pchapman 279 #26 February 16, 2008 Just thinking quickly: One still needs to have some kind of wing to provide a decent glide ratio. One could add long ram air inflated tails or the like, or have other structures bulging out from the wing, but there's going to have to be enough undisturbed wing for it to act like a wing. I don't know much about kites, but all those kites shaped like dragons or whatever are far downwind of where the line is anchored ... not right overhead as for something with a high glide ratio. The angle from the vertical does relate to the glide ratio. Those kites with their super low aspect ratios (sometimes approximating a tube) are probably at well less than 1:1 glide ratio. Make them big enough and you could still jump them, but then you're basically jumping a round canopy, with a glide ratio of 0 or close to it. Guess you could build a round canopy with some special shape like the custom balloons these days... The closest I've seen to customized canopies is the stuff at the French Coupe Icare paragliding festival. While huge ram air costumes around the pilot are easily possible, only rarely is much added on to the lift-giving canopy itself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
filioque 0 #27 May 7, 2008 many of those "dragons" are PARAFOILS which is what we jump. The main shape of the kite is a "wing" the extra fabric is what makes it "look" like a dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
