Week Six 5/11/2017

During the sixth week of the project, a new idea was constructed for how to best support the kite. Carbon fiber rods will now be used to connect the cross beams of the kite (Figure 1), as the line that was used in the week prior did not retain its shape after the wrap was shrunk. The rods can handle both compressive and tensile load, which will allow them to resist any deformation of the frame during heat shrinking.

Figure 1: The new kite frame, with all long structural members being carbon fiber

The rods were connected by inserting them into wire insulation on the ends of the crossbeam (Figure 2). In addition, in order to conserve material, the long end of the wing was shortened to 90 cm.
For the shrinking process it was noted that a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimal temperature for shrink wrap, so the heat gun was calibrated to slightly above this setting, 320 degrees, in order to heat the wrap consistently.

Figure 2: A close up of the "wire hubs" used connect the frame