Kiteboat Project

On this trip we made many ROK kites with the latest updates. We took the prototypes to fly at our usual test site and based on the results, designed some more with the new ideas and new software results.

On the materials side, we made 3 ROKs (3 different sizes) using Cubic Tech CT3.5, with Tapeglue along the intersegment panels and dacron reinforced stitch closing seam. The result was good, but after keeping the kites inflated for 3 days, the bottom of the main intersection started to fail, proving that we can’t use tape at that spot. We are fixing that by making the intersection with dacron, after a transition from the CT3.5

The other tests were 2 new sizes:
ROK 1.7 (smallest rok below the 2.1)
ROK 4.3 (biggest ROK above the 3.7)
Together with those 2, we made 3 more (2.1, 2.8, 3.7) with Dacron inflated body panels.

Because of the closing seam we always end up with the slight twist of the tail spar, so we will remake all those dacron ROKS using the 2-piece tube panels generated from the new engine that does the best approximation to match the 3D inflated model.

Another test was the 2-piece inflated spar AND struts, also using a light dacron that the IKP factory had available for us to try. It fit perfectly for the ROK mission, being much lighter than the 180g/m2 Dacron that we use for heavy duty kites. We will be using this lighter dacron for our ROKs from now on.

Dudu is currently working on making the final ROK design using the 2 piece panels, that will save some manufaturing errors by reducing the amount of complex shaped seams to be put together.

Because of the big kink at the spar tail where the back strut is connected, there are adjustments to be made to achieve the desired final shape, Dudu hopes to get that soon being generated from the software.

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