Date: 22 Mar 93 20:19:50 GMT From: lucifer@emx.cc.utexas.edu (Light-Bearer) Message-ID: <1ol716INNot8@emx.cc.utexas.edu> Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas Subject: Personal Kite Reviews Hi Folks, I enjoy reading both the kite reviews and the personal experiences of pilots on the net, so as promised, here's my two cents worth. PERSONAL: I kited like mad as a kid, but somehow I lost interest during the frenzy of high school. But my dad came back from his honeymoon in San Diego with a North Shore Radical, and soon he had added Kite Flights Unlimited to his Scuba retail store, and I was HOOKED. Kiting has revived something in me that had been dormant for too long... I've been flying stunt kites for about 1.5 years, and am probably an intermediate flier (I haven't competed, but I'm able to keep up with other intermediate). I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ed Reynolds (pairs team member with Box of Gobblins) and Terry Baudoin for many helpful hints on the flying field. MY KITES: I'm not including dimensions or prices as all of these kites except for the Impulse have already appered in the FAQ. I don't have all the info on the Impulse, but I will post when I get it. - TOTL North Shore Radical - This is the first full sized delta I had. I have recently rediscovered it since I got a new sail. It's loud and pulls hard. It will pull as much as two Stacker flexis in a good (15-20) MPH wind. The adjustible outhauls provide a wide range of flight characteristics. It stalls and slides easily, and leading edge launches are very easy. The biggest problem seems to be its tendency to shoulder in turns. This causes the sail to deflate and makes it hard for me to make precise turns. I have been able to tune out most of this problem, but it's touchy. There is quite a bit of space between the leading edge spars and the spine at the nose --- this may be the problem. The kite is sturdy and generally well constructed. And I still see them in competition. - TOTL North Shore Extreme - This is "basically" a 3/4 NSR, and as such, has quite a pull for its size. By suitably adjusting the outhauls, I've tuned this kite so it will do stalls, slides, belly and leading edge launches, etc. It's the most radical yet controllable 3/4 I've flown (of course there are lots of 3/4s that I haven't flown). This is probably not a good kite for precision flying, as I have yet to get really sharp turns out of it. I learned most of my tricks on this kite --- which took a long time but paid off in sensitivity when I do the tricks on a full size (I don't recomend learning this way... it can be frustrating). I highly recommend this kite for anyone who wants a good radical 3/4 delta. - Wizard - This is a 3/4 delta with more finesse than the NSE. This kite is my ultralite 3/4 (I have the graphite sparred version). It cuts clean corners and will hold a clean line. It will also stall, and holds the edge quite well. I would avoid high winds, though, as the sail material seems to be 1/2oz ripstop. (Is this true folks?) One caution: every glued part on my Wizard has come loose, so be ready with the Super Glue. I recommend this kite for someone who can only have one 3/4 and wants a good all around kite. - TOTL Hawaiian Maui (3/4 Hawaiian Team) - This is a figure-precision kite. It practically rides on rails, is very stable and forgiving, and does very tight snap turns. It is very fast and has little pull. It's made of thick ripstop on fiberglass tubing so it is very rugged. On long lines, it's great for fast precise figure flying. However, it has zero radical behavior. It's very hard to stall or dump wind (which is why it's so stable and precise). Also, ground work is nearly impossible as the lines easily get wrapped around the kite. I've never been able to launch from the belly or leading edge. On the other hand, it is THE kite for me when the wind is gusty and strong (>=15-20 MPH). Since I can't do many tricks in heavy gusty winds (I need a VIP, or a Moriah), I usually just pull this kite out and do loops, figures and ground passes. I like this kite alot, but now days it's more of a special purpose kite than an all around pick. - 6ft "Stacker" Flexifoils - These are my wife's kites --- she's a power junky. She likes to stack 2 in 25 MPH winds (just enough for that aerobic excercise :), maybe she needs a Peel. I have not flown them very much, but my wife (and my dad) really like em. I haven't gotten the ultralite spar yet (soon). - TOTL NS Kona - This is an ultralite with Carrington 1/2 oz on a 2 wrap Advantage frame. This is a very fragile kite, but it is the only kite that I've been able to fly in "no" wind (if you can feel the direction, you can keep this kite up). I should note that I have mild Cerebral Palsey which limits my backward running mobility, so the Kona is a dream when the wind's really low. The Kona is very precise (seems more so than the Radical), but definately has a radical edge. In about 3-4 MPH, the Kona will fly slow enough for nice team flying (e.g. Grand Nationals in Lubbock last year), but will also do most (non-abusive) tricks. I would only recommend this kite for experienced fliers unless you have a big, spar replacement budget. Also note that the fittings and bridle are stock NSR (big nasty swivels, heavy vinyls, and at least a 