Skyclad01

I may be discouraged right now, but I have no plans on quitting!

That was all my plan this morning, but every time the kite got about half way up, the kite would start to veer to one side (to the right mostly). A couple of times I made it all the way up to the wind window, then the kite would have a mind of its own and off it would go. I've been talking in the chat room between reading all the replies here and have learned that I may have been flying using too much of the top lines. Now I know better than that, and know that I should be steering with the brakes, but with having flying only dualies up to now I may have been instinctively flying with the top lines only for the most part. As is known with a dualie, the only balance you need to know is to pull the lines equally. With a quad, you need to do that as well, but you also need to learn to fly equally with the bottom lines as well.

The EXP

As far as I could tell, everything was attached evenly and nothing was twisted, rods were attached to the back of the kite. I will double check the bridle as best as I know how and one I get the line untangled, I will check to make sure those are all even. I was able to launch from the ground. A couple times I even made it to the top of the wind window for a second. But at no point was there ever a feeling of neutral balance in the kite at all. I was hoping to go out there and be able to launch the kite straight up and bring it right back down and have that mastered within 30 minutes or so. Sadly, with 2hrs time, that never happened.

I have just returned from the park not long ago from my maiden flight. Sadly, it was extremely discouraging. Despite having watched many tutorials on youtube and reading many posts on kitelife and the revolution forum for the past 2 weeks, I just could not get the kite to cooperate with me at all. Set up was easy, but when it came to getting it in the air, the kite just wanted to do its own thing. 2 hours in the park and about 15% of that time was spent trying to keep the kite in the air and the other 85% was spent walking back and forth to the kite to set it back up again, It seemed to keep wanting to fly and rotate to the right despite any input I gave either handle. Now I know that when it starts going to one side, you pull back on the handle of the high wing, but that didn't really seem to faze it much. And when it didn't rotate or fly to the right, there just seemed to be very little I could do to control it. The controls were just so very sensitive that just a quarter inch pull on either handle, or having my hands unbalance in any way would pretty much send it off on its own direction and would end up landing on the leading edge 99% of the time. Twice, I even had to hand rotate the kite to get the twists out of the lines. Not once was I able to just launch the kite up and bring it back down. After those 2 hours, the lines were wound yet again. I tried hand turning the kite to get the twists out, but im not sure if that helped or made it worse. Either way, the winds were picking up and the sky was getting too cloudy for comfort. So I detached the lines from the kite and from the handles, staked one end and spent 45 mins untangling the lines. Unfortunately with the clouds and the wind, it just got too cold to be out there any longer, so I wound up the lines and broke the kite down and went home. I'm guessing next time I go to the park to fly the Rev, that I still have another 45 mins of untangling left before I actually get to fly it again. I am very discouraged and believe that learning how to fly a helicopter would be much easier by far! About the only positive note I have is that there has been no damage to the kite, no rods broken and the lines, despite being tangled at the moment, are still in good shape. Normally I don't get discouraged like this. I stay positive and determined and push through. Now I know this is my first time with a Rev, and I know a lot of the problems were due to me. But having such a hard time flying to this extent almost makes me wonder if its just me, or if theres a problem with the kite, or both?

I have a Rev EXP (my first Rev/quad) on its way to me soon!

Still keeping my eyes open.

Its a spinner.

Good Idea. Don't know why I didn't think of that when I made the topic. I did add that to my original post, plus increased the WTB price a little. If a mod can change the topic line to read WTB: Ready To Fly Rev EXP, then that would be very helpful as I can't change it myself

I figure this would be worth a try at the least. (AKA Ready To Fly) I'm a little bit on the broke side unfortunately and can't afford a new one so I thought I would take a chance here and see what my odd's would be on getting a used one in the $100-$150 (shipped) range. I'm not new to kites, but I am new to quads, and finally after all these years, im starting to hear the call of the dark side.

I know Air Oeuvre is no longer around, but would anyone happen to know the current contact info for Robert/Steve Randolph? I have one of their kites that is in need of sail and sewing repair.

My Suggestions; Hypnotist (Prism) Silver Fox (Flying Wings) Nighthawk (Premire) Techno (New Tech)

Nice Rev & cute kid there.

Im sure there is some minor maintenance, such as you more less said. Like using it at a beach or desert. But I believe its just very basic. I know on some of them you can replace the fan's. For the most part though, it shouldnt take much more than a dusting after every use (for said locations) and oiling the bearings (if possible). Antman can tell you better on that at the time being. And I will be able to give my take on maintenance once mine arrives as I live in the Arizona desert. Antman, does the instructions for yours entail what kind of maintenance is needed/nessescary?

Very true. I dont deny that at all. The thing is im between jobs right now, and cant afford an $80+ wind meter. Often times (though not as often as we'd like) there are products that are just as good as thier more expensive counterparts if you know what to look for. I know im paying a budget price for a budget product. But that does not change the fact that it perform at least as good as the Kestral. I believe I have done as much research as possible on this product with the exception of trying it out hands on (no place around here carry's any windmeters at all). And also on the plus side, is that if it is a junk product, im only out $30. If its as good as im trusting it to be, then my research and intuition paied off. There can be worse things I can spend $30 on.

Ill let you know how it is when I get it. (hopefully within the week). Im really hoping its a quality budget version of your Kestral. So far it "looks" like it. But the true test will be performance and construction.

Unfortunatly, I cant afford a good $80+ windmeter at the moment. Instead of the Caldwell Wind Wizard windmeter, I was pointed to the LaCrosse wind meter for just a little bit more. http://www.lacrosse-psmall.com/lp-la-crosse-ea-3010nl.html Im a thrifty fellow (When possible) and always look for the best bang for the buck. So deciding between those to windmeters was a tough decision. Basically what it came down to was that the Caldwell was only sold at one place and theres not much reviews for it. And of what there was, many of them complained about the lack of instructions and a few complained about it going through batterys and not reading the wind too well. The LaCrosse is sold though several places as well as intothewind. The reviews seemed to be better and the construction looks less fragile than the Caldwell. The Caldwell wind meter may be a good one for all I know, but I felt like I would be playing a lottery game with it if I were to get a good one or not and id rather not take those chances. Hopefully the LaCrosse one will be as good as I hope/expect.

That one looks good, though for about the same price, I still have my eye on this one http://www.windmeter.net/index.html. The only thing missing from this one is it doesnt have a backlight display. Its a tough call as both the one you got and the one im eyeballing are both good meters for the price. Decisions, decisions, decisions! ETA: Actually, I may get this one that I just found http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/...leitemid=894095 I figure for only $20, I cant beat that price (site has the cheapest price - even a better price than the one on ebay) It measures windspead, temp, and wind chill factor and is backlit. The only thing I see that it doesnt have is a min, max, and avg reading (at least not that I can tell so far). But again, at that price, I dont think I can complain that much about those little things.

Those are some Pimpin' handles there!

Looks like I was very much mistaken, sorry. Ive heard the beetles are fast and fun. Never heard anything about them being trickable, and with a wingspan appx the same as the Detonator (which I have, and it isnt a very trickable kite at all), I wasnt expecting it to be. Im glad to know it is after all Sorry about that Dorsal

Forgive me here if im wrong, but couldnt the same be said about the Beetle as well?

Only if you say so, but you da man! without question

I agree with Antman on this one. The Prism Nexus would be a good place to start.