Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 04:55:17 -1000 From: bhunt5@coyote.rain.org (Brian Hunt) Message-Id: <2q348l$4sg@coyote.rain.org> Organization: Regional Access Information Network Subject: Skynasaur Aerobat Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the Aerobat saying it is a good starter kite and nearly indistructable. Any feedback?? It's being used by my 11 year old girl, and my wife and myself. Thanks, Brian bhunt5@coyote.rain.org = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 13:46:04 -1000 From: mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) Message-Id: <366@leadingedg.win.net> Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat In article <2q348l$4sg@coyote.rain.org>, Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) writes: >Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our >first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the Aerobat saying it is a >good starter kite and nearly indistructable. Any feedback?? It's being >used by my 11 year old girl, and my wife and myself. >Thanks, It was one of my first kites. It IS indestrucible as far as I can tell. It does require a healthy breeze to fly well. Michael Graves = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 12:10:46 -1000 From: cheryln@stortek.com (Cheryl Netter x3449) Message-Id: Organization: StorageTek Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) wrote: : Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our : first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the Aerobat saying it is a : good starter kite and nearly indistructable. The Aerobat almost put us off stunting for life. It was my first stunter (f36 size) too. If the store didn't tell you already, you will definitely want to put a tail on it. As you get the feel of it, then remove or shorten the tail. It IS almost indistructable, though. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 03:30:12 -1000 From: reich@nosc.mil (Ronald S. Reich) Message-Id: <9405031330.AA16571@cod> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Date: 2 May 1994 07:55:17 -0700 From: bhunt5@coyote.rain.org (Brian Hunt) Subject: Skynasaur Aerobat >Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just >bought our first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the >Aerobat saying it is a good starter kite and nearly >indistructable. Any feedback?? It's being used by my 11 year old >girl, and my wife and myself. I had extensive experience with the Skynasor Aerobat in 1985 and 1986. I don't know if the design has changed since then but at that time the kite was as the store told you, "nearly indistructable." The best way to learn to fly the Aerobat is to have an assistant stay down wind to help launch the kite. Be sure that the flyer is standing with their back to the wind and that the amount of line laid out for the right and left sides are equal. (within about 1 inch or better) Have the assistant hold the kite by the nose. Remove the slack from the lines. When the flyer is ready, the assistant should toss the kite into the air with a back hand vertical motion. The assistant should imediately take several steps backwards to get out from under the kite. The flyer should try to keep their elbows near their sides and their hands in front of their body and apply gentle pushing and pulling action to steer the kite. The amount of push and pull should not exceed about 6 inches. Any more than that and the kite may collapse and fall to the ground. The best flying position is to insure that the kite is directly down wind from the flyer. You can determine the down wind direction by tossing some loose grass into the air and see which way the wind blows it. that direction will be down wind. Good Luck, Good Wind and Good Fun Ron Reich = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 07:11:51 -1000 From: cjn@speeder.dr.att.com (131A40000-NetterCJ(DR9622)42) Message-Id: Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Denver, Co. Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat In article , cheryln@stortek.com (Cheryl Netter x3449) writes: |> Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) wrote: |> : Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our |> : ... |> |> The Aerobat almost put us off stunting for life. It was my first stunter |> (f36 size) too. If the store didn't tell you already, you will definitely |> want to put a tail on it. As you get the feel of it, then remove or shorten |> the tail. It IS almost indistructable, though. Yes indeed, the F36 almost sent me back to single line kites. You definitely put a tail on it. I would suggest a 20 foot ripstop tail for starters. If you want to go inexpensive try crepe paper. It won't hold up if it gets wet, but I've used it on other kites. Chris Netter = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 3 May 1994 14:32:34 -1000 From: bhunt5@coyote.rain.org (Brian Hunt) Message-Id: <2q6qf2$8na@coyote.rain.org> Organization: Regional Access Information Network Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Cheryl Netter x3449 (cheryln@stortek.com) wrote: > Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) wrote: > : Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our > : first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the Aerobat saying it is a > : good starter kite and nearly indistructable. > The Aerobat almost put us off stunting for life. It was my first stunter > (f36 size) too. If the store didn't tell you already, you will definitely > want to put a tail on it. As you get the feel of it, then remove or shorten > the tail. It IS almost indistructable, though. Why would we put a tail on it??? Sorry if that seems dumb, but we are new at this! -- bhunt5@coyote.rain.org = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 05:14:20 -1000 From: cheryln@stortek.com (Cheryl Netter x3449) Message-Id: Organization: StorageTek Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat : : > The Aerobat almost put us off stunting for life. It was my first stunter : > (f36 size) too. If the store didn't tell you already, you will definitely : > want to put a tail on it. As you get the feel of it, then remove or shorten : Why would we put a tail on it??? If you are having no trouble flying it right now, then I wouldn't bother with a tail. It'll slow the kite down. Our little f36 size aerobat seemed very nose heavy no mater what we did with the bridal. Adding a tail seemed to keep the nose up long enough for us to get it into the air. Looking back, I think we needed more wind. We just figured that we were total klutzes and put it away for years. When we later purchased a razorwing, I couldn't believe how much easier it was to fly. I wonder if the full size aerobat is that much slower, and therefore easier than the f36. Have they improved the design in the last few years? = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 15:13:47 -1000 From: pwmeek@garnet.