Circoflex -- Photos & Responses

Photos

The following are circoflex pictures I have found on the Internet.

• Circoflex from the French Plan (also in english plan)
• and a ripstop and clear mylar versions (ditto)
• Keen on Kites's circoflex (ripstop) Side View
• A yellow ripstop circoflex, at a japanese festival
• Three rings at japanese festival
• A 6 pannel ripstop circoflex (fuzzy photo) by Md Hoefer
• Another 6 pannel (black & white) ripstop circoflex by Robin & Jim Johannnesen, both of these in a workshop by Gary Engvall
• A Stars and Stripes Circo at Long Beach 1998

More Photos from the ``Kite Life'' EZine.. .

• 3 mylar cicorflexi at AKA Wildwood Festival. This is a great shot!
• A color stripped ripstop circoflex, Smithsonian 1998
• Circoflex traffic Jam! Maryland 1998
• Circoflex rainbow! Maryland 1998
• Applique Red Circoflex! AKA Ocean Shores 1998

Responses from people

The following are responses I have recieved from the network about Circoflex Kites. This makes interesting reading...

Many thanks to all who have replied.

Note:First one is my own response :-) !!!

Anthony Thyssen <anthony@cit.gu.edu.au>, on 15 May 1997, wrote...

I built a 7 meter (circumference) prototype from the english plan and the result was fantastic for a `quicky job'. It took me quite a while to track down sources for fiberglass and the mylar, especially the latter (see hints and tips). But once I had everything, I built the whole thing in under 12 hours work (2 evenings)!

Since then I have made quite a number of circoflexi, with various success. In fact the 7 meter prototype was my best flying circoflex, until recently!

Anthony Thyssen <anthony@cit.gu.edu.au>, on 10 March 1997, wrote...

The lastest circoflex which is 12 meters circumference, removable spar and uniquely a ripstop leading edge. And to celibrate its complete success, I created a page on Circoflex Construction Notes, describing construction particulars not mentioned in the published circoflex plans.

The first photo at the top of the page, and the one to the right show the new 12 meter circoflex (4 meters accross) side-by-side with the older and smaller 7 meter prototype. Below are other photos of this new circoflex including one on me holding the circoflex above me. Makes me look like a dwarf, which am not :-)

Stan <bofh@hellcent.com> on 19 April 1998 wrote (in answer to a question of mine)...

I just sew a button-hole in the spar pocket on mine, which makes for easy enough spar-removal, plus I have my bridle lines attached to small sewn-on loops at the appropriate points, allowing the spar(s) to come out, then the kite can live in a stuff-bag, and the spars (I use 48" lengths held together with little brass ferrules) can live in another bag.

It's easy enough to get the spars in.. just insert, and join the ferrules as you go...I allways leave the tiniest bit of extra room in there, so that once the ENTIRE spar unit is in, you can manage to get the last rod in the last ferrule...

Every once in a while the "train" of spars/ferrules separates upon extraction, but it's quite easy to get them all out. Nothing more than a very minor inconvenience.

Using the loops actually causes no noticible distortion of the leading edge of the kites that I've built. I've made hmm.. 8 circos now, in various sizes, and 6 of them have sewn-on loops to connect the bridle lines to, and ALL of them do quite well.

Also, I've been experimenting with different bridle set-ups, using 8, 10, or 12-points of attachment (depending on the size of the kite) They all seem to work equally well.

I started to get fancy last summer for festival season, and made some circos with up to 52 panels in the sail, playing on different designs for the sail pattern, etc.. Lots of sewing, but the results won awards at 3 different festivals here :)

Stan ...aka bofh@hellcent.com

Leong Ceewan <ceewan@pc.jaring.my> sometime in May 1998...

Leong from Malaysia sent this photo of a 10m multicolored ripstop circoflex being held by his wife. The leading edge is made from 4mm fibreglass and is folded into a circular zippered bag for transport.

Later on 19 July 1998 he wrote...
Its me again. I have just built a miniature Circo. Its 3m with bridle points located 25cm from the front of kite, sail is 0.5oz Ripstop. The frame is1.5mm fiberglass (one piece) but it wobbling, like a spinning coin motion in its final moments.

To a certain extent this imperfection is a great attention grabber. The wobbling actually attracts people to ask me how the smaller circo functions to create lift.

