Peter Lynn Kites

Guerilla 10

The problem

The material on the top skin of the kite can stretch with usage and age and make the kite unstable. Typically it starts to suddenly collapse, with the kite tips folding inwards and 'clapping' together. The kite then falls out of the sky. Not nice. This started happening on my kite after a few months so I searched around for a solution. Luckily I found one and now my kite flies just fine again.
Bob Dawson, formerly of Leading-Edge Kites, kindly provided me with instructions on how to tighten the top skin of the kite by performing a top-skin tuck.

How-to fix it

The following describes how to perform a top-skin tuck on your G10.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that if you decide to do this on your kite it is entirely at your own risk, do not blame either myself nor Bob Dawson if it doesn't work or if you ruin your kite!
That said, it's a simple procedure and my kite has flown perfectly ever since.

  1. First, mark out the area to tuck in on the top skin of the kite with a marker pen. You need to do this on each side, on the shoulders. It's best to do it on the sixth cell from the tip, that is the one between the cell with the gorilla head and the cell where the semi-circle graphic starts, as shown in the picture. You can, however, choose to do the tuck on the middle 2 cells if you prefer.
    The widest point of the 'diamond' shape should be 20mm (some people have reported success with 10mm) and is above the point between the two internal straps, about 350mm back from the leading edge seam. It tapers to zero at the leading edge and 400mm from the trailing edge. These dimensions are not critical but of course they should be equal on both sides of the kite.
    ∗ Here's a tip from Dave Sands of Arcusers: "Instead of using a marker pen to mark out the diamond, use masking tape around the outside of the diamond. This makes it much easier to see when sewing, but also it makes it easier to stick the sided tape."
  2. Next, use double-sided tape to stick the two halves of the diamond-shaped wedge together, tucking the material inside the kite. It's very fiddly, especially as you get near the trailing edge. Try to get this bit right!
  3. Unpick the stitching at the trailing edge on the cell you have just wedged, so you can pull the kite inside out, then sew the wedge up with a sewing machine. You should be able to see the marking out line through the material.
  4. When you've finished sew up the trailing edge again and go and fly the kite!
top skin tuck diagram