Looking to purchase my first Quad...steady wind

[Jason Mockler]

Hi all,

So here is another which kite should I buy question... I know , I know... I have seen talk that a Rev EXP is probably the way to go for a new user, but I wanted to mention my situation. I live in an area that is considered a high desert. Hot , lots of sand, cactus, etc... sounds awesome right? But, what I do have is every afternoon around 1PM to 2PM like clockwork is steady wind in the 12 to 20mph range. Usually about 15mph... I am looking for a quad that I can learn on, but I don't want to be pulled all over the field, I already have a Snapshot 2.5 that does that quite well. I am looking for something that I can stand in that solid 15mph breeze and gracefully fly around eventually with great control. So basically something that can be steady in a little higher wind, but not be too twitchy and difficult to learn on. Is that asking too much? Any info you all can provide would be great...

Thanks,

Jason

[Wayne Dowler]

Vented SLE, midvent "B", full vent "B" - if your winds are truly in that range. Never flown a quad before? Try asking for something used to start, if you don't get on with it, you can sell it for almost the same price, unless you wreck it. In that wind you want holes (vents)!

[povlhp]

I fly mostly my vented. As soon as wind is good for it. So get something vented. Or a very cheap old rev and use soldering iron to put 50 holes in each side.

[makatakam]

Any model will get you started, but make sure you get a mid-vent, if your stated wind range is accurate. The cost will vary by model, with the EXP being the least expensive, then the SLE, then the B-Series, then the B-Series Pro being the most expensive. Be sure to get lines and handles, look for "RTF" (Ready To Fly) package. In addition, you'll need a stake of some kind to hold the kite in a parked position during setup and breakdown, and when you want a break. I used a long-shaft phillips screwdriver when I started.

Watch the tutorials available here under the tutorial tab on the main page. The ones you want at first are: Line Management, Wind Window, Assembly & Disassembly, Launch & Control. Watch them before you fly the kite until you are sick of watching them, and then watch them a few more times. Everything you will see and hear in these videos is "Gospel". Trust me, I learned without them because I didn't know they existed, and had many tangles and other problems that could have been avoided.

But most of all, have fun Jason, smile and don't forget to breathe. Any questions you have -- post them here and we'll all do our best to help.

[Tmadz]

Everyone's taste is different, but I love my mid-vent. Although, if you're getting to 20 mph, you're definitely full-vent territory. You have to think about wind variation all year round if you decide you like quads. You want to be able to fly in the most varied conditions. If you get a std SLE , you can then buy a full-vent. Those wind ranges will overlap and you'll be able to fly in pretty much all winds. Eventually you'll fill in with a mid-vent.

[SparkieRob]

Ok, this may be a little forward, BUT

I have a couple of words for you;

"Look at a Shook"

Yes they are expensive, you'll forget that once you did into the info on them. The other thing is they hold their value, so if it's not to your liking you can recoup costs. They are very rarely available second hand due to pilots not wanting to part with them.

They have a HUGE wind range and 12 - 20pmh would be bread and butter for a Shook mesh.

All I'm saying is have a little poke around here (and the Rev forum) for them. They tick a lot of "if I could have just one kite" boxes.

Obviously this is all budget related.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dragonfish]

I would be flying a full vent in steady 15mph. But, I also don't like to be overpowered. I know some people would still be flying midvents in that wind. Just for reference, I start getting pulled by a full vent around 25mph, and I am on the smaller side. Don't know the point for midvent, because I switch kites before it gets to that.

I do not believe the EXP is available in any vented models, so you probably want to look at one of the other 1.5 sized Revs (SLE, NYM a.k.a. New York Minute, B-series, B-Pro). If your winds really are 12-20mph when you want to fly, I think some sort of vented Rev would be a good idea to start on. When I had just my EXP, there were many times I would go to the flying field, walk around, and think do I really want to fly in this wind? Eventually I got a full vent to solve that problem.

