Date:	Thu, 8 Jul 1993 11:15:18 -1000
From:	sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki)
Message-Id: <1993Jul8.211518.3295@das.harvard.edu>
Organization: Harvard University
Subject: Landings


I played around with landings recently while flying a Comp Edge at
Sandy Beach, Hawaii. (Thanks again for the use of the kite Kevin). The
wind was a steady 15mph with gusts over 20. The wind was high enough
that my normal double push turn into a landing just wasn't working,
even with an Edge that was set pretty heavy. The kite just wouldn't
sit down unless I took it way out to the edge of the wind.

So, I tried the Alan Nagao*, pull-push-push landing. Here's the theory:

	- a moving kite has momentum.
	- momentum is a vector, it has a magnitude and a direction.
	- in the absense of other forces, this momentum causes a kite
	  to continue to move in the direction it was pointed in.
	- if you want to land your kite, then you want the momentum to
	  be mostly downward.
	- in order to get a kite to land, you want to get it's
	  momentum to be down towards the ground.

Okay, here's how to do the landing. Unlike most landings, you can try
this one while you are up pretty high. I would suggest a ground pass
at about 2 meters height.

	- Pull turn the kite so that it is going towards the ground.
	- Push the pulled hand to turn the kite upright.
	- Push the other hand to stop the kite from turning.
	- Maybe take a few steps forward.

A slow turning kite like an Edge makes this really easy. After a while
the pull down could be very slight, almost unnoticeable. This is also
great for tip stabs, and stalls in high wind. The down turn keeps the
kite from rising really quickly out of a stall.

* It may not be Alan's idea, but his explanation is the clearest that
  I've seen, so I give him credit...
--
Marty Sasaki            Harvard University           Sasaki Kite Fabrications
sasaki@noc.harvard.edu  Network Services Division    26 Green Street
617-496-4320            10 Ware Street               Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
                        Cambridge, MA 02138-4002     phone/fax: 617-522-8546



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