300-400 lb bridle!). I've lightenned the kite considerably by just taking off the swivels. - Cobra Kites' Scorpion - I love this kite! This is the kite I will probably pull out the most when I want to do alot of stall tricks and ground work; and as the add says, "it'll make you feel like the pros." This is the easiest kite to launch on the leading edge that I've flown. It's great in light (4-10MPH) winds, and even though Cobra says it'll go to 20 MPH, I won't. All the spars are 5.5mm Beman and I've already busted a leading edge. It will spin very tightly, but the turns "feel" unusual --- the kite rotation sort of accelerates into and out of the turns (increasing into, the decreasing out of the turns). It's very weird, but nice once you get used to it. Also be warned that, in contrast to most (US) kites, the static line on the bridle runs from the "T" to the clip, so tuning is a new adventure. I haven't really tried much fugure-type precision flying with it yet, since I get too excited fooling around. I highly recommend this kite, but test fly it first since you may not like the weird feel while turning. - Cobra Kites' Impulse - This is the new 3/4 Scorpion'ish kite. It has the same weird turning feel as the Scorpion. It is fast and quiet and very sensitive. It will do most tricks, and a sharp snap turn will cause the kite to pivot 180 around the "T". This seems pretty unique for this configuration --- I've only seen a Spin-off or a Snap do this before. It's bridled like the Scorpion, but its sensitivity (and unfortunately, its dissapearing feducial mark) make tuning a challenge. Bottom line: I like it, but the jury is still out. - TOTL Snap - Outstanding mini stunt kite. This litte (4ft) kite comes complete with line and standoffs. It'll fly in 5MPH wind and can be a real blast. In higher winds on longer lines, it's great and has zero pull. I've heard that these kites are excellent in stacks. I carry the Snap around for quick flights when I get a spare moment. The stock line is 60' of Dacron, so you can fly it in small areas. I haven't perfected many tricks with it yet except for the 180 degree pivot turn. A good intro kite for kids since it's easy to fly, very sturdy, and inexpensive (around $50-60 US). - Revolution I - My wife's kite. She loves it. The quad-line nature of this kite makes it the ultimate in precision and maneuverability. After watching Dave Brittain (I hope I spelled it right, if not, sorry Dave) fly at the Grand Nationals, I want an ultralite kit :) For dual-line pilots, the controls take some new mind-body training, but it's not too bad, and it really pays off in fun. - Kestrel by Joel Sholtz - If I could have only one kite out of my bag, I'd probably pick this one. It's very colorful and flies great to boot. Joel (with the help of Terry Baudoin) redesigned the Neptune by shortening the bottom spreaders, extending the standoffs, and slightly adjusting the sail. It looks like they added more cambre to the leading edge too. The result is an even better flier than the Neptune (which was no sloucher; see the SKQ review), and a great all around kite. It's currently framed with 2400 (I think... too lazy tocheck) AFC graphite, so it's fairly rugged, but also ultralite. I can do stalls, slides, belly and leading-edge launches, wingtip stands all with relative ease. The kite is precise and will hold a clean line. Also, a good 360 pull-turn on the edge will cause the kite dump air and slide to a wingtip landing (in a very stable way). This really looks cool. (Forgive me if this trick is "old hat.") The only possible drawback is the tail, which seems to give the kite different characteristics in higher winds, especially on the edge. The only time I've pulled the kite out of the air was at the edge in high winds. I think this is caused by the tail flapping somewhat in higher winds, but I haven't had a chance to really investigate this --- Terry says he's never had this trouble. In summary, I think this would be a good all around stunt kite giving a nice happy medium between looks, precision, durability, and radicalness. - Skybunner II - While I don't actually own one, I have flown Ed Reynold's stock SkyBurner II. It has G-force tappered, wrapped spars. It seemed to be an outstanding kite. I was able to do all of my tricks the first try. It was also very precise. LINES: I fly mostly on 80lb 100ft spectra or 100lb 100ft Kevlar. I also have some 150ft 150lb line for high winds, and 150ft 300lb lines for the flexis. The Quad lines are .... I also made up a set of 50ft 100lb Kevlar lines for practicing new stunts and for flying the Kona in very low winds. HANDLES: I switch between Sky Claws and TOTL straps. Some days I like the feel of one and not the other... I'm undecided, so I always carry both. We use stock handles for the Revolution. Well, that's about it for this installment. I'm sure that this season will see at least one new kite for me, and my opinions on my current collection may change as my experience grows. Dean -- Q \ | Dean C. Hines, Astronomy | dhines@astro.as.utexas.edu | |-+=========|> | University of Texas | dhines@pan.as.utexas.edu | / \ _/ | Austin, TX 78712 | -----------------------------| -----------------| "No, it's not a spaceship, it's a Stunt Kite... sheesh! | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =