All Video Clips

Kitefoiler Test – Sep 16

9/16/11

We took the Kitefoiler out at dusk today to test Pete Lynn’s newest kite, the 25 sqm flat kite that we used on Sept 6, with Pete. We went out with the kite under-inflated in order to try and mimic the deformation we saw on the 6th, when the wind was much higher. The kite did indeed deform today, although less drastically than last week. The kite was folding into a C-shape instead of maintaining its flat silhouette. One solution to this problem would be to add more bridle lines, as on Armand’s flat kite, but that’s a solution we’d like to avoid if possible. Pete is pondering other options, including fatter struts.

Kitefoiler evening test – April 4

4/4/11

Don and Joe put a 4 hp motor on the Kitefoiler this evening in order to test without towing the boat to and from the dock. Dudu followed on the Protector. Despite the late hour, the wind was good, and they were very pleased with the boat’s performance.

See video clip for fast foiling in the dark!

Kai View Data:
20110404-kf-25mHA2.kai.bz2

110 sqm Kite test videos

7/12/10

Here are 2 interesting videos from Bob Dill, who came with us on the 110 sqm kite test aboard Cheyenne.

The first video is the water launch. With Joe and Roland in the water, trying to hold and position the kite, it shows the perspective of just how big the kite is.

The second video is what happened as soon as the kite became overloaded. The surface ‘balloons’ due to the skin loading, which leads to the tips buckling. This then in turn puts a large pitching moment into the foil, which pushes the leading edge of the tips in, and tries to collapse the kite.

Kai View  Data:
20100701-k1-50meter-single.kai.bz2

Cameras on the boat + movie

5/25/10

For each boat test, we mount several cameras on the kite, kite lines, and boat in order to have a visual record of performance. Don is always experimenting with new camera technology, but currently we are using almost entirely GoPro HD HEROs for the video footage. For stills, we use the older GoPro HEROs and Pentax Optio W60s. The HD GoPros are capable of taking very high quality footage and have a nifty wide-angle lens. Unfortunately, that lens means that they aren’t the best kitecams. The W60s are still a good option for the kite, but their video quality is noticeably lower.

As you can see in photos, the GoPros are not waterproof; they are housed in little waterproof cases […more]

Kitefoiler in Maui

3/5/10

Don Montague and Joe Brock Jumping waves in Maui on the kiting Trifoiler! 16 sqm kite.

Helicopter footage by Darrell Wong and Roland Chen. Boat and kite cameras by Don and Joe. Helicopter Pilot: Don Shear. Video edit  by Andrea Dunlap. Music by Yung Sir.

Kite Generation animation

8/20/08

Aug 21 2008

This was the first movie created to simulate kite-assisted power generation. The boat model was based off of 2D drawings from YCO and group. The model was made from a solid in SolidWorks and the animation was made in 3D Studio by Victor.