot” or tangle within it self when on the
snow or water.
Enhanced Stiffness Minimizes the Tendency Towards
‘Self-Knotting”.
Please contact us for
inquires. |
