A test rig for kite performance measurement

Kite design has recently seen a revival as a result of the development of s ports such as kite buggying and kite surfing. As a result, kites and their accessories have become significant business opportunities in many countrie s. Since the aerodynamics of kites has not been explored in much depth, res earch has been started to support a local kite development company. A key i nstrument in this research programme is a vehicle-mounted test rig, designe d to measure the performance characteristics of two-line and four-line kite s. This paper outlines the requirements, describes the design and operation and gives some results from the test rig. Future developments are discusse d.