Night Flight... Lights

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[trigger]

Well I work a ton of hours and have 2 kids and a wife who aren't all that up to flying.  SO..I need to extend my available flying HRS.

Gearhead turned stunt kite flyer... with access to led's.. what can go wrong?  I just finished it tonight so it hasn't been flown yet but i hope to have it out later this week if all goes well. 

so far it has been on for about 2hrs and still burning strong, if everything goes well I will post exactly how it was done.  IF not, I may ask for some help  :'(

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i7vZRXcbZVQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ok, this is my first youtube video EVER,, so i guess I don't know how to post it,,, but you can still click on the link. sorry!

[Wayner]

Looks great.

now for the test flight to see how well those light say attached.

 

[NormP]

and a wife who aren't all that up to flying.  SO..I need to extend my available flying HRS.

Notice I removed the Work & kids. I know the feeling on the wife though as probably most of us. I'm sure there are a few exceptions. Hopefully your kids will be present at the light show and you won't have to enjoy it all by yourself, but post a vid, so we can. 

[NormP]

Just a thought of a way to get your wife envolved; If your wife likes to sew , maybe she would be interested in making custom flight straps. I am not going to make anymore, except for "trick challenges". I will send ALL of my strap making 'stuff' and she can get started right away. I will send her a list of the stores that carry them for contact purposes. Two of the stores are already requesting more, but I'm DONE.

[Jynx]

Jim ~ Can't wait to see them (in person) light-up the Wisconsin skies! ...after that snow melts!!!
Looking Great!!!

[trigger]

sorry to hear that Norm,  last i heard you were going into mass production   I did some research on webbing to make stake holders, but wasn't sure if our little SINGER would sew it 

yea,, ahhh,,, Ryan is in cub scouts,,, and,,, ahhh.. I'd let her tell you but sewing is not her thing    dang badges!!!

[NormP]

sorry to hear that Norm,  last i heard you were going into mass production   I did some research on webbing to make stake holders, but wasn't sure if our little SINGER would sew it 
yea,, ahhh,,, Ryan is in cub scouts,,, and,,, ahhh.. I'd let her tell you but sewing is not her thing    dang badges!!!

You don't need a sewing machine. All of the work is done by hand. No machine required.
Mass production....I think that was ALL a misunderstanding. Also, communications immediately broke down. I sent an e-mail to clarify a few things, but no return mail. So, if you want them you had better join in on the "trick challenges" and win a pair.

[trigger]

Oh,, I'm in!

[NormP]

I did some research on webbing to make stake holders, but wasn't sure if our little SINGER would sew it 

Do you mean stake holders for staking out your rev handles. If so, I have some made out
of 2 inch webbing. Has a belt loop sewn in. If you win the trick challenge I'll throw it in the
envelope for you. I'll see if I can take a picture of it later and post it. You may think it is You....guly.

[trigger]

here it is, first night flight! very rushed but I had to see how it looked. not one adjustment to the lights.

kite.. 1.5 full vent 3 wrap
winds stormy 6-8mph with a couple 0's thrown in

wasn't the right kite for the winds so it looks heavier than it is.

Can't wait for Grand Haven's night fly this year!!!!

http://youtu.be/QVr8A2HrEjc

sorry bout the video but the wife was a real trooper in the bitter cold

[NormP]

Looked good Jim. Looks like the lights all stayed in place. I liked the fast spins near the end. There is NO way my wife would have filmed it for me in that cold climate.

[goestoeleven]

I did some research on webbing to make stake holders, but wasn't sure if our little SINGER would sew it 

yea,, ahhh,,, Ryan is in cub scouts,,, and,,, ahhh.. I'd let her tell you but sewing is not her thing    dang badges!!!

The answer is yes, your Singer should sew through the webbing.  My wife's (old & low end consumer) sewing machine was able to sew through webbing to make stake holders.

And . . . on the badges - she needs "Badge Magic" - it's heat activate double sided tape that glues the badges to the shirt.  You cut it to size, put them on & then put the shirt in the clothes dryer.  It should be available at your scout shop (or maybe online).  My son & daughter have gone through a LOT of badges in cub scouts, girl scouts, and my son just started in boy scouts, so the badges never end.

P.S. I am the only person who uses the sewing machine now . . . .

[jeepersjoey]

I have put lights on a few kites.  I currently have a Prism Zephyr that has permanent lights installed up and down the spine as well as on both leading edges.

It looks awesome.

I put similar lights around the perimeter of the REV last year and brought to Antelope Island.

I had three of the greats flying them (Barressi, Watty and Paul Debakker).  It was breath-taking.  I think all that saw it would agree.

The lights I use are called fairy lights and are extremely extremely small and lightweight.  Each light is the size of a match-head.  I used three AAA batteries to power it.

On the Zephyr it was on the bottom of the spine.  On the REV it was mounted on the middle top leading edge.

The REV was especially cools because the lights went around the entire outside and outlined the entire kite.

If you search for "Paul Glasspoole lighted kite" on google you will see my first try at the Zepyr a few years ago.  It has since been refined so that it is not so bottom heavy and has 2x the lights.

I really should have taken a video of them flying at Antelope Island!

[trigger]

ok, it was a long night,,, but, here's a pic of my Zephyr

http://youtu.be/mJYVLewzVN8

I just picked up everything to make it a SNAP to install too

jim

[trigger]

ok, 3 kites down.. and made it out to the field twice today. once at lunch with the zeph. All the gear installed and it flew really well with the weight on it.  I tried a couple clips, and was worried about them getting in the way during inverted flight and they did. but it flew great.  the system weighs less than the tail weight by a tad and i moved it up the spine.

My aunt was nice enough to assist me tonight with pics and video. the video did not come out at all!   completely BLACK! but here are some pics.

http://youtu.be/lcMIO8DK8u0

I made a quick adjustment to the lights and have NO SNAG points at all. I crashed once nose first pretty hard and everything stayed perfect. In total we were out there for over 2hrs with set up of all three kites and tear down. the lights were still going strong and they were used batteries

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