Kites and Wings are made of multiple pieces of fabric. They’re a smart puzzle that combines multiple structures, panels, and fabrics interconnected by advanced seaming and stitching techniques.
The canopy: Unlike spinnakers, parachutes, and tents the material used in the canopy is not Ripstop Nylon. Modern kites&wings are made of Polyester Ripstop. Although they look alike, Nylon Ripstop is stronger but more elastic, Polyester Ripstop is stiffer and has superior UV resistance. Canopy grammage is usually 50 grams per m2 sometimes less for some ultra-light foil kites.
Teijin Frontier, a Japanese textile company, is the leading supplier of fabrics to the kiteboarding industry. Its Techno Force formula can be found in over 90 percent of the world’s kites.
The leading edge and struts are made of 130gr to 160gr per m2 sailcloth. Polyester fiber is the most common sailcloth used, it is often known by its trade name Dacron. Dacron’s properties include great resiliency, high UV, fatigue, and abrasion resistance.
The Bridle lines are made out of 3mm polyethylene by Spectra (USA) or Dyneema (Europe). These are the names of two companies that produce flight lines and bridle lines for kiteboarding.
The Bladders use 100 microns Thermo Plastic Urethane, also referred to as PU and TPU, it’s a flexible film with high elongation properties. TPU film also exhibits excellent dynamic flex performance, abrasion resistance, and tear strength.
Threads: Last but not least the thread which holds everything together. The thread used for stitching kites and wings cannot be found at your local haberdashery. V46 and V92 twisted, bonded, and lubricated multi-filament polyester thread which has excellent UV, rot, and mildew resistance can only be found at sailmakers supply shops.