We're sorry but this page doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Please enable it to continue.
Feedback

Failed mast-based launch attempt of the V3 kite

Formal Metadata

Title
Failed mast-based launch attempt of the V3 kite
Subtitle
Video recorded on 2 August 2012 with a GoPro camera on the ground next to the launch mast
Title of Series
Number of Parts
15
Author
Contributors
License
CC Attribution 4.0 International:
You are free to use, adapt and copy, distribute and transmit the work or content in adapted or unchanged form for any legal purpose as long as the work is attributed to the author in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
Identifiers
Publisher
Release Date2020
LanguageOriginal sound, no spoken text
Producer
Production Year2012
Production PlaceFormer naval airfield Valkenburg, Leiden, Netherlands

Content Metadata

Subject Area
Genre
Abstract
The video recording shows a failed launch attempt of the TU Delft V3 kite from an upside-down hanging position on 2 August 2012 at the former airfield Valkenburg, Leiden, Netherlands. The GoPro camera is placed on the ground next to the launch mast. As for all previous mast-based launch attempts, the hanging kite is first steered into a pendulum motion, before taking off with a sideways upswing maneuver to the right. This upswing motion ends at the side of the wind window with a roughly horizontal tether and the kite subsequently falling back. A possible contribution is the sudden drop of the propulsive aerodynamic force, which is indicated by the observable loose membrane and partial collapse of the entire right half of the wing. While falling back, the kite again catches wind and regains power, and this time is steered into a sideways upswing maneuver to the left. Towards the highest point above the mast head, the kite slows down and, unable to sustain a stable flight mode, accelerates into a sideways downswing maneuver, crashing into the line suspension system of the launch mast, however, staying fully intact. Only a few seconds later, the hanging kite regains speed and is steered into a similar upswing-downswing maneuver, again crashing into the line suspension system. This crash is slightly harder, deforming the entire wing, which then recovers and performs a smaller final loop before again crashing into the line suspension system, where it then comes to a rest. This launch was also covered by data recording, by a regular photo camera and by a second GoPro video camera, that was taped to the rear side of the leading edge tube of the wing, between the two center struts, looking at the kite control unit. Because the time of the GoPro video camera was incorrectly set, we used the short initial pendulum motion of the hanging kite as a clearly identifiable event in the video and the data recording to determine the correct starting time of the video, 20:32:01, which was then set in the video metadata.
Keywords