Again on 19th September 1998...
Here is a design for a alturnative leading edge sleeve to allow for spar insertion and removal. Leading Edge Sleeving Diagram.

Bruno Diviacco <diviacco@elettra.trieste.it> on 2rd of December, 1998 wrote...

I've built a mini-circoflex (3m circumference) using ripstop nylon and 3mm bamboo (four 75 cm pieces ferruled together) for the spar. This material is sufficiently stiff to keep the kite 'circular' when flying, and flexible enough for folding it in two for transport. Fiberglass is certainly better, but I had an old roll-up curtain willing to try some aerial emotions...

Sail is made in one long strip, and velcro is used to ring-shape it; this makes spar insertion/removal really easy when open flat, and adds some balancing weight at the bottom. The trailing edge leach line ends come out at the bottom, tensioning being obtained by a spring clip which also adds some weight at the rear of the kite.

I followed your suggestions for the bridle (8 lines, tow-point 25 cm from the leading edge plane, 3/4*radius out of center). For the first try I didn't put any extra ballast weight, hoping that the velcro and clip would be sufficient. And so it was: starting with the leach line loose, and then shortening it by a few centimeters, the mini-circo went straight up, eating the whole length of my flying line.

Regards Bruno

Further Comunication...

> How do you ferule the bamboo together?
I use 2-3 cm of carbon fiber tube with internal diameter slightly less than 3 mm so that a tight fitting is obtained.

> I am cautious about recomending bamboo from bamboo blinds.
>
I competely agree on the bad quality of this kind of material. I'm not recommending bamboo, it just happened that I had it available and wanted to try. BTW, I've already bought a number of fiberglass spars of various diameters to use in a larger circo.

And to conclude, a comment on bridle calculations: as you said, it's just basic mathematics, but maybe someone may find help in a small computer program I've used to evaluate the bridle lengths. (See Bridle Line Calculator)

Denis Godin <dgodin@snet.net> on 9th of June, 1999 wrote...

Hello, my name is Denis Godin. Bristol Ct. USA For my first kite building project I selected a circoflex.

I thought to myself it looked pretty simple. Never having sewed with a machine in my life, I was not about to try a complex design.

As testimony to your instructions, I submit this photo of me flying my new 12 meter .75oz ripstop the day after I built it. Ring depth is 80cm with 5cm hems for edge leech line and spar pockets. The reason for such large hems was because of apprehension in sewing skills, and hoping that the main spar of 1/4" (6mm) solid fiberglass with aluminum ferrules would be rigid enough. By the way, the project was completed in exactly 6 hours, including two or three beer brakes along the way.

The photo was taken at Brenton point State Park, Newport, Rhode Island. 31st of May 1999.

I hope to try my hand again soon at another kite, however, judging from the compliments I've received, I'll be flying this one for quite a while. Thank you for the enthusiasm and comprehensive coverage of circoflex on your web site.

Best regards, Denis.

Giovanni Benigni <gbenigni@italymail.com> on 15th of June, 1999 wrote...

Anthony, my first mini-circoflex flew fine!

It it 3.8 meters circonference, 8 bridles, and I've built it with a zipper at the end, so I can "open" it, and pull out the spar (2 mm carbon) easily. The sail is in Icarex P-31. For the bridle loops, I have sewn a small dacron strip into the leading hem (before actually sewing the hem itself), then I made a little hole, as near as possible to the spar, where I loop the bridle. It seems it's working fine.

At the first take off, the circo had a lot of spin, and fell down several times, inverting 6 o'clock with 12 o'clock. I should add some weight at 6 o'clock (it was a key holder fixed to the leach line end!!!), and then it raised well! Now I fixed some fishing weigths between 5-7 o'clock (6x5 gr.) but I already haven't tried to fly it.

Bye, and thank you for your plan and explanations!

Giovanni

Lappies Labuschagne <lappiesl@eloptro.co.za> on 2rd of August, 1999 wrote...

Wow what a kite, the circoflex I built flies like a dream. Every one that saw it want's to buy it. A chain for counter weight works well.

I was quite suprised to find out that it flies in very light winds, the maiden flight was in stronger wind, at one stage I thought I was going to lose it, it looked like a pretzel and then like a figure 8, quite funny.

I managed to get hold of Mylar. So it is back to the building board.

Hi flying, lappies

 

Again many thanks to all who have built this kite and responded. Especially those which included any hints and tips they found while building this kite.

-- Anthony Thyssen.