WA
8 posts
Gday All,
Just wondering the difference between low aspect and high aspect kites, in terms of handling, and performance. And any recomendations.
Cheers
WA
202 posts
well, to be very general to start with, low aspect ratio kites fly slower and are easier to relaunch. High AR kites travel faster, so they race further to the front of the window and can give you better upwind, higher jumps and bigger wind range. But harder to relaunch (see SuperType!!) and more likely to stall (but this depends on many other factors as well)
Low AR used to mean 2.5 but now low is anything below 5. But don't get caught up in the numbers, different kite manufacturers measure AR in different ways, and other factors (like wingtip length etc) contribute to the kite's handling as well.
My recommendations: if you're learning then a relatively low AR will make life easier as it relaunches and behaves nicely. If you're getting pretty good then go high AR and use it to help you boost to the next level.
WA
16 posts
Yep.... agree with andyc. When I was starting out, relaunching was a big thing. A high AR kite will stress you out if you're learning. But don't think a low - mid AR kite won't perform. I have both high and low. On a good day, my low AR kite still makes my freckle pucker up.
