| |
2002-07-08
Wind Window and Precision Grid Definitions
- Wind Window
- Is the area within the roughly semicircular plane described by the
greatest height a kite can reach at every angle in front of a stationary
flier. The size of the window is limited by the ground, the length of
the flying line, the speed of the wind, the skill of the flier, and the
flight characteristics of the kite or kites.
- Center Window
- The center of the wind window is directly down wind from the flier
(horizontal center) and half way to the top of the wind window at that
location (vertical center).
- Precision Grid
- The backdrop for each figure is a grid that is used as a reference
for its correct size, shape, and location. The figures are drawn on a
grid 100 units high and 200 units wide; 100 units on either side of the
horizontal center of the window. The size of a grid unit varies with the
length of the flying line used. With 38 meter (125 foot) lines, a grid
unit is about 0.3 meters (1 foot). Each 10 unit square on the grid with
38 meter (125 foot) lines would have roughly 3 meter (10 foot)
sides. Grid lines at 10 unit intervals are shown in the diagrams,
but only where they are necessary to locate the figure within the grid.
| NB: |
In sub-optimal conditions, it may not be possible to fly to
all sections of the precision grid unless the flier moves back
during the figure. Said another way, some of the precision grid
may be outside the wind window.
|
Diagram
The compulsory figure diagram defines the size, shape, and
location of each compulsory figure within the precision grid.
When there are fewer team members flying than there are kites shown in
a diagram, the selection of kites will be one of -
- In numerical order. Which means assign the kites flying to the
kites in the diagram in 1-2-3 order.
- Evenly spaced and centered between the first and last kite.
Which means, using the positions of the first and last kites, evenly
space the other kite or kites between them.
When there are more team members flying than there are kites shown in a
diagram, the kites will be evenly spaced and centered. That means,
using the center of all of the the kites as shown in the diagram, arrange
all the team's kites evenly around that center point.
The evenly spaced options are the default. When the numerical order is
important, it will be specified in the explanation.
Critical Components and Explanation
- Critical Components
- Each compulsory figure has two components that are weighted heavily
by the judges in their scoring. For international competitions, these
components are each worth 30% of the score for the compulsory. The
weighting is intended to focus the attention of the pilots and judges on
some aspects of the compulsory figure and encourage that component to be
flown exactly as depicted. A critical component is only part of
the overall compulsory figure and therefore, even if poorly executed,
does not necessarily result in a zero score for the entire compulsory
figure.
- Explanation
- If necessary, an explanation or clarification of the critical
components will be provided. Additional remarks or comments about
the compulsory and a list of additional components the compulsory is
meant to test may also be provided. This section is not meant to
describe the compulsory figure in detail.
- Shorthand Notation Used in Descriptions
-
| < |
as a prefix to a number, denotes a location to the LEFT of
the horizontal center of the precision grid. |
| > |
as a prefix to a number, denotes a location to the RIGHT of
the horizontal center of the precision grid. |
| <0> |
denotes the horizontal center of the precision grid. |
| ^ |
as a prefix to a number, denotes a location ABOVE the bottom
of the precision grid. |
Glossary of Terms
- Position within the grid
- Position within the grid refers to the location of the the entire
compulsory in the precision grid. Although, all figures are
intended to be flown as shown in the diagrams, the placement is
sometimes a critical components to discourage moving the figure in the
window or changing its size.
- Relative placement of components
- Relative placement refers to alignment of the components within a
figure. For example, two squares may be shown drawn side by side
with their tops on the same horizontal line or one directly above the
other. Symmetry may be an aspect of the relative placement of
components. As a critical component, relative placement makes the
location of the components more important than other aspects.
- Turns
- All turns are crisp changes of the flight direction. An adjective
may be used with turn to emphasize some aspect of the turn. If a
change of direction is not intended to be a turn it will be described as
an arc or curve.
- Lines
- All lines are straight unless otherwise noted. Straight line,
while redundant, may be used for emphasis.
- Horizontal line
- A horizontal line is flown parallel to the horizon.
- Vertical line
- A vertical line is flown perpendicular to the horizon.
- Parallel lines
- Are an equal distance apart everywhere.
|
The qualifiers (horizontal,
parallel, etc.) are used in the critical component or explanation
sections to limit the focus to a particular line or lines.
- Launch
- A launch is the transition of a kite from a stationary position on
the ground into flight. The control of the kite during the launch
and the stability of the flight after the launch are of the most
important aspects of a launch.
- Land
- A landing brings the kite to a controlled stop on the ground.
A nose first crash into the ground is not a landing.
Unless otherwise indicated, no variety of landing is preferred over
another.
- Leading-edge landing
- A leading edge landing brings the kite to a controlled stop
on the ground with all of one of the leading edges meeting the
ground along it full length.
- 2-point landing
- For delta-shaped kites, a two point landing brings the kite
to a controlled stop on the ground resting on both wing tips at
the same time. For kites with a single leading edge, a
2-point landing is brings the kite to a stop on the trailing
edge.
| Examples: |
| |
- Snap 2-point landing
- Is a combination of a snap stall and landing that
happens as one movement.
- Stall 2-point landing
- The kite is stalled close to the ground and then put
down onto the ground directly.
- Spin 2-point landing
- The kite is spun in a tight circle or part of a circle
close to the ground and then put down onto the ground
directly.
|
- Belly landing
-
- A belly landing brings the kite to a controlled stop on its
front (bridle side) with the nose pointing away from the pilot.
|
- Arc
- The change of the direction of flight that follows some part of the
circumference of a circle. Distinguished from a curve which does
not have a constant radius.
- Ground pass
- A ground pass is horizontal flight close to the ground. For the
purposes of the critical components and explanations herein, the maximum
height of the lower wing tip off the ground is defined as 1/2 the
distance between the wing tips. Flying closer to the ground is not
rewarded or penalized.
When the ground is not horizontal, the height
of a ground pass is measured from the highest point traversed.
- Nose
- Is the forward most part of the kite in forward flight. For delta
shaped kites, it is the junction of the leading edges. For kites
with a single leading edge, it is that leading edge.
The coordinate
positions shown in the diagrams are given for the nose of the kite
unless otherwise indicated.
- Stall (Stop)
- The kite comes to an obvious momentary stop.
- Push stall
- A push stall stops the movement of the kite without changing
the kites orientation.
- Snap stall
- A snap stall stops the movement of the kite and brings the
kite into a nose-up orientation in one motion.
|
- Axel
- An axel is a 360° flat spin rotation of the kite with the front
parallel to the ground. It starts and ends with the nose pointing
toward the flier.
- Speed Control
- For individual figures, speed control means maintaining a constant
speed throughout the figure.
For pair and team figures, speed
control also refers to the relative change of velocity among the kites
needed to open or close distances between them as demanded by some
figures.
Speed control is a consideration in all compulsory figures.
- Spacing
- For pair and team figures, spacing refers to the uniform distance
maintained between kites. A change to the distance between kites
may be necessary during a figure, but it is the uniformity of spacing
that is important.
Spacing is a consideration in all pair and team
compulsory figures.
- Multi-line Diagonal Flight
- The kite flies in a straight diagonal line with the kite in a
constant orientation.
- Multi-line Inverted Flight
- The kite flies in any direction with the nose pointed down.
- Multi-line Backward Flight
- The kite flies in the opposite direction from the direction the nose
is pointing. Backward flight is also inverted flight if the nose
is pointing down.
- Multi-line Rotation (Spin)
- The kite rotates with a designated part of the kite as the center of
rotation. The most common points of rotation are the center of the
kite or one of its wing tips. Unless otherwise specified,
rotations are stationary. That is; the point of rotation does not
move.
- Multi-line Slide
- The kite moves horizontally across the window with the nose pointing
up (horizontal slide) or vertically in the window with the nose pointing
to the left or right (vertical slide).
- Multi-line Inverted Slide
- The kite moves horizontally across the window with the nose pointing
down.
Back to your last visited page
This page was last updated
March 19, 2003 03:26 PM |