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  1. Paul LaMasters

    Paul LaMasters

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    Mike Klaiber

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Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/24/2018 in all areas

  1. The whole DC crew is off to the festival in Ocean City this weekend. Do not be afraid to fly other people's kites, we understand when things go wrong but you can try a bunch of stuff quickly and compare side-by-side. If you break a spar we all smile and say THAT"s OKAY, you remember this attitude and carry it forward. We're not paying you if we break yours either! Now with that fear factor out of the way, just come down and join us, try our crap and have fun. I'm new here in DC, only been doing it for a couple of decades @ the Washington Monument. I'm the current president of the local club too, Barbara, my misses is the RTeasurer naturally. Dave Ashworth was our past president. He only builds his own kites and is nationally recognized for his outstanding indoor and SSUL designs (usually they are quad-lined). My coach, Jeffery Burka and other friends in WoW have been Revolution consumers half a decade longer than me. I've got probably 60 revs in various sizes and configurations too, a whole bunch just for no stinking' wind. In fact I'm working w/Dave and Eliot Shook on a new indoor kite that can also go outside, but it can fly standing on one foot with 100 foot holographic mylar ribbon tails. It's Dave's 3rd generation but we are using more durable material now instead of Orcon. We are still in the development stage but I'd value your input as well. Next time you see me, say hi and give it a spanking! I fly EVERY Sunday regardless of the weather and we have a presence on Facebook if you want to join us. We just did an indoor and outdoor gig at the Strathmore Music Hall, also have a display of kites up in the mansion thru the end of the month. I'm the "other Paul" by the way. Paul LaMasters,... my buddy is Paul Dugard we travel as a roadshow to many festivals together. Kind of an ass 'cause he can fly two revs at once and they don't have to match either. I hate him really! Fletch, grand national champion indoors and he and Melissa (Harpster) won Quad Pairs Ballet too. We have every kind of kite enthusiast in our group and no fee for joining since the treasury is cash wealthy. Please join us and master the dead calm flying, so you long for days like August in the District just as the rest of us do. -plm (AKA as REVflyer)
    3 points
  2. I remember watching 'em fly in a dead calm for a whole year in DC (none of my kites from Chicago-land or Ft Lauderdale would fly there!) I remember the first time someone asked me for advise (and I turned around to see who they could possibly be speaking to) I remember the first time I thought I could make a better bridle, then an improved overall design, finally I don't want it made "factory-fresh styled" anymore, make it my way. You can push kite flying in so many directions, the best builder, tuner, flier, team-mate, sherpa, or spouse!
    2 points
  3. I am adding another quad. It doesn't have a name yet, but "Illegal" is as good as any, one of Ashworth's 3rd Gen designs made by Eliot Shook. Pictures to come eventually! Hopefully bridled-up and testing this weekend in ocean city
    1 point
  4. imagine a fine sports car with old useless bald tires, ... it doesn't matter how much power you put out, it ain't getting to that last square inch of the road! Well you kite is that same way, save a dime and see if it effects performance overall? Okay sure, but Save 25% and I will question you again in 60 days and at the end of the year. Did you really save money or in hindsight you should have gotten the best darn tires to fit your ride instead, regardless of their price? I am hard on my lines and fly a lot, (10 hrs a week minimum) so the expense of lines is just a part of being sport kite flier, several times a year I buy new strings. You could make your own handles or even a killer kite, but you gotta BUY flying line no matter what! This is no place to go cheap, save $ on something else and get the best darn lines you can find, it is that last sq. inch of contact with the pavement!
    1 point
  5. SLKs are not my thing (yet?) so I'm not the most suited to giva any advice here unfortunately. However without a set of good quality photos that describes the parts involved in the problem-to-be-solved, the chance of getting good answers from anyone is reduced. Without any more details it is likely that you'll get only general answers. An attempt to help out: If you could deviate from the condition that you only could connect to one point on the previous kite (as expressed in the above ASCII graphics), there would be the common dual line stack way (the only way that I've tried). The typical way to create a DLK stack would be to connect the bridle attachment points to each other, thus reducing the load on the frame of the first kite. If the first kite still would have a too weak frame, a stronger frame (with or without a sail) could be put before the first kite. In the below image you can see the yellow lines connecting the two kites.
    1 point
  6. 1 point
  7. Your best bet, since you're in Washington DC, is to get together with Paul LeMasters. He's over in Germantown and flies near and in DC all the time. He'll probably pop in here and say hi to you since he is quite active on this forum. You may have to wait until Monday cause he's usually out flying on weekends. The best low-wind kites to be found in your area are in his bag and those of some of the guys with whom he flies. Definitely get together with him as he can advise you better because he has so much experience with the "no wind all summer" conditions in your area. The SUL model that Rev made is the go-to production model for low-wind flying. I'm not sure if it is still being made. The best kites for low-wind flying are made by the people who fly them -- in other words, home-made. Low wind flying is quite difficult if you don't have a lot of experience, but flying in it is the best way to learn, so go for it. The Supersonic is a Speed Series kite, and will not leave the ground in wind less than 4mph. At 5mph it is difficult for a pro to keep airborne. When the wind is fast enough it is a total hoot to fly and will do a couple or three things that a standard Rev can't. The Reflex will fly in wind less than 2mph with a lot of footwork and a ton more experience. If you have a ton of time on the lines you can do it. I have home-made kites in my bag that come in at less than 4.5 ounces in weight. They will fly if someone farts. Production kites are no match, so don't expect too much from them. It would be good to sit down and discuss this with an experienced pilot, so that's why I recommend you get together with Paul and the rest of the DC crew. Good luck. Have fun, smile and don't forget to breathe. P.S. -- The DC guys will insist that you try all their kites before you decide what to get. Don't argue, just do it. It will make them feel good.
    1 point
  8. Congrats and... REPRESENT!!! Sent from a Galaxy 8 Far Far Down Under.
    1 point
  9. Must resist urge to stack... I have one and need to keep it that way for now.
    1 point
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