EFM by Big Easy Kites

This EFM by Big Easy Kites is one of those rare beauties that we get over the top excited about. One of these days we'll have to record one of our conversations. It sounds a lot like "WOOOW check out how this standoff is connected. Oh, snap, the center tee! What's it framed with? Look at the stitching!" In this case, the EFM is in pristine condition, we don't think it was flown. 

Not knowing a ton of history of the EFM, we reached out to Jesse Kapsten who is a member of our unofficial team of sport kite historians that help us fill in gaps with our own knowledge. It turns out that Jesse had an email to share from Ray Bordelon with the history of the EFM and the MEFM. Read on to learn about how the EFM and MEFM came to be! 

My history in kites goes way back to the 50's and 60's.  My dad and I used to build giant single line 3 stick kites (Malaysian style I think). Using massive cypress sticks and laundry paper we would try to get lifted off of the ground in high winds.

I continued my interest in amateur aerodynamics throughout my adolescent years by sailing, flying powered hang-gliders and private planes.  Whatever I knew about wind came from my early years.

Then the eighties came along, after getting married and raising 2 young sons, I found myself seeking activities that I could do with my children.  One day, while strolling through the Riverwalk in New Orleans (my home town) we found a shop called "The Kite Loft".  We went home with a Peter Powell 2 line kite. We took it to the local park and had about twenty minutes of fun until the kite got hopelessly wrapped around a light station.

A short time went by, and I found myself in front of the Kite Loft again sporting a freshly torn rotator cuff in need of therapy.  I convinced my wife that we should spend the big bucks to buy a big hard pulling Kite ( Vince Bobrowsky's Stinger) for my shoulder and our sons.  You know, 2 birds etc.  She fell for it. We spent quite a few hours learning how to fly, mastering the push turn while being a public nuisance.

 Being a natural born tinkerer and good with my hands I found myself redesigning and building sport kite for our own enjoyment. There were things that I wanted to do differently and I wanted to experiment and tinker. I didn't want to have to build a dozen or more prototypes to get the kite that I wanted.  So, I made a kite with a variable aspect ratio and a bridle that was highly adjustable where the tow point could easily be adjusted in 2 axis.  I figured that was needed as the adjustable aspect ratio would also relocate the sails center of effort. I also wanted a quiet kite.  To me, noise meant inefficiency therefore the leach line was a necessity. I also wanted a wide nose for a faster turning kite.

I spent a lot of time analyzing the dynamic nature of 2 line sport. Even in a steady wind, the sails angle of attack is constantly changing. Through experiments, I concluded that the most important part of the kite is the center tee and the bridle leg that is attached to that point. The thing that allows a kite to change it's geometry to accommodate varying angles of attack is the flexing of the lower spreaders and the proper bridle design can have too much of an angular advantage so as to hinder the flexing of the lower spreader. When the spreaders don't flex the kite will not respond to a pump. I did two setups to prove this to myself. When the lower spreaders flex the bridles tow point will move closer together.  I put a carbon rod between the tow points to restrict their movement and the kite would not launch. I made a bridle fifty feet long and because of the greatly reduced angle of the attachment point at the center tee, again the kite would not launch. My kites were infamous for telescoping standoffs.  That was done for a few reasons.  First, it allowed for a variable aspect ratio without having three sets of lower spreaders and standoffs.  Secondly, the bungee kept the lower spreader from popping out of the connector on the leading edge and poking a hole in the sail.  And lastly, I felt that as the spreader was allowed to slide up and the whisker, it added to the dynamic adjustability of the kite by not have it all locked up by the tryangulation of a fixed standoff attached to the trailing edge of the kite. In hindsight, I know it was too snaggy and made belly launches difficult.

Out of all of that, came my kite. We would go to the local flying field as often as possible. There was always kite flyers there and they all seemed as though they knew how to fly better than us. Guys would come over and ask to try my kite. I happily agreed, hoping they could show me some things that my kite could do. My encounter on the field often ended with the request that I build one for them.  So, I started making some kites for people.  It needed a name.  So, we decided on Excellent Flying Machine. After a short while, The Kite Loft contacted me and wanted me to supply them with kites for their stores.  I agreed, and Big Easy Kites was formed. It turned out to be a very interesting and fun chapter in my life. I made a few changes as time went on.  The EFM was upgraded and became the Most Excellent Flying Machine with Icarex sailcloth, more complex graphics and wrapped tapered rods. The name change was an homage to the then very popular Ninja Turtles. Later I developed clamshell leading edge fittings to make kites manufacturing and rod repairs much simpler.  Also, less snaggy.

The most common criticism that I would hear is that my kite was a flying prototype.  I can't argue with that, cuz thats what is was.  It was popular, so if it ain't broke don't fix it.

When you spend a lot of time playing with the MEFM you get a complete understanding of the pros and cons of a high aspect ratio and a shallow (not deep) sail or a low aspect ratio kite with a deep sail.  If one were to take an MEFM sail leave the leading edge and trailing edges alone and just modify the center seam so that it was a high aspect ratio kite with a deep sail, I would be quite a capable kite for todays market.

Most Excellent Regards,

Ray