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World Record Attempt Most Fighter kites simultaneously launched and flown.

start date

participants:

Robert Loera, Barbara Skaggs, Eileen Skaggs, Kelsey Skaggs, Richard Loera, Vic Heredia, Rakesh Bahadur - Fighter Freaks Group.

prospect:

solution:

How to simultaneously launch and fly 50 fighter kites to break Weifang China record set almost 15 years ago.

First researching previous attempts by Dinesh Bahaduar to fly 100 fighter kites. I then contacted and met with Rakesh Bahadur, Vic Heridia and Richard Loera for details of those record attempts. I discovered the last attempt was by Dinesh Bahadur in 1985 San Diego for the grand opening of Kite Country and was attempted on top of a building All three of the above kitemasters sketched and explained how they would approach the record.

Stories of the great Dinesh Bahadur and his two attempts at 100 fighter kites in the 70’s and 80’s. Screen reader support enabled. Stories of the great Dinesh Bahadur and his two attempts at 100 fighter kites in the 70’s and 80’s.

inspiration:

tools or applications used

Jigs where made for the tails and train lines. Cut all at once fast. A field measuring device for field measurements and measuring out the main line length.

project video

Project website?

abstract:

Materials Purchased 60 fighter kites 500 feet of #200 lb daron flying line 500 feet #50 lb line for train lines to attach each kite to main flying line. 50 pig tails to attach train lines to Main line. 2 rolls surveyor tape for kite stabilization. One roll colored masking tape to attach tails to kites. 2 lbs of sand 50 ziplock bags. To make 50 one tablespoon size sandbags to keep the kites in launch position prior to launch. Cut 50 five foot tails Cut 50 train lines. Tied 100 loops on both ends of line to attach to mainland and kite One winder to store and dispense main line day of event. In terms of measuring and cutting train lines - tails etc. My wife Barbara Skaggs came up with the mini sand bag idea. Her 95 year old mother Eileen Skaggs helped me measure and cut the tails and trainlines. My wife’s niece Kelsey Skaggs videotaped the launch and setup. Her boyfriend Mike help with the pig tails and mainline measurements for the 50 kite connections. Setup was a two hour task, special thanks for the help of my wife and her tennis Friend Kit Harris. On my trip to San Diego I met and talked with my father Richard Loera, Vic Heredia and Rakesh Bahadur on several different launches possibilities and the results of previous two attempts by Dinesh Bahaduar in the 70’s and 80’s 100 Fighter kites. Those stories were my inspiration. Credit also goes a to little heckling from Jim and Stone from the Fighter Freaks forum to get me to do something current with Fighters. We all want create interest in fighting kites.

aha moment!

My father Richard Loera was recommended strongly to practice. I did two tests one with 6 kites then another with 12.

Hmmm moment....

I was asked question about the record that made me think the question was, how long would the kites be in the air after launch ? From the two previous tests I made I new that the time the kites would be up would be short. Two rows of kites when launched naturally want to come to the center and collided This made me think how can I extend the time. First I tried staggering that helped a little. I was using a Y configuration to set up the launch with two rows of 25 kites each spread 5 feet from the other. My Plan was to simultaneously launch the two rows kites by pulling the bottom leg of the Y. I was using one continuous line folded like V adding a bottom leg to hold and launch. So on the top of the Y I added two 100ft extra long lines and attached them to the ground on the left and right perimeters of the field. This would hold outside tops of Y’s open longer to delay the natural collisions of the two rows as centered themselves in the wind window. My field was an odd shape only 200 feet wide but long. The Y allowed me to adjust to the width of field width because with the 5 foot spacing between kites the setup was 50 feet wider than the field.

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ideas for next generation?

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