Peter Lynn ARC at Prokites.Com

	First review of the Peter Lynn ARC 630	Specifications of the ARC 630: Flat Area: 6.3m² Projected Area: 4.5m² Span: 5.4m Wind Range: 20-40km/h

The ARC requires very little preinflation in a reasonable wind. It is advisable to hold the deflation flap on the trailing edge open into the wind for a few minutes then make sure its sealed well. Once partially inflated the kite has a tendancy to self launch. Although I'm using the new twist grip bar which offers the ability to wind in the brakes, the kite really needs some sand piled onto the trailing edge to hold it down. As the wind continues to inflate the kite a simple tug on the bar will launch the ARC. Obviously winding the brakes OUT helps as this stage !!
	Gives a good idea of the ARC630's size !!	When the kite is partially inflated it rises slowly under reasonable control . It can be pumped in the air to aid final inflation.
	The Arc now fully inflated and very responsive on the twist grip bar. Note the almost perfect semi-circular shape which gives the ARC its name!


The ARC can be controlled by a variety of bars however the twist grip bar has been designed to provide excellent control of an ARC. Highly detailed images of the twist grip bar can be found on this PAGE. Using the twist grip bar the main / top lines are crossed over i.e the line from the right hand side of the kite connects to the left hand side of the bar and vice-versa. The brake / bottom lines connect to short leader lines which wind round the bar. This set up may sound strange but it DOES work and the ARC is very responsive.

The twist grip bar	Closeup of the short "brake" leader lines wound in	Crossover visible in this shot
In flight the ARC has a limited depowering facility which is similar to a 4 line Naish or Wipika. For these two kites it is usual to use a short bar with a hole in the middle. The main lines connect to a rope passing through the hole which then forms a loop. The bottom lines connect to the ends of the bar. When the wind picks up the loop can be flipped over a harness hook, the loop pulled and the kite is tipped forwards i.e the angle of attack is reduced. With the twist grip bar the ARC can be launched and flown with the brake / bottom lines just tight enough for adequate steering response - in this case the lines are wound OUT. However if the brake lines are wound IN i.e. tightened the kite DOES pull harder - this is easily felt if the bar is unhooked from the harness. Winding the brakes further in causes the kite to stall (stop flying forwards) and it can be reversed to the ground much like a conventional parafoil kite. Its worthwhile noting that the ARC doesn't sit on the ground like a parafoil since it is inflated and can bounce around unless the wind is fairly smooth - this makes it a little awkward to fly singlehanded. On the water this would not be a problem. The range of power adjustment varies with the strength of the wind. In light winds e.g. about 10mph the ARC630 flies well but it needs to be flown almost continually with the brakes fairly slack - or put another way "depowered". This might sound contradictory since you think that winding the brakes IN increases the power however if the brakes are wound in slightly the kite stalls and even reverses. In a stronger wind e.g. 15mph+ the kite feels very different , much more efficient and responsive. In this case the range of power adjustment begins to work and fine adjustment of brake line tension keeps the optimum power and steering response.

Two problems I've had with the twist grip bar are line wear where the mains cross and line knots / tangles. Also note that the bar does NOT come with a safety facility built in which is essential for flying on water. Ideally the bar should be fitted with leader lines at least half of the kite's span in length and a wrist leash connected to a line between the leaders on ONE sdoe of the kite only. With the crossover this gets a very messy therefore I'm experimenting with the main lines connected to a single central point on the twist grip bar. Not only does this eliminate line wear and make the leader lines easier to fit, it doesn't seem to affect the kite's steering performance too much. A standard "Naish" style bar can be used (check out the images in ARC Part 1). The ARC can be depowered much faster with a "Naish" bar which is an advantage in gusty winds. The latest Naish bar has a neat adjuster strap which can be used to trim the kite. Pulling the adjuster IN has the effect of decreasing power and letting it out increases the power. Its very useful for setting the kite up for the specific conditions. As described above the range of power adjustment is very small in light winds therefore the strap can be pulled in - this effectively slackens the brake line tension and in light winds gives the kite more forward speed and helps to reduce the tendancy to stall. In higher winds it can be adusted in flight for the best compromise between power and steering. I've tried a short bar which is OK but I understand a 3' bar is better. So, overall the ARC's an interesting kite. With reference to the 630, in light winds (10mph) its easy to fly but in stronger winds when its "powered up" it becomes more "technical" to fly. It demands continual fine adjustment from the flyer to get the best out of it. This is not so noticable on a board or buggy when the "apparent" wind is higher. The ARC's general stability is excellent and it is highly resistant to collapse. A little tricky for a beginner but superb for the experienced !!

The test set up with the main lines connected to a rope knotted to the center of the twist grip bar.	A second shot of the test set up. The short ropes hanging from the ends of the bars are in fact short leader lines which I fitted to fly using the recommended crossover system	A shot of a "Naish" style bar showing the thicker leader lines between the bar and the dyneema lines. The line nearest to my hand links the wrist leash to a line connected to both the main and brake lines one ONE side of the kite only.