The Modified Cody Pro

After I flew the Double French Military several times, a got this urge to see if I can make the Cody pull just as hard.  To me, the Cody is a very reliable kite, and will never dive, or fold up and stall.  I've seen the Double French Military do this several times.  I guess the major advantage of the Cody is that it does not lose it's shape during a stall.  The Cody will float around, and gently fall bottom first.  During the descent, all it takes is a little bit of wind to get the Cody back up to speed. Say good-bye to gentle Cody Pro!

As you can see in the images above, two visible modifications have been made to the Cody Pro from NTK.  There is a third modification which is revealed in the image below. 

The Modifications

The first modification consists of thin kite line, and a stainless steel ring.  Each wing of the Cody is fastened to the front spars as shown in the image.  The amount of tension for each line is just enough to make the wings a little concave.  A tip here is to make sure that both wings have the same amount of tension.  Not much is required.  This wing line is not intended to keep the wings at a specific angle, but to minimize the arching during strong winds.

The second, and major modification is the bridle.  Unlike the original two line bridle fastened at the top of each front spar, I made a four line adjustable bridle.  Many of the Cody designs use this method, and since I could not find any resources, the trial and error method was used to achieve the optimum length for my use. 

The tow line is attached to a point about 25.5cm (10 inches) from the top, and 52.5cm (20.7 inches) from the bottom of the bridle.  I used a fishing swivel and a Larks Head to make this point adjustable.  The actual tow point is 34cm (13.4 inches) from the bridle to the tow point.  Make sure both tow lines are equidistant from the bridle to the tow point. 

The third, and last modification for now is internal.  Once the wing lines were attached, the top cells (Black Cells) of the Cody started to collapse.  The flight is greatly effected, and I recommend careful adjustments with the cross spars.  In my case the length of each cross spar was different.  I inserted 6mm aluminum tubes of different lengths to make both spars equal in length.  The objective here is to extend each cross spar just enough to have the top cells stretch out again.  I figured that while I was doing this, I would make both spars equal in length. 

 The Flight

Once the modifications were complete, it was time to test fly the Cody Pro.  At first, I had set the tow lines high on the bridle to see what would happen.  At first, the Cody would not catch the wind.  Once it did, the flight was quite unstable.  The Cody would try to climb and fly at a high angle, then stall, and climb again.  Typical of wrong bridle settings.

The second bridle setting was very low.  The tow line was attached to a point just below the cross spars of the top cell.  This setting allowed the Cody to catch the wind quickly, and pulled the line very hard.  The Cody climbed to a very steep angle, and again, stalled, and climbed again.  With strong winds, this setting will probably make the kite line whistle. 

The last setting I made was just above the cross spars of the top cell.  This seemed to be the best for the winds today.  The pull was constant, and the Cody flew at a very high angle and did not move a bit.  It was like watching a Cody pasted to that part of the sky.  The pull compared to the Original Cody Pro was much greater, and gave me high hopes for the new bridle design. 

 Conclusion

The NTK Cody Pro is a very nice kite.  The price is great, and you get a product which is built well.  However, this kite was designed for simple recreational flight, and not too much lifting, or far fetched tasks.  The kite was designed to be pulled out of the case, assembled, and flown in various wind conditions.  The only draw back I found was with the high wind performance.  When the winds are strong, the design of the Original Cody Pro allows a great amount of energy to be lost.  This loss takes form of the kite flexing, and bending as the wind would try to blow against it.  In turn, this protects the flyer from having a kite with great pull.  Please do not think the Original Cody Pro does not pull.  It pulls to a certain point, and still allows the flyer to have control.  The darting movement of the Original Cody Pro was also a by-product of the design.  It was during this experience which made me think about how to get the Cody Pro to harness all that energy, and maintain stability. 

Unlike the original design, the Modified Cody Pro can be tuned to perform well with various wind conditions.  Greater pull, more lift, and most important stability were the benefits.  Unfortunately the Modified Cody Pro is a bit choosy with what winds it would like to fly in.  Unlike the Original, for best performance it would be best to adjust the bridle.  This does not mean the Modified Cody Pro will not fly.  It will not have the optimum pull, lift, or stability.  I have made reference marks on the bridle for simplifying adjustments.  I just loosen the Larks Head, and slide the swivel up, or down the bridle.  You will know right away when the kite is tuned well.  The Cody Pro will be very stable at 50m (164 feet) high.  The pull is also constant regardless of flight angle.  It would be best to determine what is a good adjustment height for your own area.  Once you determine the settings to be optimum, let the Modified Cody Pro free!  It was incredible to see the same black, blue, and white Cody fly so differently!

Lastly, the modifications mentioned here worked for me, and may not work for others.  I do not recommend modifying any product unless you are willing to take the responsibility for the outcome.  If you pursue to make these modifications, do it at your own risk.  I am not responsible, nor will I be held liable for any injuries inflicted, or damages caused by the modifications mentioned here.

Return/Home