K57 - 100Sixteen #1

My first build of a 100Sixteen, based on plans from Karel Oh.

Some things of note:

Kite house nose

Based on the 100Sixteen plans, I sewed the nose differently than I have in the past by limiting the depth of the spine pocket. I kind of like how this looks. Not sure what practical benefits it might have.

3D printed parts

I've been running out of more parts, so I've been printing my own. This kite sports 3D Printed spreader fittings, center T, standoff connectors, standoff sail stays, and spine tail stopper. Each piece is printed in either TPU or PETG depending on desire for flexibility.

I feel that I can practically match the quality of purchased parts when printing, it's much cheaper, and it allows me to make pieces to very specific sizes which is nice for getting things just right.

Mylar nose and spine reinforcement

This is a Standard, so I played with reinforcement a bit more by adding mylar along the spine along with the mylar reinforcement near the nose. I think this looks nice and will help with the longevity of the sail, but time will tell. I probably won't do this on SUL sails though.

Leech line

My first leech line! I tried to do this on K56 (90Nine) but fucked it up. I'm supporting the leech line at the tail with my tail stopper, which has two small holes for the leech line to go through.

I haven't flown it yet, so I'm not sure how the leech line is doing yet. I'll update here later.

Update: The leech line seems to be working well. The kite is mostly silent in flight except when making sharp turns.

Big boy kite

The 100Sixteen is noticeably bigger than the 90Nines or the Nirvanas that I've been flying. I'm very curious to see how it feels in the sky.