DELTA  4.0  Sieger's Vliegers

 

 

 

Span:
Spine:
Weight:
Surface:
Wing load:
4.20 m
2.05 m
0,67 kg
4.3 m²
0.15
 
Wind min:
Wind maxi:
Pull min:
Pull max:
 
Line angle:
 Lines used:
2,3 m/s
10 m/s
0,5 kg
6 kg
 
50° to 60°
polyamid 45kg
PEHD Ø0,8mm 90kg
(polyethylen high density)

 

I seldom buy kites, I prefer to built. This one is an exception. In the 2004 Dieppe kite festival, I saw several of these deltas, and immediately I note their flight performance, as well in the low winds, than in the steady winds, and in the squalls. Straight on, I see the kink with the peculiar train on the trailing edges which is obviously the stabilizing factor.
I found also that this delta is on sale by our friend of Sieger's Vlieglers in the shop " Open Air" under the  arcades. So that, in order to know it deeper, and to help me to forget the bad opinion that I have on most delta kites, I decide to buy one. As said, as done, and for a very kiting price, I mean, light!
Two years experience now make me say that this kite is very good, in all winds. The train has a very efficient stabilizing. It is the great asset of this kite. It doesn't add weight unlike the windsocks, and its action is following entirely the gusts, unlike the tails. Because, what the deltas are missing, like all the flat kites, is some drag to avoid unreliable performances. This kite is dependable.
The construction is good quality, because after many and long full days in the sky, sometimes in strong winds (it must be tested!) I haven't noticed seams which fail, or some weak points which get worn. The rods are carbon fiber Ø 8mm. By 5 Beaufort, all is bowing a lot, but this delta doesn't drop out, and stick it out. However it should not be overtaxed.
I don't use it for kap, the reason being that it has not enough pull compared to the other kites in my bag.

 

As you know, it is common to give the base as the dimension of the delta. I always have been doubtful because this dimension is not giving an intuitive comparison with other kites. I much prefer the length of the spreader, which is 1,53 m in this case. This is the standard size of a 3 m², and it is remarkable to see that this delta has the same pull despite a larger sail area.
The train is made of small triangles of ripstop, base is 180mm, and height 100mm. They are tied together by their  tips. There are 10 on each trailing edge of each side of the sail, and they form then two larger open-work triangles, composed of 10 rows of the small ones. the number of the triangles in the rows run from 10 to 1. In total, 110 are needed for this delta.