Big Kites and Gliders, One of My Favorites
It is exciting to know that kites have gone from always needing wind in order to fly, to zero wind kites and gliders that can even be flown indoors. This has been an exciting addition to the incredible adventure of the kite flying world! With the modern technology of today and the creative kite designers, the big glider kites have become very popular among many beginning and advanced kite lovers.
One of my favorite kites is the Aerobe Wala Glider Kite by Flying Wings. With a size of 64 inches by 41 inches, it is just big enough to be a beautiful site in the sky, or indoors, but small enough to control and maneuver with or without wind.
Because the Wala Glider is exceptionally well balanced, the gliding elegance is controlled by pulling or releasing the flying line in no wind or low wind conditions. However, the Wala can also be flown as a traditional kite outdoors in the wind, depending on how it is assembled and set up.
The best way to assemble the kite is to lay the Wala Glider down on the ground, or on the floo,r and remove the upper spreaders from the edge sleeves. Set these spreaders aside, and face the black sail piece forward with the black spine down. For flying indoors or low wind outdoor flying, the spreader rods are connected and set up on the top of the kite. Make sure the “V” legs of the nose piece are facing up and insert the leading edge rods one at a time. Sometimes this is a little challenging to get the rods bent just right to insert. I was concerned the first time I put the kite together for fear of breaking the rods, but the 3mm carbon fiber rods are very durable, so all went well. After the rods are inserted and secure, the next step is to make sure the D connector is on the front or top side of the sail and then insert the spreader rods into the leading edge connectors and the center D connector on the top of the kite.
For flying outdoors and at higher winds, the set up assembly of the Wala Glider is the same as the indoor low wind set up, except the spreaders are at the back or bottom of the kite. You have to push the D connector through the center reinforced cut-out to the back or bottom of the sail. The spreaders are then inserted to the leading edge rod connectors and then into the center D connector on the bottom of the kite.
Flying at higher winds with the Aerobe Wala Glider Kite can be even more exciting to watch with the addition of a tail (or tails) for a nice visual effect. There are two options in adding a tail to the glider – a single tail attached to the spine in the center, or two tails attached to both wings at the tips. The tails and clips are provided with the kite and make the outdoor wind flying a lot of fun, whether you choose a single or double tail option!
Once you have tried any Aerobe Wala Glider Kite, you will be able to understand why this kite is one of my favorites.