[SHBKF]

Hello my new friend,

Any Rev 1.5 is a good choice for you at this point. But my thoughts are not really mainstream. I learned with the SLE version in the strong gusty mountain winds of winter here in the western part of Virginia. While the vented Sportwings did not come to my collection until over a year later the standard sail survived it all. I flew mine with the heavy stiff Super Leading Edge for quite some time as I felt it was tough & could take my newbie abuse. It did. I did not have to struggle with having enough wind to get airborne & the speed of the kite in the higher wind sharpened my reflexes quickly. I learned to stay to the side of the window during gusts & higher winds. There I practiced hovering, flying sideways, flying backwards & tip landings. You'll hear lots of advice about starting exercises which are mostly based on flying straight down wind. So a vented would make that easier. You can also move around on your flying spot & find areas that have less wind. I did that yesterday when I only had ultralight dualies with me and a large storm moved by south of my location blowing strong wind my way. I actually got in the wind shadow of a large hill to be able to fly in lighter air. Location is everything, especially here in the mountain valleys. My second Rev was a Power Blast 2-4. I was afraid to fly it for some time due to the high wind of winter. So next I got a Rev 1 because it was a bit slower & the original. I flailed it around & even broke the leading edge in a strong gust one day. You could learn with Rev 1 & it is available in vented. I will eventually get a vented Rev 1. The 1.5 size is very popular & many fly only that size. Used Revs are hard to come by & vented ones are rarely offered for sale. So I have been flying Revs a couple years now & my favorite is the mid vent. I just got a full vent & I will say it is probably the easiest to fly but I am not sure that would be true if I did not know how to fly one already. The call of the Dark Side is persistent.

Just out here in the sticks, SHBKF

[Tmadz]

BTW, I have to say I am quite jealous if you get steady inland wind daily.

[Jason Mockler]

Vented SLE, midvent "B", full vent "B" - if your winds are truly in that range. Never flown a quad before? Try asking for something used to start, if you don't get on with it, you can sell it for almost the same price, unless you wreck it. In that wind you want holes (vents)!

I never have flown a quad before Wayne... fresh meat here... hahaha Thanks for the input. I will look into maybe going used first...

[Jason Mockler]

I fly mostly my vented. As soon as wind is good for it. So get something vented. Or a very cheap old rev and use soldering iron to put 50 holes in each side.

I don't think I could bring myself to poking holes in a kite... especially 50 of them... hahahaha

[Jason Mockler]

Any model will get you started, but make sure you get a mid-vent, if your stated wind range is accurate. The cost will vary by model, with the EXP being the least expensive, then the SLE, then the B-Series, then the B-Series Pro being the most expensive. Be sure to get lines and handles, look for "RTF" (Ready To Fly) package. In addition, you'll need a stake of some kind to hold the kite in a parked position during setup and breakdown, and when you want a break. I used a long-shaft phillips screwdriver when I started.

Watch the tutorials available here under the tutorial tab on the main page. The ones you want at first are: Line Management, Wind Window, Assembly & Disassembly, Launch & Control. Watch them before you fly the kite until you are sick of watching them, and then watch them a few more times. Everything you will see and hear in these videos is "Gospel". Trust me, I learned without them because I didn't know they existed, and had many tangles and other problems that could have been avoided.

But most of all, have fun Jason, smile and don't forget to breathe. Any questions you have -- post them here and we'll all do our best to help.

Thanks Mark... Mid vent might solve my problems by giving me the best of all worlds... believe me, I will eventually probably own every damn Rev under the sun, but for now I want to be able to fly when I have time... and that aint a ton with my kids monopolizing much of my time. A Mid vent may give me that ability to fly on my terms, and not the wind's terms.

[Jason Mockler]

Everyone's taste is different, but I love my mid-vent. Although, if you're getting to 20 mph, you're definitely full-vent territory. You have to think about wind variation all year round if you decide you like quads. You want to be able to fly in the most varied conditions. If you get a std SLE , you can then buy a full-vent. Those wind ranges will overlap and you'll be able to fly in pretty much all winds. Eventually you'll fill in with a mid-vent.

Tmadz thanks for the thoughts.. 20mph is not too unusual here... 10-16 is about the norm though... Getting a mid up front may make more sense then getting it later as a filler. Still debating though...

[Jason Mockler]

Ok, this may be a little forward, BUT

I have a couple of words for you;

"Look at a Shook"

Yes they are expensive, you'll forget that once you did into the info on them. The other thing is they hold their value, so if it's not to your liking you can recoup costs. They are very rarely available second hand due to pilots not wanting to part with them.

