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Double the Life of Your Revolution Line Set by Revolution Kites

Why the top lines stretch more than the bottom ones, how to check it, and two simple swaps that double the life of a line set.

From the series Lines, handles and care. Transcript by QuadKites.org.

Double the Life of Your Revolution Line Set by Revolution Kites

Key takeaways from this video

  • The top lines take more tension, especially when flying for a long time, in high wind or with a speed model: they stretch and the Rev leans back and slows down.
  • To check, stake all four lines at the same point, unroll them and compare them under tension.
  • Swap the top and bottom lines at the handles and at the kite: the shorter line will stretch in turn, compensating the difference with the leaders at first.
  • Also swap the lines end to end: the wear point from twists, closer to the handles, moves to the other side.

Transcript

  1. Line wear and stretch

    0:00

    Hi, I'm Joe Hadzicki, inventor of the Revolution. Whether you fly on the beach in wet, sandy conditions and 20 mile an hour winds, or on a beautiful green grassy field in three miles an hour, either way you're going to have line wear and line stretch. Let's take a look at what causes those lines to stretch and how you can check your lines, and then let me show you two quick flip techniques that can double the life expectancy of your Spectra line set.

  2. Why top lines stretch

    0:54

    At the top of your Rev the wing is larger, and down near the bottom it's smaller. So you have your front lines, your top lines, attached at the top, and because of that larger area you have more tension and more pressure on that line. Over time this can cause those lines to stretch. When your lines stretch, it causes your Rev to tilt back, and when it tilts back it tends to fly slower.

  3. Three causes of stretch

    1:16

    There are three main causes of this top line stretch. Number one: flying hours and hours on your Rev will gradually stretch those top lines slightly more than the bottom ones because they take more pressure. Number two: flying in high winds can add more stress to those top lines, causing them to stretch. And number three: flying one of the speed models, for example the Rev Blast, will also add more tension on those top lines, causing them to stretch.

  4. Checking your lines

    1:41

    Here's how to check. Take all four lines and separate them out, then stake them to the ground. If you don't have a regular kite stake, you can use a screwdriver; it works great. Now all four lines are attached at the same point, so you're going to get a nice even measurement. Now take your lines and run them out. When you get to the end of the lines, separate them completely. Now compare your top lines to your bottom lines under tension. You might be surprised to find your top lines are actually longer than your bottom lines. This is because the increased tension on your top lines over time can cause them to stretch.

  5. Flipping top and bottom lines

    2:41

    All right, at this point you can take your lines, untie all the knots, slide the line back and readjust it to that shorter length. But here's a quick fix that I like to use. Let's consider what's actually happened here. We have more stress on the top lines, and that has caused them to stretch. So what's the best solution? The best solution would be to stretch the bottom lines to even them out with the top lines. How can we do that? We've got an easy solution, actually. Take your bottom lines and attach them to the top of the handle. This way, this bottom line is now the top, and it's going to end up with more stretch over time. That stretch will even out, and you'll even out the lines, top and bottom. Then put the top line on the bottom of the handle. Be sure to do the same at your Rev when you first make this flip. Now your old top line, which is now your bottom line, is going to be too long, and your old bottom line, which is now your new top line, is going to be too short. So when you first do this, adjust your new top line out on your leader lines to compensate for that length, and as this line stretches, bring it back in.

  6. Flipping lines end to end

    4:01

    Another great way to make your lines last longer is to take your lines from your handles and attach them to your kite, and take the lines from your kite and attach them to your handles. By flipping your lines this way, you'll extend the life of your lines. Let me tell you why.

  7. Why flipping doubles life

    4:24

    When you do a spin with your Rev, you form a twist in the lines. This twist is a wear point on your lines, especially if the lines stay twisted and you keep flying around: these lines are sliding back and forth on each other, causing wear and friction. If these lines are wet and sandy, this wear is much worse. The interesting thing about this is that this crossing point is not in the middle of the lines, it's actually closer to the handle set. So if we flip our line sets, we can move that wear point to the other side of the lines and effectively double the life expectancy of your line set. We'll see you on the field.

Keep going

In the series Lines, handles and care — Revolution Kites tutorials

  1. Long or Short Handles for Your Rev?
  2. Revolution Line Management for Your Rev Kite
  3. Revolution Line Wear and Binding: Tips from the Masters
  4. Double the Life of Your Revolution Line Set — you are here
  5. Don't Destroy Your Revolution Kite: 5 Tips
  6. What's in My Rev Bag, with Quick Line Set-Up Tips
  7. Rev Travel Kit Description and Assembly

See the 17 videos of the series

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