Tuning Tips

Sano SS/SSL Tail Ballast Fittings
During development of the Sano SS/SSL, a lot of testing went into optimizing the amount of tail ballast.  Specifically, these weights were determined to yield the best overall performance for most wind conditions and flying styles.  However, a "no weight" tail fitting is now being offered as an optional accessory.  This is in direct response to those SSL owners who wanted to try removing the brass ballast for near zero wind flying.  

Swapping tail fittings on your Sano isn't difficult and can be done in the field in less than a minute.   To assist in this process, the tips below should be followed:

1. To begin, orient your kite face down and then slacken the sail's trailing edges by disengaging the standoffs from the lower spreader fittings.  Also, unhook the tail Velcro to gain access to the tail fitting.  As shown in the photo below, the white leech lines are routed around the brass ballast.  Note how the lines cross over (form an 'X') on the front of the kite (bottom from your perspective!). 

3. Since the APA tail fitting is not glued in place, it can now be pulled off the end of the spine.  Install the optional "no weight" tail fitting until fully seated and properly oriented.  The leech lines can then be placed back over the hollow graphite insert (which now takes the place of the solid brass).  Do this by again stretching the elastic cord slightly.  This will ease the leech line tension and thus make re-routing the lines much easier.  After the elastic cord is released, the leech lines will again be pulled taut.  

4. After confirming the leech lines are routed per the above photo, refasten the tail Velcro.  When doing this, apply just a light tension so any wrinkles are removed from the sail seam.  Also, verify the elastic cord preload is still properly set.  Look for the silver colored reference mark.  Typically, you want this mark just above the Nylon zip tie.  This will yield about 1" of excess cord which is generally ideal.  If a preload adjustment is needed, please consult your Sano instructions.  To finish, put the standoffs back in place and get flying!

Sano SS/SSL Bridle Installation
Replacement bridle kits are available from AeroStar .  These bridles use quality Spectra line that has been pre-stretched and then precisely tied and equalized.  New tow point pigtails are also included with each kit.  In addition, all four Prusik knots come pre-tied and positioned at the default settings.  As a result, most of the work is already done for you!  Furthermore, since no spars have to be removed from your kite, installing the new bridle is quick and easy.  Here are some pointers that should prove beneficial:

1. In preparation for bridle replacement, unhook the wingtip sail elastics from the nocks.  Then, grasp the leading edge pockets just below the upper spreader cutouts and slide upwards slightly.  This will "bunch up" the fabric at the covered upper cutouts, thus making it easier to work on the bridle.

3. Lay out the new bridle so it is free of twists and oriented in the same way it will be installed on the kite.  For the leading edges, slip knots will be used at all four mounting points.  The sections with the BLACK marks go to the upper leading edges; the RED sections attach to the lower leading edges.  The melted flanges at the ends are sufficient to lock the slip knots in place. Once finished, push all the leading edge fittings down until these slip knots are sandwiched against the red stoppers.

IMPORTANT:  All four slip knots should be fully seated by pulling firmly on each leading edge line section.  Upon completion, the melted flanges should rest against the knots (in other words, no excess line should be visible leading up to the flanges).

Stryke Fighter Nose Bow - Since the nose bow of this fighter is infinitely adjustable, a frequent question is this:  Exactly how much spine curvature should my kite have?  Of course, this varies depending on the skill level and personal style of the flyer.  But, what follows is a useful guideline for your initial flights.

After sliding the 'rocker arm' down until the cross-spreader is centered in the pair of upper bridal holes, set the kite on a flat and level surface face down.  With the kite resting naturally (do not push down on the tail), measure the amount the nose is raised in the air.  A distance of 1" is a great starting point.  If necessary, fine tune the rocker arm position and recheck your measurement until the desired distance is obtained.

After trying the kite at the 1" distance, you can experiment with other bow settings.  Keep in mind that small changes in the spine curvature will have a large impact of flight performance.  In general, I typically run the Strykes at a nose height range of 3/4" to 1-1/4".  Specifically,  I will decrease the bow to around 3/4" and shift the bridal leader up about 1/8"  for solo flying.  This will make the kite quite unstable with radical spins - very challenging and fun to fly!  Conversely, when dueling with other fighters I will increase the nose bow back to around 1" and return the bridal to the default setting.  This has the desired effect of adding some stability and enhancing the tracking needed for effective line touch battles.   If teaching a first time flyer,  a nose bow closer to 1-1/4" will slow the kite while also making it more stable.

Another important consideration is that nose bow variations also effect the pitch angle of the kite .  Therefore, you can try adjusting the bridal to counteract the pitch changes induced by a new nose bow setting.  For example, if using a lot of spine curvature the kite may become too stable.  To regain maneuverability, shift the bridal leader up.  The kite will now be slower and more graceful than the typical 1" nose bow setting, but still be able to spin.  Conversely, try just the opposite approach with just a slight nose bow and the bridal shifted down to regain some stability.  The kite will be faster than the typical 1" distance, yet still be able to track without spinning uncontrollably.  The tuning possibilities are endless and the Stryke's adjustability makes it enjoyable and easy to experiment!

