Quote:
>I have a kite that it about 5 years old. It is a dual line delta shape tpye
>made out of ripstop nylon. My problem is that the leading edge on both sides
>it starting to break or split or something. It appears to me that the nylon
>is brittle in that area( is this possible).
Yes, quite possible. Sunlight ( or the UV component of it strictly speaking
) damages ripstop, and the brittleness you describe might well indicate that
this is what has happened. Ripstop is often ( usually, in the case of kites
) coated, in part to provide some UV protection. But an edge will always
suffer more abrasion, and the coating will wear.
Quote:
> Any ways what can I put on this to slow down the wear. Any type of tape in
> particular.
Ripstop repair tape, and Dacron tape ( a stiff heavy-duty fabric, often used
to reinforce vulnerable areas ) are both available. Repair tape is usually
self-adhesive, which helps if you don't have a sewing machine. I haven't
come across self adhesive Dacron, but it may be out there somewhere...
Quote:
>Why did it do this (other thatn the occasional nose dive)
See above.
Quote:
>should I routinely spray something on the whole kite like armor all r something.
>Maybe silicon.
This has been discussed before. I think some folk do, or have at least tried
it, but I suspect your kite may simply be coming to the end of its natural
span - 5 years is quite a long time for a kite, if you use it regularly in
strong sun, although I'm sure there'll be folk out there who'll claim to
still be flying their Grandpa's Hawaian Team (:)).
MdeR
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