K37 - Hex #5

Kite #4 of an 8 kite stack.

I think I figured out why I've occasionally been getting too much fabric in the center. When I build the two sides, I've had no guide for the angle of the fold in the center of the kite, so the two sides have been coming together at a slight angle. I've added a guide to my template so that I can keep them aligned correctly. I mitigated this issue with this kite by adjusting the LE line, which results in a slightly more narrow belly than I intend.

I'm also thinking about revising how I sew the leading edge mesh onto the sail. I've been doing a straight stitch along the fold line to keep them together, but that seems rather error prone. All I need is to keep the layers together, so I could just sew along the edge of the fabric instead. That way the straight stitch will be hidden inside the fold and I can draw my LE guide on the back of the sail instead of the front, which will also be hidden in the fold.

This stack won 1st place in experienced sport kite hand crafted at the Washington State International Kite Festival in 2019.