Rip-Stop Nets for Mega-Tarp Kites or Kixels

Complex SE Asian Leaf Kites of "Malay" pattern often involve a knotted fiber netting to back-up an otherwise weak membrane made of leaves. Asian tissue-paper and bamboo kites also often have string net back-up. These are traditional ripstop designs that do the same job as modern ripstop fabric with integral reinforcing mesh.
 
Lightweight COTS Tarps can be ordered as large as soccer fields, and could be flown as kites or kixels, but they can not handle high-wind loads without a rip-stop feature.
 
Net Systems offers a special Dyneema-based fishing netting with no knots, ideal as a backup material for thin membranes, especially due to the Teflon-like low-friction quality of the UHMWPE. The mesh can be braided with up to 9 m centers, which would be a good spacing in conjunction with a smaller integral ribbon rip-stop in the tarp material, a standard manufacturing option to specify at perhaps 3 m centers.     Ultra Cross Knotless Netting
 

CoolIP*                      ~Dave Santos                 12April2012         AWES6038           

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