170 LBs. bridle line...Does it stretch under heavy use ?

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[cids]

I know flying line stretch a little when use.  What about stretching in bridle line under heavy use ?  Do lighter weight bridle line stretch more the the heavier one(100/140 LBs. vs 170 LBs.) ?

I'm using 170 LBs. bridle lines on my F STD.  Do you think it is the proper/correct weight ?  Does it cause a lot of drag if fly in low wind condition ?  I know it will slow down the kite a in high wind.  I believed the original one is 140 LBs. only.

[tcope]

Bridle line is usually braided Dacron line with a solid spectra core. It has almost no stretch... especially for the few feet in length.

[tpatter]

I wouldn't worry about the line weight diffs for anything but an SUL.

I replaced some 90lb bridle line with 140/150 and noticed no loss in low wind ability with the kite.  It would be interesting to know the weight differences in just the line. 

[inewham]

You'll get more change in length from the new knots tightening up as they settle than from the bridle stretching. Don't worry about it.

[zippy8]

Does it cause a lot of drag if flown in low wind condition ?

The equation governing this is:-

where v is the velocity. So at low wind speeds it'll be creating less drag. If you're worried about the size of the 170# bridle line versus the 140# then it's A, the area, you should be concerned about. But if you're worried by this minor change.... 

I know it will slow down the kite a in high wind.

If you have a sufficiently delicate touch to be able to divine the affects on a kite of a change in bridle material then you should be answering the questions here, not asking them.

The major property of interest for bridle lines is durability. Almost every bridle I've had to repair hasn't been due to stretch or disturbing critical airflow across the kite's sail but because it's worn out on the LE.

Mike.

[cids]

Quote
I know it will slow down the kite a in high wind.

If you have a sufficiently delicate touch to be able to divine the affects on a kite of a change in bridle material then you should be answering the questions here, not asking them.

If using 150# flying line can slow down a kite in high wind, the same logic will apply to 170# bridle line(when comparing to 140#).

[tcope]

If using 150# flying line can slow down a kite in high wind, the same logic will apply to 170# bridle line(when comparing to 140#).

True... but we are talking about 6' of bridle line as compared to 100'-300' of flying line.

[inewham]

If using 150# flying line can slow down a kite in high wind, the same logic will apply to 170# bridle line(when comparing to 140#).

I've rebridled a couple of kites in 90# unsheathed spectra i.e. flying line; as tcope says for a mere 6' of line it really made no difference.

[zippy8]

If using 150# flying line can slow down a kite in high wind, the same logic will apply to 170# bridle line(when comparing to 140#).

In all seriousness..... if you really can feel this change then you should be moderating this section.

Go back to the equation I quoted and compare total area of 150# flying line (at the length of your choice of course, I believe this has been discussed before) with that of the two bridles at 140# and 170#. One will be a large number (thus important), the others will be small (and unimportant).

I've heard people before talk about the effect of stiff bridle line too, usually ones with heavy sheathing, but feeling this effect is beneath my clumsy hands too. As long as the line is easy to knot and holds the knot tight, I'm fine with it.

Mike.

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