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) Message-Id: <2q9h8b$g42@nigel.msen.com> Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: +1 313 998-4562) Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) wrote: : Why would we put a tail on it??? Sorry if that seems dumb, but we are new : at this! In general, putting a tail on a steerable kite makes it respond more predictably and smoothly. It makes it easier to learn. My advice on the Aerobat is to keep it in the 'center of the wind'; not too high and not too far off to the side. The Aerobat is difficult to get back under control if the lines go slack due to a shift in wind direction or strength when it is out at the edge of the wind. This means that the kite may nose over and come down. It won't hurt this kite, but it is a nuisance to relaunch it. I have several Skynasaurs, and don't regret having bought any of them. Something I haven't seen done with other stunt kites is flying under water: dive the kite into calm water, turn (by timing and watching the lines) until pointing upwards, pull gently and the kite will pop back out of the water and into the air. It takes a while to get it reliably, and relaunches are *really* a nuisance since you have to tow the kite slowly to shore before relaunching. It takes a fairly brisk wind, or the kite will flop over onto the water instead of back into the air. -- --Pete If there was something I'd rather be doing, I'd be doing it. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 5 May 1994 18:27:19 -1000 From: pwmeek@garnet.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) Message-Id: <2qcgv7$4ri@nigel.msen.com> Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: +1 313 998-4562) Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Cheryl Netter x3449 (cheryln@stortek.com) wrote: The F36 is harder to fly than the standard Aerobat; it is easy to over-control and really needs light lines. Heavy lines do pull it over out at the edge. In general, small kites seem to me to be harder to fly than big ones. My first stunter was a little Rainbow single; it, too, almost put me off two line flying. Now, in a 13-stack, it steers like a truck -- no punch-turns there! Once combined stacks with another flier to make a 19-stack; it was fun 'til the trainlines started to come apart. 200# snap-hooks pulled out straight! A stack of F36's might be fun. -- --Pete Learning rules is useful but it isn't education. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 5 May 1994 19:56:02 -1000 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Message-Id: <2qcm5i$h6h@umd5.umd.edu> Organization: University of Maryland, College Park Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat In article <2qcgv7$4ri@nigel.msen.com> pwmeek@garnet.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) writes: >In general, small kites seem to me to be harder to >fly than big ones. My first stunter was a little >Rainbow single; it, too, almost put me off two >line flying. Perhaps it's a reflex (and, dare I say, age) thing? When I first started out, I could only hold onto a 4' Powell with help from my dad. I also had a 3' knock-off ("Windjammer") that I could almost manage to fly by myself. Then I got a Rainbow, around age 10? Something like that. And that's when I started being able to actually fly a kite. I don't remember ever having trouble controlling it. Admittedly, I had at least the *very* basic rudimentary skills down, but that was largely with assistance from adults. I used to have dogfights with my dad. He'd fly the PP and I'd fly my Rainbow. My kite was much faster than his, but his was *far* more capable of pounding mine out of the sky. I suppose it could have been considered an early form of team flying. It's a pity we didn't stick with it at the time... Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Everything is still with a fear of never coming out | |Suffering Bad Grammar| Never following through / Never ever finishing | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | What we wanted to do." -- Melissa Ferrick | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 6 May 1994 03:33:34 -1000 From: salanne@convex.csc.FI (Simo Salanne) Message-Id: <2qdgve$pb7@pobox.csc.fi> Organization: Centre for Scintific Computing Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat In <2qcgv7$4ri@nigel.msen.com> pwmeek@garnet.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) writes: > a stack of F36's might be fun. > I started my dual line flying with Skynasaurs, too. When I grew out of them, I stacked them... - 3 Skyfoxes (even smaller than F36) - 3 F36 - 1 Aerobat one day I'll build 2 more Aerobats and 3 "maxi Aerobats" to make the stack even more progressive. Smooth Winds Simo -- Simo.Salanne@csc.fi STACK Finland = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 8 May 1994 20:28:17 -1000 From: Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite) Message-Id: Organization: Equinox Networks Subject: Re: Skynasaur Aerobat Brian Hunt (bhunt5@coyote.rain.org) wrote: : Just wondering if the Aerobat is a good beginner kite? Just bought our : first kite, and at the kite store they sold us the Aerobat saying it is a : good starter kite and nearly indistructable. Any feedback?? It's being : used by my 11 year old girl, and my wife and myself. : Thanks, The Skynasaur range of 2-line stunter kites is very popular here in NZ with beginners. The Aerobat seems to be the cheapest of the range retailing at about NZ$60 ( US$34 approx ). I have never actually flown an Aerobat but I have seen plenty in flight and they appear rather crude and not very graceful in flight. They also are small in size and therefore not all that easy to fly and control. The NZ made Seagull Arrowhead Stunter is about the same size or even smaller and it is a really nice kite for beginners ( and others ) although assisted launching is necessary until you become expert. It also retails at about NZ$60. Unfortunately I don't think anyone in USA stocks the kite :-( The larger and more expensive Skynasaurs starting about NZ$130 for the Razorwing are a much better proposition and some of the even larger kites look really great in flight and are flown easily by relative newcomers of all ages. Many experienced fliers ignore Skynasaurs because there are now so many superior, and more expensive, high-tech sports kites on the market. I guess the Skynasaur range is for folks who enjoy flying but don't want to spend mega-dollars on their pastime; don't take their kiting too seriously and crash often :-) Overall I am very impressed with Skynasaur's marketing strategy, kite range, and affordable pricing structure. I am quite amazed at their penetration in the NZ market knowing a little of the costs involved in exporting to and from NZ. People walking into the local kite shop off the street so often walk out with a Skynasaur. I think sometimes the distinctive logos actually printed on each kite decides people - and Skynasaur rhymes with Dinosaur :-) :-) Don't give up with your Aerobat and if you can achieve some satisfying flight sessions you will have done well with a kite not that easy to fly. Also try to find someone to tune it for you - the local kitestore should oblige. Good luck, = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =