Wolf Genki

This was my first 'real' kite. It is built according to a plan (27K) by Carl Crowell, published in Drachen Magazin. It is made of Carrington and 8mm/5mm carbon spars with about 2.8m wing span. The detachable graded tail is 25m long. The kite is only slightly customized: I wanted a different colour scheme - this required 6 panels instead of the suggested 4; and the vertical spars are inserted in "tunnels" running the length of the sail, instead of being pocketed.

(12K) (4K) (5K)

This kite flys very nicely in light winds achieving an extremely high angle - as a Genki should. It seems more stable than standard Genkis, which I attribute to the over-sized flares and additional longeron. The tail isn't required, as long as the wind doesn't get too strong, but it does add to the visual impact. I like the fact that the trailing edge is taut instead of loose as in the original Genki design; I don't like a flapping sail.

It seems to be a bit oversparred for light winds. I think a 6mm spreader ought to work just as well and would reduce the weight. OTOH it's always nice to have a safety margin for crashes and freak gusts.

In case you're wondering how the black stripes (just the stripes, not the central panel) were applied to the sail: they're simply sewn on top of the yellow panels. Sort of like applique, but without any cutting. This didn't seem necessary for the colour black.