Power kite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A power kite or traction kite is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user. They come in three main forms: foils, leading edge inflatables and supported leading edge. There are also rigid-framed kites and soft single skin kites. There are several different control systems used with these kites which have two to five lines and a bar or handles.
Power kites are generally used in conjunction with a vehicle or board, such as in:
- kitesurfing on a kiteboard
- kite buggying on a purpose-built 3-wheeled cart
- kite landboarding on an all-terrain/mountain/land board
- kite skating on all-terrain roller skates
- snow kiting on skis or snowboards
- kite jumping, using a power kite for jumping above the ground
- manlifting, where a harnessed kite flier is tethered to the ground or one or more people to provide tension and lift
- kiteboating, on a boat
Research is also under way in use of kites to generate electric power to be fed into a power grid.[1][2][3] Kites can be used to reach high altitude winds (e.g., jetstream), which are always present, even if ground level winds available to wind turbines are absent.
Kites of related design are used for sailing, including speed-sailing. A kite-powered boat (Jacob's Ladder) set the C-Class world sailing speed record with a speed of 25 knots in 1982, a record that stood for six years.[4]. A kite-board was the first sailing craft to exceed a speed of 50 knots in October 2008.[4]
Power kites range in size from 1.5 m2 up to 50 m2. All kites are made for specific purposes: some for water, land, power or manoeuvrability.
[edit] See also
- Bow kite
- Foil kite
- Leading edge inflatable kite
- Kite types
- Kite applications
- Kite mooring
- SkySails - industrial-scale power kites for pulling ships
[edit] External links
- Extreme Power Kites - Pictures, Kite Reviews, Additional Information
- Snowkiting Forum - A Community for Snowkiters
- ikointl.com - International Kiteboarding Organization
- Leading Worldwide Power Kite Forum - Leading Worldwide Power Kite Forum
- Kiteboarding Links - Guide All about Kite Surfing.
- Kiteboarding Directory Online kiteboarding magazine with information, reviews, tips and care for power kites.
- [4] Movies of power kites
- Learn kiting at breaking wave- Learn some of the basics of kiting
- Traction Kiting- Traction Kiting in Scotland
- Power-kite.ch- Traction Kiting an Snowkiting in Switzerland
- Manta Kite Sailing- Kiteboating and Rescue kites
[edit] References
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