TOTL Hawaiian Team Kite
Marc Gill
I just purchased a 'Top Of The Line' hawaiian team kite. Just wanted to know
if I got myself a good kite or not.
Raymond Bramzel
Marc
You have probably bought yourself the first sports kite ever made which was
flown by a team of five persons back in 1986 I believe. This kite pioneered
sports kite flying and I would be bold in saying that it is a classic! The
kite by today's standards is completely dated and perhaps ancient relic. It
pulls like a truck and it is sheer powerful. However, they are still fun to
fly and although the design and build quality is primitive, it certainly
tracks well for precision flying. Fly in on long 300lb line in breeze to
moderate conditions and drop down to 150lb lines in light winds.
I still like flying these beasts and I love its majestic "Jumbo Jet"
presence and dominance in the sky.
Enjoy it even if it is a bit of nostalgia.
Good Winds!
Mike Ryan
Marc Gill wrote:
>
> I just purchased a 'Top Of The Line' hawaiian team kite. Just wanted to know
> if I got myself a good kite or not.
Depends on what you paid for it.. They aren't a good stunt kite as much
as they are a good precision kite..
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Michael L. Eason
Well said! Me too!
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Airfoils
Hi,
Actually the first evidence I ever saw of team flying was a picture
shown to me by Francis Rogallo of he and his team in the late 50's I
believe. Rogallo is really the father of the stunt kite, being a retired
NACA/NASA engineer, he developed the flexible wing as a re-entry vehicle but
alas NASA chose parachutes instead for recovery. The flexible wing evolved
considerably in the field of hang gliding well before kites started its
foray into it. Of course being as kiters are, he is given nearly no respect
or credit in the industry, and therefore my 20 years in this has taught me
to respect many kite builders not at all. Ask a hang gliding manufacturer
who he is though and they'll nearly beam. Another guy that many new kiters
know little or nothing about is Domina Jalbert but thats another story. Rog
is still alive and it would do me good to see him given some credit or
respect from the industry before its too late. Also, I know Hyperkites* and
Rainbow Stunt Kites* were doing team flying before TOTL so TOTL was not
really an inovator of any sort, they just popularized it at the right time
is all and developed a few unique moves that became signatures for them.
There may have been others doing it as well and I am sure there were.
Skynasaur all of a sudden comes to mind and I know Peter Powell did some
things although the long tails limited them.
As for 1986, I remember that year very well. That was the 1st ever East
Coast Stunt Kite Championship and I recall very clearly a very arrogant Eric
Streed (from team TOTL)commenting on my kites . Essentially he looked down
his nose at me and my design the day before the event. To make a long story
short I stomped he and his teammates into the dirt in individual competition
the following 2 days and from what I know I am still the youngest East Coast
Champion in its history (19). The ironic thing about it all was the last day
of the event I was asked by TOTL to fly with them in place of guess who?
Poetic justice ehh? It was just for fun. I did well at it and with some
practice would have far exceeded the arrogant Eric Streed. All of the other
guys seemed pretty cool. The one thing was though, I remember I thought team
flying was allot like flying kites for the Army. I tired of it after only
about a half hour and was perfectly content to go off on my own and Rock and
Roll individually. Having a guy yell at me when to do things I guess just
wasn't my thing. Later when I did some team with others, I expected them to
know what was coming next or when I did do commands I said it just loud
enough for them to hear. I never felt it was neccessary to scream at them.
As for the line reccomendation, I can only say you would never need 300#
line on anything unless you hit the Twinkies pretty hard or are anchoring
yourself with a very strong pulling kite. I suggest 150-200 at the most in
stronger winds and 100# or less in lighter winds. You might also consider
reframing it with more modern materials or keep it like it is and consider
yourself to own a bit of nostalgia which is what I would do.
Peace,
Mike
* My first ever stunt kite purchase was a six pack of Star Fighter
Hyperkites. My first kite festival was Sunfest Ocean City Maryland 1984 or
1983 and thats the weekend Steve Edieken (sp?) died trying to launch the
worlds largest kite (Since then the politically correct kite media has
disuaded such attempts) I recall in very vivid fashion having a problem with
my Hyperkite stack pulling to the right and would hardly budge to the left.
Randy Tom showed no interest in helping a poor kid whatsoever after asking
him for help as he was much more interested in smoozing with at that time
the kiting "elite" and I never forgot it. From that day forward I vowed if
ever in the position I would be open to the humble novice and shun the
"elite" as it were, offering help and guidance. I began my fulfillment of
this vow by working for Kitty Hawk Kites and teaching thousands the basics.
