Slovenia is … an aeolically challenged country (more kiters than wind turbines here), and we constantly struggle with winds too low for decent kite aerial photography. We tried a lot of things, having different kite designs for most of the wind force spectrum – rokkakus for low, deltas for medium to strong, sled for strong and very strong winds – but when the wind speed is below say 5 km/h pulling the poor rokkaku higher in a vain hope that up there wind might be stronger is a losing battle.
Yet there is a simple way out of this conundrum, and it involves simple physics. The weight of a kite is pretty much proportional to its size (it is a thin sheet of fabric with long and narrow spars), and the lift of a kite is proportional to the square of its size. So a kite twice the size has like four times the lift.
As they say – less is more, but more is even more. To fight the low winds situation one just needs a bigger kite.
The main workhorse of our kite aerial photography endeavours is the Original Big Blue Rokkaku, a 160 cm wide and 200 cm tall kite that is not exactly small; approaching three square meters its pull can be overwhelming in wind speeds above 15 km/h, and it can lift a picavet with a camera down to about 5 km/h. While this is a very respectable performance, the barely perceptible breezes of summer are too much – too low – even for it. To do KAP in such conditions, one needs more.
Thus Janez of Dr.Agon Kites made a bigger rokkaku. Much bigger. So big one really can’t appreciate its enormity when it’s in flight; only on the ground, close to an object of famillar size its dimensions are comprehensible.
Behold – the Jolly Blue Giant.
This monster of a rokkaku is 3 meters tall and 240 cm wide. It’s blue, as it is supposed to be. And it flies like … well, like a jolly blue giant rokkaku.
All our blue roks were able to fly – the Little One barely supporting its weight; the Big Blue flying comfortably, but without the pull needed to lift a camera; and the Jolly Giant nailed to the sky, exerting a force comparable to a normal kite in 20 km/h wind.
It will be a phenomenal asset for kite aerial photography in these windless lands.
And we have a problem … the best excuse for not doing KAP – “there is no wind!” – is now gone.
Your kite and KAP activity is growing up in all aspects: quality, quantity, care for your beautiful country, communication…. I’m very glad to see new kites, new experiences.
I’m a lucky owner of a BIG BIG VERY BIG ROK made by BKT Piotr Madry – Poland… it is so big that I almost never fly with such a beast
so big ROKs NEED a strong frame, the deformation is evident and the problem of ROKs is that angle goes down, pull goes up but also the risk of breaking something goes up; I wish you that you will never experience of wind increase during a KAP session…. pulling like a horse ?
the 3 ROKs seen all together are beautiful CONGRATULATIONS
Thank you, Sandro! 🙂
True, the 6mm spars are very flexible and the giant rok does get deformed … but, is it a problem? In a way high flexibility of the spars helps to lower the impact of a wind speed increase (or of a strong gust), as part of the force is absorbed by the rokkaku deforming.
And I agree – this beast is for barely perceptible winds, maybe up to 10 km/h. Sadly here the days of too low wind are many …
Thank you for this vivid report!
Indeed, low winds are often a real challenge for KAP.
Have fun and good results!
Wolfgang
Thanks, Wolfgang! 🙂