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Stacking Flexifoils

For additional information on self launching and spar popping click here.

Before too long you will find yourself buying additional Flexifoils to stack up and feed that need for more power. Stacking additional Flexis are very easy.

First, you should use always use high quality Spectra (Dyneema) line when flying your flexi’s. The recommended line strengths for average 10-12mph winds are as follows:-

You will need to make yourself a set of stacking lines for each additional kite you want to stack, keeping in mind the line strengths mentioned above. Remember that the more kites you stack, and depending on the wind strength, the more pull your kites will generate. Your flying lines as well as stacking lines should take this into account to prevent any mishaps. A general rule of thumb is as follows: A Stacker6 pulls about 50lbs; a ProTeam8 is equal to 2 Stackers; and a Super10 is equal to 3 Stackers.

After choosing the appropriate strength Spectra, you need to determine the proper length for your stacking lines. The length depends on which Flexi’s you are stacking together. When stacking flexi’s of the same size, the stacking line length should generally be about 75% of the length of the kite. Flexifoil recommends the following:
 

The Stacking Lines will need to be sleeved and equal sized loops tied at each end.

If you are stacking kites of different sizes, the stacking lines you use should be longer than normal. We keep a minimum separation of 72 inches. You should always stack according to size whether it be top to bottom or vice versa.

You can stack one size up and one size down however, you may find it impedes your flying to try and stack a Super10 to a 4 or 6 foot and likewise with a ProTeam8 and a 4 footer. It is probably safe to say that you should not stack a 4 foot with any other size because it is so small.

The method we use to stack our kites is a variation of the "Train-Line" method described on Flexifoil’s website. Attach one end of the stacking lines to the top kite in the stack. The bottom end of the stacking line should be fed through the metal hoop of the bottom kite and attached to the Main flying line, using a larkshead knot. The Main flying line is then attached to the bottom kite in the stack as normal, fed through the metal ring and attached using a larkshead knot.

You can use this method to stack as many kites up as you can handle. For other methods, visit Flexifoil's website.

Just remember that more kites means more power…. so be careful!

Note: You may notice when flying flexifoils in a stack that the kites have a tendency to flap or wobble, especially during launching. This wobbling action is caused by kites in the stack trying to correct themselves to fly in a straight line. It looks and feels odd with the kites flying off in different directions. Usually the kites will straighten themselves out after a few seconds. If they do not, you can try swapping the kites around in the stack or changing the length of the stacking lines you are using. If you are using Ultraflex spars, they can sometimes be the cause of this problem and you may want to change your spars back to stiffer spars.