Tuning your DV8 capsule

The DV8 Casting capsule has been designed and manufactured to a high standard, and is ready to use. As with all equipment however, it can be tuned to suit the specific conditions or requirements.

To ensure its aerodynamic performance, the grip wires should be kept in good order of symmetry. The nose of the capsule should be smooth and undamaged. This keeps the airflow smooth over the surfaces of the capsule during flight.

To further reduce the drag caused by interrupted airflow, some modifications can be made. Reducing the length of the grip wires by cutting them down, will improve casting performance (it will reduce grip). Bending the tips of the wires so they become parallel to the body of the capsule, will also improve casting performance and have a less detrimental effect on the grip.

The beads on the breakout capsules can be removed to reduce drag during flight and therefore improving potential casting distance. However, the stainless steel wires will quickly damage the soft lead. Smaller beads or rollers fitted will help reduce the drag from the larger beads, and continue to protect the soft lead from damage during operation.

Sometimes the gripping performance of the capsule is more important than the flight capabilities, and various modifications can help to improve this. There is provision within the nose cone of the breakout to fit larger diameter grip wires of up to 2mm if necessary. Longer grip wires can also be added to help improve the grip.

The overall length of the payload tube can also have a considerable effect on the in flight stability and duration. Whilst the DV8 capsules have been designed for best all round performance, some tweaks can be made to finely tune the balance of performance. The tube can be shortened to reduce the surface friction of the air passing over it. Be sure not to cut the tubes too short as this can have an effect on in flight stability and cause the capsule to wobble.

Fixed grip wire capsules are ungainly beasts at the best of times, but they can still be tweaked for better performance. When bending the wires to suit the considerations for best grip, give a little thought to how the wires will present themselves during flight and tweak the bends accordingly. Long flowing bends will have better airflow than abrupt right angles.

Finally, the overall condition of your capsule should also be given special attention. The cleaner and more polished the surfaces of the capsule, the less drag it will suffer in flight, thus better distance.
The better condition of the wires, beads and location slots, the better the breakout system will work.

The Tuning of your capsule is solely down to the users preference and own specific requirements, and all modifications should be carried out with care.
Small adjustments can have large effects, so take time to consider the implications before carrying out your tuning work.