Date:	Wed, 6 Sep 1995 22:41:38 -1000
From:	tanaka_be@swam1.enet.dec.com (Bert Tanaka)
Message-Id: <9509070840.AA03760@us3rmc.pa.dec.com>
Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology
Subject: Re: New Maneuver, the "rixel"

"coastlbrez@aol.com" "CoastlBrez" writes re: the rixel,

>I have never seen this done, but it sounds like a half axle that gets lazy
>and allows the kites shape to determine the movement.
                 (nice description deleted)

You're exactly right.  The rotation of the kite doing a rixel is slightly
bizzare, though.  Flying a kite right to left, the initial snap turns the 
kite so that it is on its belly in a nose away position.  As it falls,
the kite rotates onto its back while keeping its tail toward you.  Pulling
up on the lines snaps the kite into a vertical climb.  The kite may float
down 6-10 feet and to the right maybe 10-15 feet.  Varies.  Since after the
snap, this maneuver is done with slack lines -  getting the kite to rotate
sideways, tip over tip, probably depends upon the kite.  The XTC does this 
in a very slow rolling, tumbling like motion.  The first time I saw it done, 
the snap to the recovery took me so much by surprise, I remarked to the pilot, 
Rick Shar, "Wow, too bad you can't do that on purpose".

To which Rick responded with a smile, "Oh, but I can..."


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