Fuzzy tails cure badly-behaved kites

My 1,265th kite video. Fuzzy (or fringed) tails are one of the kite-fliers' best friends. They can cure in an instant many flying problems that are difficult or impossible to cure by other means. There are purists who say that the only good kite is one that flies well without a tail, but that philosophy would severely limit the number of kites available. If you have a kite that just won't behave, and you've tried everything else to fix it, fit one of these tails and the chances are you'll solve the problem. More examples, maybe, in my next video.
Anyone wanting to check out all my "How to..." videos on various aspects of kite-flying can now find them all easily on my Playlist at / jimskitesnz

[@kiteflyingdownunder....car6272]

Never has a truer tail been shown. Wonderful video illusion that just may save many a kite from been discarded.

[@fotonmom]

Loved all of those kites. Fuzzy tails--like a cure all for bad behavior. Thanks for sharing , Jim!

[@JimNicholls]

You're welcome, Priscilla!

[@chaojiang3133]

Ok.😊 Very interesting

[@Alexsneers]

Envy the weather Jim, it's getting cold in Christchurch.

[@JimNicholls]

We've had cold temperatures, rain, hail, and snow on the hills here in the past week as well as very high winds. Spring took a break, but should be back soon.

[@natsterjam]

All Hail the Fuzzy Tail! Nice one Jim.

[@JimNicholls]

Thank you!

[@ctlyta2]

Do you purchase or make these fuzzy tails? 'Cause nothing's jumping out at me on Amazon. If the latter, do you have an instructional video on that?

[@JimNicholls]

I buy mine, too fiddly to make. Amazon is not the best source for kites and accessories, and you're best to deal with a kite specialist. Try here for the tails: www.pictureprettykites.com/kite-line-art/?sort=featured&page=2 .

[@deejayrse]

You've got me thinking, Jim. I have a large pink tadpole kite that likes to dive when the winds get up in the 10 mph range. I've adjusted the ties on each side as instructed by the manufacturer but it remains very unpredictable. Perhaps I can attach some kind of tail to the lower body of it. Think a drogue type tail might work? I actually have an extra bucket tail from our Smiley kite, perhaps that would be a better option?

[@JimNicholls]

A drogue or bucket might work quite well - give it a go and let me know how you get on.

[@jasonschlencker8108]

How long does a fuzzy tail need to be? Maybe make 2m lengths and join as needed? Regards, Jas. vk4fjgs Rockhampton Queensland Australia

[@JimNicholls]

It depends firstly on the size of the kite, but also on the conditions you're flying it in and how stable the kite is to begin with. Having lengths of tail that you can join together as required is a good idea, and then you can quickly see what effect different lengths of tail have.

[@sherrysanders471]

Wow thanks Jim where can I get fuzzy tails

[@JimNicholls]

As we have no kite shops in NZ, most of mine have come from here: www.pictureprettykites.com/index.php . The most effective ones are the Premier Kites version which they call Fuzzi tails, of which you will find several colour choices on that site.

[@sherrysanders471]

Thanks NZ wow I’m in USA Alabama it must be amazing

[@JimNicholls]

I came here 51 years ago from England. It's OK, but a little boring, so kite-flying is about the most exciting thing to do.

[@SmellyBrets]

Great video, Jim! The side-by-side comparison with and without the fuzzy tail was great. Do you know if there are any fuzzy tails available in a single color?

[@JimNicholls]

Nate, the only ones I know of at the moment are at www.gkites.com/store/ .

[@mrlionel1965]

Our local kite store, unique Flying Objects in Two Rivers, Wisconsin has fuzzy tails in white, so I would think they are available in other colors.

[@SmellyBrets]

@@mrlionel1965 Awesome! I've been meaning to stop by your store since I'm in the area! Would live to chat

[@mrlionel1965]

Just to be clear here, I do not own the store. It is just a store that is local here. Search Unique Flying Objects in Two Rivers. Feel free to email me anytime at this user name @gmail.com

[@jamesb72]

Great video, I got a fuzzy tail, but also cut slits along length of a cheap tail from eBay to compare.

[@user-pg5qg2uf3f]

Hi, Jim I saw the video What kind of fabric is this tail? Polyester?

[@JimNicholls]

They are usually ripstop nylon, but polyester would be just as good I expect.

[@user-pg5qg2uf3f]

@@JimNicholls t is more troublesome for us to make such a tail, and it is more inclined to the tail of a panda kite. What do you think of that tail?

[@JimNicholls]

I think the Panda tail is quite good, though not as good as a fuzzy tail for giving stable flight. Ron Mazzotta has done more experimenting with tails on the Panda than I have, so he can probably help more than I can.

[@user-pg5qg2uf3f]

@@JimNicholls Thank you very much, I will ask him

[@carlossomarriba4646]

Fuzzy tails to the rescue. They never fail to tame wild kites in high winds. Thanks Jim.

[@JimNicholls]

They certainly do a great job, Carlos.