Woodpecker Kites » No Knots

Get Rid Of The Knots On Your Revolution Kite

Not that I'm an expert flyer . . . but I've come to the point where my lines often get snagged on the knots in the bungees that connect the sail to the spars. This happens often enough that it's real annoying.

So, I moved the knots to the inside of the caps.

In the photos below I'm using ³/₃₂" bungee cord.

The knot in the bungee is pulled very tight with pliers and the excess is trimmed off very close to the knot. The loop is threaded through a hole drilled in the end cap. The spar, if you give it a little help, will slip over the knot and bottom out in the end cap as it did before it was sharing space with the knot.

So, now the knots are hidden inside the end caps and your lines won't be getting snagged on them any more.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Rev 1.5 SUL

The leading edge of my Rev 1.5 SUL.
The bungee is larksheaded to the sail.

Back view of the bottom of the spar.
The bungee is larksheaded to the cap's triangular hole. It's a little cramped, but there's still room to attach the bridle.

Front view of the bottom of the spar.

View of the top of the spar.
The bungee is larksheaded around the leading edge.

I made a gauge set of caps with different length loops. This allows me to try different sizes of loops at any given point on the kite and has turned out to be a real time saver.
Once I'm satisfied with the fit, I make a loop, drill a ¹/₈" hole in the end cap, and pull the bungee through as shown in the bottom of this photo. The drill bit is centered in the end cap by wrapping a bit of tape around it so that a piece of tubing then fits snugly (also shown in this photo). The tubing then keeps the bit centered inside the cap.

Other Kites Without Knots

Super Sonic
Blast Done with white bungee cord . . .

Other Bungee Attachment Methods

Jeff Burka's rec.kites entry describing his kite and his bungee attachment method.

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