Inspiring kite aerial video.

[DucktileMedia]

In my search for answers this video came up. I thought it was inspiring to see what one can do with just a kite. We have no excuses! Of course the wind is their friend and our enemy.

 

[J.T.]

Brilliant video, very interesting.

 

[DennyR]

A better idea might be to use this as a bailout when your MR fails in the air. Just trail the kite!!!

 

[DaveM]

I done KAP for a few years before moving to Multirotor

I was recently at a kite festival in Portsmouth UK, and there would
have been no chance of putting a multirotor up with all the kites and
crowds of people underneath if you did not fancy a visit from the local
authorities.

Put up a KAP rig, and nobody even notices
(a friends picture below)



Dave

 

[Benjamin Rowland]

Great video - enjoyed the whole thing. He has captured some stunning images over the years.

 

[DucktileMedia]

Yeah, the guy knows his stuff. And Denny, that is kinda what I was thinking as well. Only if you are charging someone thousands a day for video, you cant exactly pull out a beach kite with a gopro on it and have anyone take you seriously. But it definitely has its time and place. I drove all around the island looking for a kite other than our kitesurfing kites to lift the gopro and I finally found one but then the wind died! Heres a pic I got in about 8mph while tugging the line. Definitely need a variety of kite sizes as well.

View attachment 7314

 

[Kilby]

Awesome video. I think it pointed out one major flaw in all of our gimbal designs though, something that Belinda complains about a lot actually, we don't have the ability to switch from landscape to portrait.

 

[DucktileMedia]

Better have a Y6 or XY8 for portrait!

 

[Gary Mortimer]

KAP is a black art, I love it! My favourite pics were taken by my son when he was six.

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[kloner]

I'd look at offshore fishing shops at kite fishing kites. They also use balloons, like a bunch with helium till it reaches the height holding the weight of the line, bait, etc.

There a more stabile shape so they don't take any maintnance to fly. if theres enough wind, it usually sits there pretty stable. We dangle anything from a 4" sardine to a 2 lbs makrel on the surface so they make alot of noise, then tuna and billfish slam it........

http://www.alltackle.com/aftco_fishing_kites.htm

they have light spars for no low wind, heavy spars for lots of wind. it changes the weight and the stabile part depending on wind. in fishing, when theres nothing the balloons rock. There was a shark week show not that long ago they were trying to catch a great white attacking the seal lure thing from above. They had a hell of a time, they were rolling and it was windy. It had a boom looked like from hollywood strapped to the top of a bot to hold it. The camera wound up getting wet, think was a red or like that

 

[DaveM]

For anyone interested in having a go, and wanting equipment, I have posted a
couple of links.

I used to have a Brooxes rig, Canon camera with CHDK hack, downlink, and a
variety of kites for different conditions.

http://www.brooxes.com

http://www.kapshop.com


Dave

 

[DucktileMedia]

I have a question for you. As a parafoil is so easy to packup and setup I would ideally like to use that. But the one problem I have with mine is that the angle in the air is very low and something like the rokkoku would seem much better. Do you know if the rokkoku is relatively easy to setup once tuned? I will eventually try to lift my nex5n on my av130 setup for the heli and ideally like to get her up in 10-15mph.

thanks
Yuri

 

[DaveM]

Hi Yuri,

I have never been a great lover of soft kites for KAP, they have a habit of collapsing just
at the wrong moment, and a very fast decent of your gear. As you say, depending on design,
the angle of attack, and position in the sky can be very low.

A Rokkaku is much better kite for KAP, plenty of notice if the wind drops, and when setup
correctly will stay like a nail in the sky, if you get the correct one.

A nice version is this one by Premier kites, sparred in Skyshark wrapped carbon, very lightweight,
and a nice wind range. It is quite popular, but expensive in the UK, much cheaper in the US though.


Dave

http://www.midwestkites.com/single-line-kites/premier-rokkaku/rok-rainbow-focus-78-single-line-kite/

 

[Earl E Adobtr]

Thanks for posting that Yuri. Before I got into multirotor I tried kites with typical newbie results. That got me interested in hoisting a camera up in the air with a cheap multirotor and a balloon. This video resulted - the only flight I ever made using that setup but now with everything I have learned I think it may be time to give it another go with a much better quad under it complete with gimbal. This was pretty much just free floating tethered to fishing line.

 

[DucktileMedia]

Very cool. Has anyone else noticed youtube stutters a lot if not played in HD, or is it just me?

 

[DucktileMedia]

Dave, do you have any idea of how much that Rok can lift? Im thinking Sony nex5n and a lightweight gimbal. Maybe 5 lbs total.

 

[DaveM]

Hi Yuri,


I would think the ROK mentioned would carry about 1.5kg (3.3lb)

A quick search showed:
AV130 410g (with servos)
Nex5n with 16mm pancake lens approx 450g

There are a few people using a Nex5 or Nex5n, might be worth a read

http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/sony-nex-5-kite-aerial-photography.html

View attachment 7367

 

[DucktileMedia]

Cool thanks. I already have the nex5n, gentled and av130 so i thought it might be cool to lift that up. But if it is at risk at all I would save the av130 and just make a cheapo pan head as it doesnt need much.