Fractured Axel

Hi

apologies if this has been covered elsewere within the forums, I have looked (briefly) honest.

Finding myself with lots of time on my hands I retrieved my old High Flyers Phantoms from the garage, I haven't had them out in years knowing that both need lots of TLC.

What I plan to do is completely respar them hopefully using modern rods and fittings.

Anyone suggest the best spar to use? ...... Sky Shark P?

Would love to get away from old vinyl tubes and metal ferrules at the cross piece.

Would I be able to use modern connectors?

Part of me thinks I should just get something new but my 2 HF Phantoms gave me hours of fun and deserve to be reborn.

Any advice to help me sort the bits would be much appreciated.

Kindest

Nige

jeb33 wrote:

Anyone suggest the best spar to use? ...... Sky Shark P?

Decide on your planned wind range first. The original spar would be 5.5mm/6mm pultrude so P100 or P200 would work fine, P100 being a little lighter. You may need to slightly tweak spreader lengths and standoff lengths to retain the correct shape.

You can completely refresh the kite with new connectors too. Maybe these blokes would appreciate your custom

Part of me thinks I should just get something new but my 2 HF Phantoms gave me hours of fun and deserve to be reborn.

There's still good flying fun to be had from older designs and so long as the sail is in good condition nothing wrong with reframing it to get something to fly, especially if you have fond memories of that kite.

We expect pictures BTW

Mike.

Hi Mike

appreciate your time - I will set about the gathering of bits, I used to repair it with 5.5mm carbon in the olden days , both were done with different rods, not because of wind strengths but more to do with what was available..... Anyway most of the spares are either split or crumbling and the stand offs are held together by tape...The sails on the other hand are n decent shape.

I fly mainly on a stoney beach in Somerset so I will go for the heavier spar, thanks for the tip.

Here goes then, off to the virtual shops : )

Thank again Mike

If you want info on how Tim frames the Phantom these days, check here if you haven't already:

http://bensonkites.com/tech/frames.html

I'm not sure if the sail has changed since yours were made - but I'm sure someone else on here would know that...

Thanks Keith, appreciate your time and advice.

I hadn't looked at Mr Bensons site other than to see the kites n bits, never thought of going into Tech..... brilliant.

To think I used to buy any old carbon rod of a similar diameter just to keep it going, my how things have moved forward.

Am happy that I could put it back together but one thing I am not sure about is how the lower spreaders connect to the spine at the front, is there a
fabricated centre piece that would do the job? Need to get looking at some kites close up

Appreciate everybody's help, thank you!!!

misterbleepy wrote:

I'm not sure if the sail has changed since yours were made - but I'm sure someone else on here would know that...

Did Bill go to all this trouble for nothing ? The current Phantom is the Phantom Elite, a completely different beast.

jeb33 wrote:

how the lower spreaders connect to the spine at the front, is there a fabricated centre piece that would do the job?

A long ferrule glued into one LS, one of these on the spine. Insert ferrule through fitting, slide other LS onto ferrule.

Mike.

Zippy8 wrote:

Did Bill go to all this trouble for nothing ? The current Phantom is the Phantom Elite, a completely different beast.

Hi Nige:

I would be interested to know which actually models of the Hightflyers Phantoms that you have there. Have a look at the thread that Mike gave the link to above and see if that helps identify which era we are talking about or better still can you post photographs?.

If you need any dimensions from that era of Phantom then please get in touch as I have examples of most models.

Best of luck with your rebuilds and do let us know how it goes.

Bill.

Personally, I'd go with 6mm LE's and 5 pt spreaders.

Zippy8 wrote:

misterbleepy wrote:

I'm not sure if the sail has changed since yours were made - but I'm sure someone else on here would know that...

Did Bill go to all this trouble for nothing ? The current Phantom is the Phantom Elite, a completely different beast.

I was kind of leaving an opening for Bill to chime in

Been away from Kites for a lot of years so all help appreciated,...... understand the old and new Phantoms are different but Keiths suggestions opened my eyes to other changes to kite frames and the materials. The only other kite I have that uses more than one kind /size of Spar is my old NSR which has a Spine that could prop up a house

Have re-sparred these old phantoms a couple of times when I flew (and regularly crashed) them in the past, in my humble the rods throughout were all the same diameter/type.

Just been looking at one of them and it seems that the standoffs will need replacing as will the rubber bungees that secures the sail in the nock on the LE....so thats everything cept the bridle



I love Bills thread have dipped in and out of it quite a few times since finding the forum, I will drop a few photos and let him know the details of the kites I have....

Think I will stick to a single spar size to make this easy for me, don't think I will notice too much with my lack of skill..... making my list now.

My next read will be what kite setup to get to try new stuff but to be fair I better get this done first.

Thanks again everyone, great forum, great folk.....