It paid off, and some of my best pilots appreciated the fact I took the time
with them as "unknowns" and I will forever be in debt to them for their
loyalty and friendship. Some of them were led elsewhere but the ones
retained were shining gems in a coal mine. When the time is right to return
I will once again begin with a host of humble novices, they are the best
kiters there are, and I will always value them the highest.
Steve Holdoway and Julie Holdstock
>Marc Gill wrote:
>>
>> I just purchased a 'Top Of The Line' hawaiian team kite. Just wanted to know
>> if I got myself a good kite or not.
>
>Depends on what you paid for it.. They aren't a good stunt kite as much
>as they are a good precision kite..
They may be an old design, but those of us priviledged to be at Berck
sur Mer witnessed Skydance flying one of their routines with them.
Comments were heard about their aversion to landing, though!
Cheers,
Steve
PS. Many thanks to Joost in the FlexiBus (sorry, camper!) for swapping
my French Level 7 SECAM video for one with APs dulcet tones on!
Coreykite
Geez... most of you really need to get out more...
or off the self-serving soapbox...
TOTL H-16 is a fine sport kite...
It's heritage dates to the beginning of the modern era of team flying.
The frame is the key to the H-16's performance.
The fiberglass frame is very rugged, but a bit heavy so more wind is needed. On
standard 200 lb. spectra lines, flying a 125 ft length, wind would need to be
8-18 mph.
Shorten the line length to 100 ft, and the peformance would become a bit
quicker, although that is not the main strength of the H-16.
The graphite frame opens another door to H-16 performance. The wind range is
enhanced as the weight is significantly reduced. Durability suffers a bit, but
some experience will teach what is proper use and what is not.
The aluminum/carbon frame is also available and it is as close to bulletproof
as any i have seen.
The weight is low as with carbon, but the strength of the A/C is legendary.
It is a precise kite, slow and elegant across the sky.
Bridles should be watched carefully, especially when the kite is new, as the
knots can slide until the bridle develops a bit of *knot memory*
I prefer a bridling point just above (less than 1/8th inch) the mark. This is a
fine weapon in the wind wars...
Ignore the faint-hearted.
If flying in strong winds... wear a cup
aoxomoxoa core...@aol.com
Troy Gunn
I won the Open Freestyle/Innovative Class at
the 1997 Grand National Convention in Wildwood
flying Two of the Red/White/Blue Hawaiians.
So I guess they still have a place in competition
don't they.
Heck, I can even make these kites Axel & Coin
Toss with a little bit of effort.
Outdated ? I don't thank so.
Troy Gunn
TKO...@webtv.net
Phantom Hacker
Marc:
Raymond is right in saying that the Team Hawaiian is one of the first sport
kites to come out, I think it was introduced in 1984. But I digress, I own two
Team Hawaiians purchased this year and I bought them for the power aspect. I
stack the two together and fly them on 200# x 120' Spectra and get dragged all
over the flying field. I have flown one of them in winds that were light enough
for other flyers to be flying low wind kites, such as the Air F/X. I have used
200# Spectra in all wind conditions and so far haven't snapped a flying line.
As Raymond says, I do love the jumbo jet aspect of the Team Hawaiian, as well
as the roar you get when flying in high winds.
Have fun with the Hawaiian and always practice safe flying.
/Patrick Grant
Andy Wardley
Airfoils <airf...@NOSPAM.gte.net> wrote:
> As for the line reccomendation, I can only say you would never need 300#
>line on anything unless you hit the Twinkies pretty hard or are anchoring
>yourself with a very strong pulling kite.
...or if you want to induce more drag in the lines to slow the kite down.
500lb line isn't uncommon for competition days when it's blowing a gale.
A
--
Andy Wardley <a...@kfs.org> http://www.kfs.org/~abw
Signature lost in transit. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Airfoils
Thats a pretty cheap way to slow down a kite. If it works for you, go for
it.
Andy Wardley <a...@cre.canon.co.uk> wrote in article
<ErpK6...@cre.canon.co.uk>...
> Airfoils <airf...@NOSPAM.gte.net> wrote:
> > As for the line reccomendation, I can only say you would never need
300#
> >line on anything unless you hit the Twinkies pretty hard or are
anchoring
> >yourself with a very strong pulling kite.
>
bar...@sunshine.net
In article <6h820s$75...@dragon.sk.sympatico.ca>#1/1,
"Marc Gill" <mg...@sk.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> I just purchased a 'Top Of The Line' hawaiian team kite. Just wanted to know
> if I got myself a good kite or not.
>
Sorry you don`t have a good kite...you`ve got a great kite!! A true classic.
Hope you like loud, hard pullin` kites. It won`t flit around too much ;) bt
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