They have a HUGE wind range and 12 - 20pmh would be bread and butter for a Shook mesh.

All I'm saying is have a little poke around here (and the Rev forum) for them. They tick a lot of "if I could have just one kite" boxes.

Obviously this is all budget related.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rob, I like the look of that kite, and the wind range is pretty sweet... but $600 is a little steep for me right now. at that price I could almost buy a 1.5 vented and standard and solve all my problems. I appreciate the suggestion, and may look to a Shook mesh in the future.

[Jason Mockler]

I would be flying a full vent in steady 15mph. But, I also don't like to be overpowered. I know some people would still be flying midvents in that wind. Just for reference, I start getting pulled by a full vent around 25mph, and I am on the smaller side. Don't know the point for midvent, because I switch kites before it gets to that.

I do not believe the EXP is available in any vented models, so you probably want to look at one of the other 1.5 sized Revs (SLE, NYM a.k.a. New York Minute, B-series, B-Pro). If your winds really are 12-20mph when you want to fly, I think some sort of vented Rev would be a good idea to start on. When I had just my EXP, there were many times I would go to the flying field, walk around, and think do I really want to fly in this wind? Eventually I got a full vent to solve that problem.

Thanks Dragonfish... I am looking for something that is not overpowered as well. Vented is looking better and better. It was also a pleasure talking with you in the chat room the other night.

[Jason Mockler]

Hello my new friend,

Any Rev 1.5 is a good choice for you at this point. But my thoughts are not really mainstream. I learned with the SLE version in the strong gusty mountain winds of winter here in the western part of Virginia. While the vented Sportwings did not come to my collection until over a year later the standard sail survived it all. I flew mine with the heavy stiff Super Leading Edge for quite some time as I felt it was tough & could take my newbie abuse. It did. I did not have to struggle with having enough wind to get airborne & the speed of the kite in the higher wind sharpened my reflexes quickly. I learned to stay to the side of the window during gusts & higher winds. There I practiced hovering, flying sideways, flying backwards & tip landings. You'll hear lots of advice about starting exercises which are mostly based on flying straight down wind. So a vented would make that easier. You can also move around on your flying spot & find areas that have less wind. I did that yesterday when I only had ultralight dualies with me and a large storm moved by south of my location blowing strong wind my way. I actually got in the wind shadow of a large hill to be able to fly in lighter air. Location is everything, especially here in the mountain valleys. My second Rev was a Power Blast 2-4. I was afraid to fly it for some time due to the high wind of winter. So next I got a Rev 1 because it was a bit slower & the original. I flailed it around & even broke the leading edge in a strong gust one day. You could learn with Rev 1 & it is available in vented. I will eventually get a vented Rev 1. The 1.5 size is very popular & many fly only that size. Used Revs are hard to come by & vented ones are rarely offered for sale. So I have been flying Revs a couple years now & my favorite is the mid vent. I just got a full vent & I will say it is probably the easiest to fly but I am not sure that would be true if I did not know how to fly one already. The call of the Dark Side is persistent.

Just out here in the sticks, SHBKF

Thanks SHBKF... was fun chatting with you the other night as well... I like your thoughts on the subject... sticking it out with standard and working through the different conditions. Good info...

[Jason Mockler]

BTW, I have to say I am quite jealous if you get steady inland wind daily.

steady as she blows Tmadz!! every day... been thinking about posting a picture of the flag on my block every day to illustrate the conditions here... flag stands straight out...hahaha

[Paul LaMasters]

Jason,

A shook Mesh may seem unreasonably expensive today, but after flying one you'll understand that at such a price point you are actually getting two kites worth of wind range from a single sail that is extraordinarily smooth in bumpy wind as a free bonus! Learn on a used Mid-vent if you can find one, but start saving up now for the best kite design Revolution never created!

I will look around and see if I have spare mid-vent this weekend while in Wildwood, maybe you can borrow and abuse it FREE for a summer,

buy some proper flying lines and handles if you don't have 'em already though,... send me a PM with your address,.... find a mentor nearby too and go make a new friend. The kite I will want back eventually, but don't panic if it comes home in pieces. I'll not be sending you my favorite, in fact I need to dig it out of a spare kite bag and confirm it's good enough as a loaner!

