Wind window

From KiteWiki

Kites can normally only be flown downwind from the person flying them. The volume of sky where a kite can be flown is usually considered to be half of a hemisphere (or less), with the person fling the kite standing at its centre.

Directly downwind is referred to as the middle or centre of the wind window, and the extreme positions to the left and right (where the kite starts to become difficult to control or will fly no further) are referred to as the edges of the wind window.

The width of the wind window can vary depending on the wind speed and the kite design, particularly its aspect ratio. High aspect kites often fly in a wider wind window than mid aspect ratio or low aspect ratio kites.

The kite pulls the hardest when near the middle of the wind window, and less so at the edges. For low and mid aspect kites, there is usually also little lift at the top of the wind window, so in reasonable winds (for that particular kite) the kite can be safely parked overhead. This position is not however safe for lifty kites as a sudden gust can produce unexpected lofting.

Gusts can also cause a kite to overfly and then often luff when near to the edges or at the top of the window.

Overflying can usually be minimised by brake line adjustment.

--Badger 23:27, 11 October 2007 (BST)