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check this out, got a watt or two, first try, with a party balloon-

Helikite/KiteMotor9 Test, Jan. 1, 2009

A large mylar Curious George party balloon of deltoid shape was bridled as a helikite & lifted a KM9 (Sputnik1) in light air. By accident the elastic link to protect the barber-hauled lifter-aerostat from jerk was rigged inline to the top of the KM, sapping its power, so helikite-based "First Light" was weak, but it worked. This result underscores the value of low stretch power-pulse & barber-haul lines. The elastic link will be dropped altogether for performance (lifter's line possibly lengthened). The aerostat was predicably driven down in gusts, further weakening output. Kites work better.

Conclusion- With more than 20 years fooling with LTA, the last two focused on winged aerostats its clear to me that helium kites just won't serve very well for cheap airborne energy. The gas is fussy & expensive & the added drag of any envelope is problematic. In calm it isn't actually doing much & in higher winds gas lift is negated, & the aerostat is driven down considerably, compared to a good high-wind kite (Tailed Delta or West Indies). Self relaunching kites, on one hand, & towing aloft, on the other, further squeese the value of helium lift.

An aerostat might be used as a sky-elavator to loft kites, which then split off.* If so an aerostat hangar next to the kite-field is almost required, reducing helium dumping & envelope wear (new envelope helium retention protected). Small balloons can trigger early lifter-kite launch after calm & serve as drogues by a slider such as used on sport-fishing paravanes. Alternatively balloons can be pulled down once kite-launch is completed.

*Lofting base jumping skydivers this way might enhance Kite-Farm revenue.

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Lifting gas offers a means to keep aloft kite elements in calm or just improve stablity & relaunch as "inverse ballast". Pilot Kites are small stable lifters that lead larger kites into the air sequencially. Sky anchors are top kites for lesss stable kite eelements in less stable air. A helium kite combines these capabilities.

Separating the lifting function from wing or turbine funnction is a key to many applications like alternative energy. A conventional aerostat lifts all kinds of kite gear with no special integration required.

Larval Clown Kite- a single helium balloon with an improved skyhook kite element.

Winged Deltoid (Pumpkin Seed) LTA, a sparless delta made from a deltoid party balloon.

BirdSled currently testing as HTA, with a swim-noodle standing-in for helium envelope.

The awesome Mark II helikite unreeled into the urban clutter above ClownHouse, dodging utility lines like a fighter kite, until a demon puff out-foxed me & the super-kite briefly fouled. A bone-dry dielectric string shouldn't short, even so, left hand pocket-dived, body rightward tipped, loose right pinch on the reel, (rubberized gloves in kite-bag) habits for future brushes with celestial hi voltage, esp. upcoming flying off great mountains crackling with deadly little bolts. A basic practice will be to anchor the kite & back off, hoping for a kite hit as a divine firework. Its time to start rigging lightning arrestors on kites.