[Jason Mockler]

Jason,

A shook Mesh may seem unreasonably expensive today, but after flying one you'll understand that at such a price point you are actually getting two kites worth of wind range from a single sail that is extraordinarily smooth in bumpy wind as a free bonus! Learn on a used Mid-vent if you can find one, but start saving up now for the best kite design Revolution never created!

I will look around and see if I have spare mid-vent this weekend while in Wildwood, maybe you can borrow and abuse it FREE for a summer,

buy some proper flying lines and handles if you don't have 'em already though,... send me a PM with your address,.... find a mentor nearby too and go make a new friend. The kite I will want back eventually, but don't panic if it comes home in pieces. I'll not be sending you my favorite, in fact I need to dig it out of a spare kite bag and confirm it's good enough as a loaner!

Paul,

That is an incredibly generous offer! If you are willing to do that, I would be more than willing to abuse it! Hahaha. I will take a more serious look into getting a Shook. I mean the kite does sound pretty amazing considering my typical flying conditions. The Shook is not unreasonably expensive, however, I think for someone like me with no experience, it would be unnecessarily expensive.

[SparkieRob]

Jason,

A shook Mesh may seem unreasonably expensive today, but after flying one you'll understand that at such a price point you are actually getting two kites worth of wind range from a single sail that is extraordinarily smooth in bumpy wind as a free bonus! Learn on a used Mid-vent if you can find one, but start saving up now for the best kite design Revolution never created!

I will look around and see if I have spare mid-vent this weekend while in Wildwood, maybe you can borrow and abuse it FREE for a summer,

buy some proper flying lines and handles if you don't have 'em already though,... send me a PM with your address,.... find a mentor nearby too and go make a new friend. The kite I will want back eventually, but don't panic if it comes home in pieces. I'll not be sending you my favorite, in fact I need to dig it out of a spare kite bag and confirm it's good enough as a loaner!

Paul,

That is an incredibly generous offer! If you are willing to do that, I would be more than willing to abuse it! Hahaha. I will take a more serious look into getting a Shook. I mean the kite does sound pretty amazing considering my typical flying conditions. The Shook is not unreasonably expensive, however, I think for someone like me with no experience, it would be unnecessarily expensive.

If I was to start over in Revs, I would be looking at the top shelf.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing though...

[Jason Mockler]

If I was to start over in Revs, I would be looking at the top shelf.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing though...

But where is the fun in that? You miss out on spending all those thousands and thousands of dollars on different Revs trying to find the right one. Not to say that that sounds really all that bad, actually sounds kinda of fun.

[SparkieRob]

And learning from each sail the subtle differences. Wouldn't give up any of my Revs. I'll wear them out before they get replaced.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason Mockler]

Like family members... Hahaha

[makatakam]

You know it's true -- You only get what you paid for.

[povlhp]

I was looking for an alternative, mostly to save money, also hoping somebody else improved the Rev design. So started with Freilein Transeye, which is more difficult to fly. Tried it a couple times. Should be better at flying backwards, but works in narrower wind range.

Then I ordered the Freielin Windrider X std + vented from China (better looking than Revs), saving a little over the original. But I am happy for now, and they performs well (after getting better handles). Workmanship is great. Broke a couple spars (none flying), but they are cheaper. And has bought a set of Skyshark P90+P400 to get ligther + heavier spars. But future kite purchases will be the real stuff or licensed (Polo looks good, and the Shook has a good name). Since we have gusty winds here, I am glad I bought cheaper, and got the vented as well as the std. Would not have done if I went for the the original, and I would be struggling with the std.

A friend also found the Revs too expensive, so he just bought an Elliott DropKick even though I told home to get the real thing, he has not had much luck with the dropkick yet.

More alternative quads are appearing, at least in Europe (Basic, Mojo,SkyKnife, Mosquito) . I see this as something good. More people with quads will help drive innovation, and people will end up buyng the better models.

Also surprised to see how the 3 new single-skin power kites are all European (Peter Lynn, Wolkenstürmer and Urban Kites). Seems like it is here things are happening. Borne Kites introduced its NASA style with depower this year. And only the Peak 2 is from a US company.

So some areas of kiting seems to be doing well. Not sure with Revolution, but they do get more media exposure the last few years.