User:Vincecate/WaterWalker2trip2

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WaterWalker2 Trip 2

This about the planned second experimental voyage of WaterWalker2.

Plan

  • Will use a kite that can water-launch so a kite crash will not end this trip. Got a nice new kite.
  • Will have a route that is plenty deep enough along the whole route. Have scouted a good launch location. We might be able to go as much as 3 miles downwind if things are really going well, but the goal is 1.5 miles of GPS track distance.

WaterWalker2mapNums.JPG

The previous launch location is marked with a 1 on the above picture and the new one with a 2. The wind blows from right (East) to left (West). The green line starting at the 2 is the kind of route I expect.

  • Will go on a day when there is less wind so that wind on the structure is not as much of an issue. Ideal would be 12 MPH, compared to 20 MPH we had last time. The new kite is a bit bigger, so the ratio of kite pull to structure drag should be better. Also, the new kite can fly more to the side of downwind than the old kite could. So for a few reasons we should be able to make a larger angle off of downwind this time.
  • Expect to do this test in the second half of Feb 2009.

Kite

Cabrina Convert 9 M kite was for sale in Anguilla. It is a 2008 model that is hardly used. The price was $675 for kite, bar, and harness. I bought it on Jan 29, 2009.

VincesNewKite.JPG

Judd (previous owner) is showing me how to roll up the kite here.

Expected Results

  • How fast do we really go - GPS seems to have been not fully awake during the good part of the first trip.
  • How far left or right of downwind can we go.
  • More video and pictures in general
  • Testing in bigger waves
  • Use G Data Logger acceleration meter to log accelerations during trip

Sponsors

I got $400 worth of pledges to help justify buying the $675 kite. These pledges come due after I have bought the kite and used it to pull WaterWalker2 on a trip at least 1.5 miles long, and documented the trip on the Wiki. This is GPS track distance, not necessarily that the finish is 1.5 miles from start.