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A test rig for kite performance measurement

2001; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 215; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1243/0954405011518412

2041-2975

Keith Alexander, Joan C. Stevenson,

Winter Sports Injuries and Performance

Kite design has recently seen a revival as a result of the development of sports such as kite buggying and kite surfing. As a result, kites and their accessories have become significant business opportunities in many countries. Since the aerodynamics of kites has not been explored in much depth, research has been started to support a local kite development company. A key instrument in this research programme is a vehicle-mounted test rig, designed to measure the performance characteristics of two-line and four-line kites. This paper outlines the requirements, describes the design and operation and gives some results from the test rig. Future developments are discussed.