Spica Pro Bridal Settings - Try these bridal settings if you own a pre-2002 edition Spica Pro (#33 or under - check the back of the Aerostar tag sewn into the spine seam).  First, snap the inner Prusik knots loose on the pair of bridal leaders and slide 1/4" OUT  towards the White reference marks on the inner bridal lines.  After satisfied with your new positions and there is left/right symmetry, make sure to lock the knots firmly.  If a Prusik knot does not want to seat properly, pinching the line immediately above the knot and then sliding your fingers downwards over the knot should do the trick. 

 Also, keep in mind that the distance the knot is moved will be reflected as double that amount when examining the bridal reference marks.  In this case, the 1/4" shift will produce a 1/2" stagger (measured center to center) between the Red and White marks after the knots have been locked in place. The picture below shows what the new inner bridal settings should look like.

In a similar fashion, snap the outer Prusik knots loose and slide 1/4" DOWN towards the Red reference marks on the outer bridal lines. The picture below shows what the new outer bridal settings should look like.  

After completing these adjustments, your Spica Pro will have essentially the same angle of attack so the pull and general feedback on the lines will stay the same.  However, what has changed is the distance between the tow points as it is now considerably increased.  In flight, this will let the kite exit right angle punch turns in a cleaner fashion and reduce the touch of oversteer present with the default settings.  In essence, it makes the radical 6 foot Spica Pro more precise with the feel and tracking typically associated with larger kites.  Best of all, the same awesome trick capabilities are still in tact (and fade stability is a bit better too!).

Overall, this altered bridal setup adds more versatility to the Spica Pro and the '02 models (#34 and up) already have their bridal defaults at these new locations.  While most pre-'02 owners will prefer these updated settings, some will still like the original the best.  First and foremost, the Spica Pro is a freestyle kite.  Therefore, a looser feel with a touch of oversteer is expected by some pilots.  The good news is these adjustments take a few minutes to make.  And, thanks to the permanent color coded reference marks,  can just as easily be set back  to the defaults if disliked.  And remember, bridal adjustments are free!

Spreader Installation - A frequent observation made when seeing Aerostar kites on the flying field is improper assembly.  More specifically, the upper and lower spreaders will only be partially inserted into the APA leading edge fittings. 

Although this may sound trivial, it can actually cause several problems.  For one,  the kite will not have the proper aspect ratio is was designed for to achieve maximum flight performance.  Another issue is that the spreaders will pop out of the APA fittings much more frequently during crashes and aggressive maneuvers.  At the very least, this is annoying and at worse can lead to sail punctures.  

However, the most serious problem with partial spreader insertion is that the lower leading edge fittings can quickly stretch out of shape and take on a 'L' profile.  This is especially true on the Spica and Pulsar since these kites have outer standoffs which exert added pressure on these fittings.  And, once the fittings have permanently stretched, the force exerted by the outer standoffs will be reduced.  In turn, this means the sail will not have the proper trailing edge flare or tension plus the outer standoffs can sometimes fall out of their spreader fittings as well.

To avoid all of these problems, always make sure to fully insert the spreaders until they bottom out inside the fittings  (on the full size APAs, this will be a  full 1" insertion - the smaller TAPAs are a 1/2" insertion).  If you are having difficulty completely inserting and then removing the spreaders, applying some dry silicon spray works great.  (I've had great success with the popular CRC brand available in most hardware stores.)

To prevent over spray onto the sail, saturate a cotton swap with the silicon.  Use this swab to then coat the inside of your APA fittings.  Not only with this apply a thin layer of silicon, but it will remove any dirt or sand that has accumulated inside the fittings.  If the spreader still seems too tight after this procedure, take the swab and "paint" the ends of your graphite spreaders as well.  (Tip:  Should you ever want to remove the silicon film from the spars,  fine grade steel wool will do the trick.)

Eventually the silicon coating will wear away and another application will be required.  I typically have to do this on my kites about once per month, but this will vary depending on the flying frequency and conditions.  If you fly at the beach or in dusty conditions, your fittings will get "sticky" a lot faster and require more silicon cleaning applications.

Enhancing Lift on the ZeroStar SUL -  As mentioned in the included instructions, orienting the adjustable standoffs at the innermost holes will augment the wing (or lifting) portion of the sail.  Obviously, the resulting gain in efficiency is desirable when flying in very light winds.   When there is just a whisper of wind (0 -  3 m.p.h.) or when indoor flying, even more lift can be had by also removing the top horizontal spreader.  The picture below shows a ZeroStar properly configured for maximum lift. 

Besides producing a slight weight reduction,  removal of the top spreader permits the sail to take on an fuller shape near the nose.  In turn, this produces increased  lift at slow speeds - perfect!  As an estimate, the gain in efficiency is approximately 10 - 15%.  And, when just on the verge of flying or stalling, that improvement is quite noticeable and really reduces the required effort to keep the kite aloft.  As an added bonus, the flight performance and balance of the ZeroStar is not adversely effected.  This means the same wonderful axels, flat spins and fades are left intact!  

Should the winds rise to over 5 mph., the ZeroStar will start to develop a mushy feel due to excessive upper leading edge distortion.  To regain the crisp response and prevent possible damage to the kite, reinstall the top spreader.