![]() ![]() You could also fly novelty kites, which usually sport fancy tails. 5 Fresh breeze 19-24 mph At these wind speeds, a kite tail is recommended if your kite is not stable in the air. 4 Moderate breeze 13-18 mph Beginners should be careful if wanting to use a kite tail in this category as it can create more drag than expected this can cause the kite flier to lose control of the kite. If your kite is swooping or weaving from side-to-side, put a kite tail on it. 3 Gentle breeze 8-12 mph Good wind speed to launch and fly a kite in. If it’s unstable at these wind speeds, check your kite for any problems. Generally, you would not need a kite tail to keep your kite stable. 2 Light breeze 4-7 mph Great for beginners, and easy to launch a kite in. You can still launch and fly a kite but you should not need a tail. 1 Light air 1-3 mph Great for low-wind kites. You generally would not need a tail as it would weigh down your kite. May be difficult for beginners to launch a heavier kite. Beaufort Number Description Wind Speed Ease of Launching or Flying a Kite 0 Calm < 1 mph Great for low- or zero-wind kites. The Beaufort Scale was devised by Francis Beaufort in 1805. This is based on the Beaufort Wind Force Scale, or the Beaufort Scale for short. Below is a guide on wind speeds and how these can affect kite flying. Wind speeds determine how easy it would be to launch and keep your kite afloat. While this depends on the type and design of your kite, and current wind conditions, in the guide below we attempt to give you an idea of what you should expect in varying wind conditions. While there is no specific formula to the length of a kite tail, it should be long enough to add stability to your kite, but not too long that it creates too much drag and prevents the kite from launching or staying in the air. You may notice that your kite (with its tail attached) is struggling to stay afloat in the sky as such, you could remove its tail to keep your kite in the air even in low-wind conditions. In low-wind conditions, a tail can hamper a kite’s launch and flight. Our article on “ Why Your Kite Keeps Crashing” provides in-depth information and troubleshooting tips.ĭepending on the size and design of your kite, it may require little to no wind, or strong winds to launch. The horizontal spars of the kite can also affect its balance and cause it to spin. This can be due to stretched or uneven bridle lines or an uneven keel, or even knots and twists in the bridle. Kites that spin either clockwise or anti-clockwise when in the air means that your kite is out-of-balance from side-to-side. This is because the tail acts as a downward force on your kite, keeping its tail pointed down and ensuring that its top is kept upwards. Kites that tip forward or backward will do well a tail to its bottom. In this case, you should move away from your current location to somewhere more open and with lesser to no obstacles. This causes turbulence and if you are flying your kite close to tall buildings or even trees, it can cause your kite to crash due to an unsteady source of wind. In the picture above, you can see that the wind around the obstacle no longer flows smoothly. Turbulence can also cause your kite to crash. In What Wind Conditions Does My Kite Need a Tail?ĭo you have any trees, buildings, or hills in your immediate kite-flying area that could be creating turbulence? This can cause your kite to swoop or dart from side-to-side, and generally fly in an unstable fashion. It could be some simple fixes that your kite needs. But your kite is still crashing! Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you’re not destined to fly a kite. You’ve checked the weather report, measured the wind at your location, and it’s generally good kite-flying weather. If this is the case, check your local weather forecasts and be ready to retrieve your kite and leave the area. Sometimes this can indicate that a storm is on its way. The second cause is due to thermals, which cause air to either rapidly rise and sink.The direction and speed of wind is impacted when it is flowing around these structures, and if you are flying a kite close to buildings or some trees, there’s a good chance that you will encounter turbulence. The first is due to environmental structures such as hills, trees, buildings, and even mountains.There are 2 factors that can cause these changes. Turbulence is characterized by gusty winds. Turbulence: Wind turbulence usually refers to a series of rapid changes in wind speed.Wingtip-to-wingtip: This is the length of the kite from its left tip to the right tip.A kite tail attached to the bottom of the kite provides lateral stability, and usually prevents it from swooping unexpectedly, or crashing to the ground. Lateral length: This is the length of the kite from its top tip to the bottom of the kite when held upright.Some terms that we will be using in this article are:
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