Leaderboard

It's good to have more than one set. Get snagless handles if possible. Modify the ones you have to snagless also. Keep it in mind that 120' lines can be cut down to shorter sets when they begin to wear, or even when new for much less than buying separate sets. Make your own sets from bulk line spools for half as much if you have the time and patience. The more you do yourself, the better you will understand what makes it work the way it does. That can only make you a better pilot.

Yes. Getting everything as tight as possible on top will roll over the leading to a degree and the change it makes is dramatic. However, like everything else that changes performance it is a compromise. You get more of one, less of the other. Which end of the scale you prefer is part of and also influences your flying style, but it's good to know that what you want is what you can get. I like things tight enough at the top to increase glide for ground recovery a bit, but not enough to hinder axels or to make it want to turn and run away from me on catch and throw. There's a sweet spot to the curve that takes some experimentation to find, and that sweet spot shifts a bit when conditions change. It's a ton of fun once you know how to change the amount of rollover to adjust for the wind conditions. You can tweak it to accommodate line length and wind speed, and it can be a huge bonus in light wind. I've also played with bowed uprights to simulate Reflex curvature, as well as pieces of rigid foam between the upright and the sail. Wayne, I recommend that you don't try Paul's setup 'cause you're gonna like it.

One of the things @Paul LaMasters was suggesting (i think) was to take your old Bottom leaders, larks head them onto your top leaders and literally use them as an extension until your new leaders come in. attach the brakes to the bottom of the handles directly. the top will have 2 daisy chained leaders with the line attached at the end..

When your new leaders are installed, attach your lines to the furthest knot out on the bottoms and the top lines to the third knot in from the furthest out. You won't like it at first, but you will get used to it and it will do wonders for performance. To launch from an upright stance -- watch the beginner videos -- you will need to give it a good "pop" while simultaneously taking a step backwards. It will be awkward at first, but as I said, you will get used to it and it will become the norm before you know it. A good dose of patience and determination is all it takes. Take both with a glass of water when you rise. Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe.

Yes, you add some type of restriction to all that movement along the top leading edge stock bridle (side to side), such that you can pin the knots, washers and attachment elastic crap UNDERNEATH, so you hand can physically fit in between the sail and the frame and not touch either up at the top here's the test, ....take you kite off of the strings entirely and toss it out, if correct if should fly almost infinitely parallel with the ground a few feet high, literally for several dozens of meters in distance (just like a frisbee would). It should be effortless too, that is the glide I'm seeking and will make any corrections necessary to accomplish this mission. I don't have feel-able wind more often than not, so ANY benefit it light wind is to be taken and utilized. You don't need a new bridle, just enough restriction forced upon it so it can't move,.. to me that is one string from the down-spar end-cap to the center of the leading edge, holding it rigidly in place, arc-welded! Now with this rigid restriction in place you can rotate and adjust those caps & such so that the sail is pulled OVER the top, ... not pulled up squarely, rounded YES just like a speed series Rev. You don't need a reflex mechanism at all, just pinch everything down tight and see for yourself. This glide gives you up-wind capabilities,... or a catch on 120s! experiment and see what happens, but just change one variable at a time, comparisons are the easiest testing method I've found, go get a partner and enjoy a cooperative caper together. Wayne, we can spank a few comparisons out in August together, low wind is best so early mornings,... ok?

I carry around 6 most times, with three sets of handles (no lines) and about a 1/2 dozen different line sets. Got a whole trunk of "extra gear" I bring with me pretty much all the time. You need something - I might have it!!!

Ha!, and how long you've been doing it too Wayne, accumulating stuff over the years and pretty soon you have a whole bunch too, be they handles or lines or kites or bags or even vehicles to carry it all in! I think I carry 9 sets with line on 'em (2-15's, 2-19's, indoor rev handles & indoor custom handles, a couple of sets of 13's, a set of TC Ultra handles) and ready to use in a back--pack. Pretty sure my "A-Bag" (Orvis carry-on) has 14 rev styled kites in it, all totaled something like 60 of these kites exist but most rest at home in the basement

maybe not "better", but certainly different, more in tune with my own preferences anyway

I’m glad all that messy stuff has disappeared from the leading edge, I’m getting zero snags, and seems to be launchable from any ground position, be interested to see what you do to an already incredible sail to make it ‘better’.

You can use whatever lines and handles you have with these. No need for duplicate stuff, unless you are just determined to have it. Many function well on just a single set of handles and a few line sets. All depends on your personal "needs".

I did that exact same thing once too, the day they both arrived it rained and I thought I'd be so covered (regardless of the weather conditions that day)

The Djinn is a hard kite not to like.. Everything you could ever find an issue with in a Hadziki Sail or Rev-alike has been fixed, addressed or mitigated in some way.

I will have the LE mesh (or some facsimile thereof) always. It is my preferred technique. I've made several high aspect kites, including a few that rival the super sonic for aspect ratio. I made one that was full width but only about a foot high. It was a scream across the window but very hard to control due to smaller height emphasizing the vertical controls. Seemed like flying just the leading edge almost. I made a few that were 1.5 width but only B2 in height. those seemed to be a good aspect for speed but did not like the mesh when I tried that due to the aspect conflicting with the actual surface area of the kite. Not a fan of the holes and even less of a fan of the direct transition. I've made a few like that and it just doesn't do it for me. This one is for my personal bag and probably isn't going anywhere so it will be a standard 1.5 size frame-wise. I may tweak out the bridles a bit but the size is firm in my head already..