Power Kite Forum

Opale Powerkite - sPher

tototo - 24-7-2012 at 05:55 AM

hi all,
A new kite developed by the French and European Champion (previously riding vapor, and quite good as paraglider !) !
A race kite I often gave the finish flag in first, as race-master !!

web site : http://opale-powerkite.com/

and vid : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M...

sunset-Jim - 24-7-2012 at 08:58 AM

A very interesting shape on the wing tip.

indigo_wolf - 24-7-2012 at 09:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by sunset-Jim
A very interesting shape on the wing tip.


I thought so too.... thought it was my imagination.

Visible @ 1:19 in the video.

ATB,
Sam

Bladerunner - 24-7-2012 at 04:02 PM

Very cool !

Yes that is a real twist on the tip there !?!? So ...... what are the advantages???

:dunno:

I see the inlets appear to be set on the underside as well. Always thought that made good sense.

WIllardTheGrey - 25-7-2012 at 12:50 AM





I see what you mean. Interesting.

Mathieu - 25-7-2012 at 02:00 PM

Hi everybody

Sorry for my english, I will try my best ;)

I'm one of the 2 designers of the Spher.

I see that the wingtips give you a lot of questions :p
We have work a long time to develop such a kind of canopy. Most of the time, wingtips generate a lot of turbulences. Especialy on this part of the kite. In order to reduice the drag, we have move the angle of the wingtip to an optimal value. Also, we have added special ribs on the trailing edge (like race paraglider), and special tubes on the leading edge. Then you have maximal performance to go up to the wind.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask me ;-)

soliver - 25-7-2012 at 04:17 PM

Mathieu,

your English is great, and probably better that a few of us English speakers :lol:

Your kite looks pretty cool. What kind of Aspect Ratio does it have? What would you copare it to that is already on the market? Is it a race kite like a Vapor, or just more high performance like Reactor?

That info on the wing tip is really interesting. Thanks for the brain candy.

Bladerunner - 25-7-2012 at 04:57 PM

Great english and great ideas!

When you say " special tubes on the inlets " do you mean like closed cell kites? Or just that you have set them on the bottom to reduce leading edge drag ? No inlet sock inside or just not the same shape / length as closed cell ?

This wingtip shape looks promising ? If it works I have to think it could also work on LEI or closed cell water kite? With racing taking off on the water this could be a very lucrative angle ?

Judging from the video and your results this is a true race kite. As fast and faster than Vapor. I am interested if the kite will co$t as much as a Vapor or more inline with the Reactor.

B-Roc - 25-7-2012 at 06:09 PM

Looks like a cool kite.

I know its way different but the sail shape sort of reminds me of my 8.5 blade 3.

The graphics remind me a lot of a Gin Tonkawa

Mathieu - 26-7-2012 at 06:25 AM

Hi everybody

Soliver,

We use different value of aspect ratio depends on the size. On the small sizes, we have a small aspect ratio to have something stable with strong winds. You know strong winds ( 30knt and more) are not constant, and it's more performance if the kite is easy to handle and fast to re open after a collapse, without surprise.

On the bigger sizes, we have increase aspect ratio, round about 5.5 to 6.5 in order to improve the glide rate.
Most of the time, it's an aspect ratio you can almost find on the market, but it's a little higher on the bigger sizes.

About the cost, such a kite with a very high quality of manufacturing (special reinforcement part, aramid bridles, new kind of fabric) cost a lot of money to produice. Final price is similar as a vapor ;)

B-Roc,

Yes, it almost similar, but we use the design I have create at the beginning of Opale with the Paramodels. You can have a look on http://opale-paramodels.com to see how this new model are funny ;)

Bladerunner,

We have put special tubes on some ribs, not specially on the closed cells. Then it's more difficult to collapse, and the kite is really much stronger.
On the trailing edge, it's a different technology. with small ribs, we reduice the thickness. The TE is perfectly clean, and the drag is reduice again.

Have nice rides

Bladerunner - 26-7-2012 at 06:40 AM

These are some of the most impressive adjustments to foil design I have seen since Jet Flaps ! ( have you tried jet flaps ? )
If these changes work, and I believe they do it makes for a huge leap forward in race kites!
:bigok:

B-Roc - 26-7-2012 at 08:54 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mathieu
We have put special tubes on some ribs, not specially on the closed cells. Then it's more difficult to collapse, and the kite is really much stronger.

On the trailing edge, it's a different technology. with small ribs, we reduice the thickness. The TE is perfectly clean, and the drag is reduice again.

Have nice rides


I wish I could read French to better understand your webpage and innovations (I apologize if I missed an English translation but I'm currently travelling and on mixed and shoddy internet connections).

Seems like a lot of thought and innovation were put into this kite and I agree with BR... not too often we see new advances like yours or jet flaps or the Air Fx innovations (whatever happened to those kites??)

I wish you the best of luck (and maybe put some attention on the depower foil market ;-)

dragonfly carbon products - 25-5-2013 at 03:06 PM

Spher on the podium at the final french championship last week ! still on the top for the seconde year!

3shot - 25-5-2013 at 03:33 PM

That footage @ 2:20 is:o :o :o :o

djinnzfree - 25-5-2013 at 04:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by B-Roc  

The graphics remind me a lot of a Gin Tonkawa


+1
your very right!

---------------
salut Mathieu... j'suis du Québec! ;-)