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Kite Buggy: Wheels, Frames, Kites And Kite Buggy Jumping
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Published: November 5, 2007
While most people think dune buggies or sand rails are fun, there is another type of buggy that has gained the attention of many hobbyists and extreme sports aficionados. The kite buggy is a customized lightweight vehicle that uses a traction kite or power kite as its power source. Since the kite buggy uses the wind as a power source, it works similarly with other wind-powered activities such as windsurfing, land yachting and even yachting.
The kite buggy is the brainchild of Peter Lynn, an engineer, kite maker and inventor from New Zealand. Lynn began making traction kites for his specially-designed snow sleds, boats, buggies and boards in 1987. The predecessor of the kite buggy is the kitesailing craft, which was born in 1990 when Lynn replaced the three skis of the craft with wheels.
The kite buggy is a lightweight one-seater buggy with a front wheel that can be steered and two rear wheels that are fixed and installed at the rear axle's ends. The kite buggy has a front fork where the front wheels are installed. This front fork is similar to that of a bicycle, but has no handle. Instead, the fork's lower left and right sides have foot rests that usually have grip tape and straps, which the pilot uses to steer the kite buggy. These foot rests also enable the pilot to stay seated on the buggy and prevents the pilot from being pulled upwards by the traction kite.
The traction kites, used for acceleration and braking, are not fastened to the buggy, but are held and controlled by the buggy pilot. The length and weight of the kite buggy's frames play a great role in the kind of activity the kite buggy will work best. Buggies with long frames are best and more stable for traveling on a straight path, while buggies with short frames are better for cornering. Also, the wider the frame's rear axle, the better it is at keeping the buggy stable.
Likewise, the kite buggy can be installed with several kinds of wheels, depending on the condition of the terrain. These wheels include thin rim wheels for very hard ground, used for speed and race buggying, and standard size wheels for moderately firm terrain with minimum bumps, used for general and trick buggying. Bigfoot wheels are for beaches and uneven terrain, used for general and trick buggying as well.
The extreme sport of kite buggying is called buggy jumping, where the pilot is fastened to the buggy through lap belts and uses large kites. The pilot hoists the kite straight up, allowing it to create the lift which pulls him and the buggy upward in the air 10 feet or higher. Skilled buggy jumping pilots can even execute various aerial exhibitions such as sidewinders, reverse landings, 360-degree spins and pendulum swings.
Because the kite buggy has great potentials in the field of extreme sports, more buggy fans and extreme sports enthusiasts are getting interested in kite buggying. However, since kite buggying and buggy jumping involve traction kites and the unpredictable wind, pilots and enthusiasts are advised to take the necessary safety precautions before taking part in the sport.
Sources:
"Peter Lynn." Wikipedia.org. 13 Sept. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lynn.
"Kite Buggy." Wikipedia.org. 31 Oct. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_buggy.
"Flexifoil Kite Buggy." CobraKite.com. 5 Nov. 2007. http://www.cobrakite.com/buggy.html.
"Kite Buggies." Surf-Wax.co.uk. 9 Sept. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/sports/kite_buggies/.
The kite buggy is the brainchild of Peter Lynn, an engineer, kite maker and inventor from New Zealand. Lynn began making traction kites for his specially-designed snow sleds, boats, buggies and boards in 1987. The predecessor of the kite buggy is the kitesailing craft, which was born in 1990 when Lynn replaced the three skis of the craft with wheels.
The kite buggy is a lightweight one-seater buggy with a front wheel that can be steered and two rear wheels that are fixed and installed at the rear axle's ends. The kite buggy has a front fork where the front wheels are installed. This front fork is similar to that of a bicycle, but has no handle. Instead, the fork's lower left and right sides have foot rests that usually have grip tape and straps, which the pilot uses to steer the kite buggy. These foot rests also enable the pilot to stay seated on the buggy and prevents the pilot from being pulled upwards by the traction kite.
The traction kites, used for acceleration and braking, are not fastened to the buggy, but are held and controlled by the buggy pilot. The length and weight of the kite buggy's frames play a great role in the kind of activity the kite buggy will work best. Buggies with long frames are best and more stable for traveling on a straight path, while buggies with short frames are better for cornering. Also, the wider the frame's rear axle, the better it is at keeping the buggy stable.
Likewise, the kite buggy can be installed with several kinds of wheels, depending on the condition of the terrain. These wheels include thin rim wheels for very hard ground, used for speed and race buggying, and standard size wheels for moderately firm terrain with minimum bumps, used for general and trick buggying. Bigfoot wheels are for beaches and uneven terrain, used for general and trick buggying as well.
The extreme sport of kite buggying is called buggy jumping, where the pilot is fastened to the buggy through lap belts and uses large kites. The pilot hoists the kite straight up, allowing it to create the lift which pulls him and the buggy upward in the air 10 feet or higher. Skilled buggy jumping pilots can even execute various aerial exhibitions such as sidewinders, reverse landings, 360-degree spins and pendulum swings.
Because the kite buggy has great potentials in the field of extreme sports, more buggy fans and extreme sports enthusiasts are getting interested in kite buggying. However, since kite buggying and buggy jumping involve traction kites and the unpredictable wind, pilots and enthusiasts are advised to take the necessary safety precautions before taking part in the sport.
Sources:
"Peter Lynn." Wikipedia.org. 13 Sept. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lynn.
"Kite Buggy." Wikipedia.org. 31 Oct. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_buggy.
"Flexifoil Kite Buggy." CobraKite.com. 5 Nov. 2007. http://www.cobrakite.com/buggy.html.
"Kite Buggies." Surf-Wax.co.uk. 9 Sept. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007. http://www.surf-wax.co.uk/sports/kite_buggies/.
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