Sier_Pinski - 7-2-2014 at 02:52 PM
Imagine this:
You're landboarding down the beach with your 3-meter FB foil in very high wind conditions. You are also carrying a 17-meter LEI in your backpack just
in case the wind dies down.
All the sudden, you see a pickup truck stuck in the sand with the front of the car facing directly towards the wind. There's no other vehicles in
sight that can pull the truck out.
Luckily, you and your *clever* wits come up with an idea :eureka:: hook the inflated 17-meter kite to the trucS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s rear trailer
hitch and, by launching the kite directly down the wind window in the current gale-force conditions while it's attached to the truck, hopefully pull
the truck backwards and out of the sand to safety.
Now would that honestly work in real life? :D
RedSky - 7-2-2014 at 04:24 PM
It might help but only in conjunction with the trucks power.
1) You won't be able to use a rope.
2) You must use a single spare kite line no stronger than the combined flying lines/bridle because you don't want those to snap first.
Hot launching (if you could) a 17m LEI in gale force winds will not end well. :D....The lines would surely snap.
A better solution is either a 5m-7m LEI (maximum) depending on experience.
1) First tie some 10ft line between your harness and the truck.
2) In those winds, a normal gentle launch.
3) Shallow and repeated dips through the power zone, being careful not to put too much strain on the tow line.
4) Be prepared for a 5ft man-lift session which is useful.
Health warnings:
1) If the tow line breaks you will spring forward and land way downwind.
2) It's better that the tow line snaps first. See my video (shameless plug) Flight of Icarus II. Now imagine if the rope was stronger.
My van WAS stuck on the beach with an incoming tide. I never thought to use my kites. Recovery was two hours away (too late) so I rang the coast guard
(not interested). I let the tyres down for extra traction (did not help). In the end I called in a favour and was towed off.
Nice idea though. 
A pulley system (not as much fun) might be a better solution. It's what we sometimes use to haul our bugs off the beach and up a steep bank.
alasdair macleod - 7-2-2014 at 05:03 PM
Not a truck but a mini .
Have look at this vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TimDe5Gb1bE&feature=yout...
alasdair macleod - 7-2-2014 at 05:10 PM
And this one
http://www.designboom.com/technology/evonik-kite-powered-ele...
indigo_wolf - 7-2-2014 at 09:55 PM
There's a very large difference between
a mini without an engine or a carbon fiber bodied electric car (with low rolling resistance tires)
and
a pickup truck stuck in the sand which involves both static weight and the additional force required to free the truck from the sand.
The average small truck weighs between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds. The larger, heavy duty pick-ups can weigh anywhere between 7,500 and 12,000 pound.
The phrase "pounding sand" comes to mind.
ATB,
Sam