Leaderboard

In truth, I was afforded very little access to the development of the B2 or Zen once prototyping began - one of the reasons I fly something else these days, they had their chance and I wanted to improve things (to my taste).

My Djinn arrived today. Earlier than I expected and a day earlier than the posted arrival day. It is gorgeous (even if I do say so myself). Thank you so much, John! I love it!,

Hey everyone. So I finally got to fly the b-series full vent that I bought online and replaced the bridal on over the weekend. So I guess my question would be. Is the b-series just a better kite than the EXP? It seems to 'float' and fly so much better. Not totally sure how to describe the difference but it did seem like a different animal. Now I know its vented vs non vented but the winds were all over the place. Normal for Houston. 6mph pretty steady and gusts to 14mph. Now I'm wondering if I should get a non vent B-series when I can find one?

"PC31 said 'we caught a dirty one' " is a line from the Beatles song Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Presumably PC31 joined the force before PC36, but after PC25 and PC21, assuming, of course, that badge numbers were assigned in numerical sequence, and the size of the force in question was small. I'm certain that the weight of the constables did not correlate to their badge numbers nor order of induction, and depending on the size of the force itself they may have all been inducted simultaneously. The weight assigned to each constable by his superiors certainly varied and may as well have affected his performance in the field, but in no way hindered their ability to fly. (That's one minute of your life you'll never get back.)

Icarex is a specific brand of PC31 fabric. There are various weights and compositions from multiple vendors, and I imagine they used more than one source over the years. PC31 is a type of coated polyester, I believe 31 refers to a weight of 31 grams per square meter. PC31 is common for sport kites as a good balance of strength and weight. PC25 and PC21 are lighter but less durable. PC36 is heavier and stronger. Others exist, but aren't as popular for sport kites.

I'll check when I get home, but I seem to remember the EXP belly being different from the 1.5B as well. A longer measurement, if I recall.

Yep, it's a Rev II with a B "touch" to it. Zen is not scaled from a B-Pro either. It comes down to belly proportions (measure from LE to the "v" point in the sail), it needs belly... Bazzer increased the belly proportion and made the Zen a bit fatter for more sail in light wind, same idea applied to the Rev II in terms of LE>v point distance.

Leading edge curve is slightly different, it's more obvious between other models, also the stretch, porosity and play of the fabric play a role (B is industry poly, EXP is nylon, Djinn is Icarex PC31 poly).

OK so I laid them out. I get the panel arrangement I think (read a lot of posts on here). I can't tell anything with the leading edge. Of course I've only started this journey in October. I can see a difference in material. Also the JB/TK bridal I got from here is much thinner than the one on the exp. I would assume lighter. Just a newbie having fun with all this...but I'm sucked in....of course I asked for a anemometer for christmas, so thats in my truck bag now.

The B2 is not a true "down scale" of the Full size B-Series, it's a novelty piece for speed and twitch - it lacks the flexibility and sail area required for consistent smooth control. IMHO Re your question about why you feel the B is better than the EXP, all I can suggest is that you look at the details - panel arrangement, shape of leading edge, etc... All this details were stepped up massively in the Djinn, extensive details can be found on the product page. http://kiteforge.com/Djinn

Well Christmas came a little late, but it arrived yesterday. Can't wait to get out and give it a go!!

Old ones exist, but it is a discontinued model. It is akin to asking about buying a new 2015 vehicle. You can hunt down lightly used ones, and a store might have an old one gathering dust rather than sold, but they are no longer produced and becoming ever less available. Read this post. For only a little more than those used to cost, get a Djinn. They're like the B Series Pro, but a bit better, with better fasteners and metal end caps, a bit more responsive, more high wind options, etc.

If you want to buy a new B-series this is the only place I've seen one. Last one I bought from them drop shipped from Rev. The night edition would be cool. http://www.awindofchange.com/product/Rev-B-Series-NIGHT.html

Welcome back. unfortunately kiting has declined since the 90's. Manufacturers aren't as numerous, especially in the US. Definitely check out Lam Hoac's kites. He enjoys conversation and is very helpful. I also like my LumoKites by Antonis Loumiotis A lot of top flyers are making and flying kites based on open source plans http://www.kareloh.com/kite-plans I've been told that Krijn Hemminga can make a lot of the open source sails and you just add the hardware. Check out Virtual Freestyle for some great trick performances and to see what kites top flyers are competing with http://vf.kiteclique.com/