riffclown

I don't have pictures of them all but 26 kites were finished in 2018. No kites from tails this year. all from either RSN or Icarex. A few meshes and a couple of very unique attempts at doing something new. I'm not counting the one I considered failures that became flags. I'm blogging it here to keep from blasting out the gallery.. You seen probably most of these pictures before.

As far as I know, I don't have an off button.

Decided to go ahead and post a little of the video..

lol!!! Mine too.. Happy New Year to all..

My video didn't turn out very good due to camera angles but I was able to get a few stills from it.. This kite is not as responsive as the snowflake kite but it will eat gusts like no other kite I've ever flown. Hopefully I can get some usable video today before the wind dies out..

I'll shoot you a PM.

100% agree. Both items are quite suitable. I use the Dacron on LE's I make.. I use the Grosgrain or dacron for when I'm adding to an existing LE. For the fold points I use the same Dacron ribbon I use to make the LE. IF the small tear is at the fold points, don't sweat repairing the mesh so much as adding the fold strips. Once you sew the fold strips down the problem is solved for that area.

10 more yards of Icarex along with materials for 15 frames ordered today..

Thanks.. Me too..

Thank You Mark.. Framed and Bridled. This kite is ready for wind.. Unfortunately, no breeze to try it in today. Flight pics and video soon.. Bridles and loose ends will be trimmed up after flight test..

Wear strips and framing remain.. Will finish this up this afternoon!!!

Congrats on a great transaction, locking this thread as we usually do when they’re completed

The springs on the Reflex kites will change the norm for you a bit. Going back and forth between them will give your skills the muscle memory to fly both AND allow you to select what configuration works best for you. Learning to adjust yourself to the needs of the kite is also part of the equation as you have already found out. Personally I think you are on the right path to become an amazing quad line flier. A couple of pieces of wisdom to go forward.. 1. It's never the kite's fault. You've purchased quality products from different sources and you've invested in the proper gear to make them work. From here out, it's YOU.. The kite is doing exactly what you are telling it to do. You just have to learn to tell the kite what you want using the four lines provided. 2. Take care of your gear. It's not a small investment for most people. Know the wind ranges of your kites and try to stay below that upper range as much as you possible can. Once a sail gets stretched, it is stretched. That's a one way trip. 3. Practice and fly with intent. I'm stepping on @John Barresi's line here a bit but the wisdom is very valid. Practice what you want the kite to do and it's an investment into your flying skills. Learn something every time you fly. 4. The latest gadget will not make you a better flier. Only practice will do that. There is no substitute for time on the handles. Skill only comes with practice. The latest gadget or gimmick might make the translation from your hands to the kite a bit better BUT, the kite is still only going to do what you make it do. 5. Find friend to fly with if you can. One on One learning, AND teaching, is the best way to learn and also give back to the sport. Minimize risks to yourself and the public. Fly safely and skillfully. Mind your surroundings and know both your limits and your boundaries. 6. Don't forget to breathe. Enjoy your flying to the max. Making it all work will take the fun out of it.. Give yourself a few minutes each time you fly to just fly and let the kite teach you something. Believe it or not. the kite is also a pretty good teacher if you let it be.

Panels are sewn. Now to trim and attach to center panel. Once done the LE is ready to attach. Kite should be ready to fly by Monday. Except for the small bits to be trimmed in the middle, this is pretty close to the final layout for this project.

We've gone all around with different options and combos to include Handle design and length.. I know you got good leaders. What handles (length and type) did you finally decide to go with? Flying with full brakes will really give you a lot of extra control with gusts and especially when you start loading the sail and working on drive as well as slack line work. Also keep in mind that handle settings for one kite might be slightly different than another kite.

@makatakam Thank you.. Working out the logistics on getting allof the spider to fit on the center panel now. @photomom You inspired me to try this technique.. Thank you..

First a slight disclaimer. since this was my first real attempt at doing any sort of detailed applique, I used scraps to start with. The black was two triangular pieces seamed diagonally to give me roughly a notebook page sized rectangle. The midnight blue PolyMax was two pieces cut from the last kite and seamed in the center to make a triangle to build upon. I was NOT expecting this to actually work so didn't plan ahead on a few fronts. First rollback decision was to no back cut due to the thinness of the legs. This decision gave me a nice black spider even on the backside when light is shining through. This decision also allowed me to work a small piece of classic Robin red between the layers of the body so I could fully back cut the hourglass from both sides..End result is the hourglass just glows and the double layers of fabric around it makes it look even brighter..

Realized I'm going to have to borrow a frame from another kite to finish this one.. Time to place another order for spars.

About an hour's worth of work and now you can see the Spider. It's a little rough but it's also my first try at this level of detail. In retrospect, I made the legs too thin to be back-cut well so I'll only back cut the hourglass which will be bright red.