mebeatee

If I'm correct it is a Dream Machine by Lam Hoac...?? You can contact Lam here... http://www.skysportdesign.com/contact/ The standoff position can tighten or loosen the sail a bit. Also if there is a tensionable leech line in the kite's trailing edge, that may be the ticket. Is the kite new or flown as the sail could be stretched a bit over time or ?? I'm sure any of the builders here will know more as well... bt

Well you've let your secret out....the flat of empties......lol. Kewl stuff and concept(s)!!!!! bt

Dunno why but that reminded me of this.....they'll need to add another line or two about supplies....bring a kite!!! bt Hoops and YoYo rock!!!

There was somebody on the old GWTW forum that was starting to make connectors et al..... This is a great idea!!! bt

It sounds as if you may have twiddled with the bridle too much....??? It is a smaller sailed kite as well, and they can be a little squirrelly at times in a good wind. Also measure the bridle itself to be sure it is the same on both sides....something could be amiss. I would suggest setting the bridle back to it's original setting.....hopefully it will be marked....and start over. Fly without adjusting the bridle to get a feel for the kite, as Zuul also mentioned. Adjusting your flying technique is an acquired and mandatory skill and is better than twiddling with bridle settings unless absolutely necessary. If you have some hard crashes make sure everything is ok on the kite....for instance a standoff may shift, or a connector may move.... You also mentioned your other kite which is way different than the Nexus and they must be flown as such which can sometimes be a factor if not already second nature. bt

Plus a kabillion....no to low wind flying is a different beast altogether. It's also a good thing to learn to fly a "standard" kite at it's lowest wind range....for instance the other day I was out with an Aerie K3 and the wind kept on dropping until a PD UL (have a PD SUL as well) would be comfortable, but I kept flying the K3 just to work on those techniques. I would much rather fly a standard in it's lowest wind range than an SUL or UL at the top of it's wind range. So when the K3 just wouldn't stay in the air anymore I put up a 0 wind glider kite...the PD sul was at home. I have a bunch of SUL and UL kites (duals and quads) as I don't much like winds over 10-12 mph.....5 and below are my sweet spots. I have also embraced 0 wind glider kites....Wala, Skate, Emong, iFlite, etc. over the past couple of years as well.....way way fun!!! So yeah...the moral of the story is buy more kites!!! However ya gotta learn to fly the ones you have already at their lowest wind range.... bt

Or one could do the longest roll up ever....like the old Deca rolling and unrolling...that would be something. bt

Ya can't go wrong with any Benson kite really. Amazing kites all, and very well built! Of course different models will have different characteristics....but it will feel like a Benson nonetheless and sometimes this is enough. (akin to that blue moon feeling....of which I am quite enamoured...) However I didn't appreciate the Gemini and the only reason was...to me a more non trickster...it gave away basic tricks too easily.... I had a Reflex at the time and again way different kites but they were Benson's and had a feel....which was nice!!! bt

Wow!!! Nice score and id's of the kites. I have a red/grey/black Mantis (among many BMK's.!!!) The sail can have a 3D effect in the air. bt

I hear ya, and my reply was sort of in jest re buying (more) kites, as I'm sure you have a bunch... I've come to the conclusion that my physical "isolation" from the kiting community is sort of a blessing in a way as I can still go and fly in a couple of places within walking/hiking distance from my house, and take the appropriate kites with me for those flying spots. Even at the beach(es) close to me, like across the street, very rarely are there kites in the air except for the "running around with the plastic kite" folks who have an absolute blast. I purposely go to another spot more for safety reasons when this happens. No biggie. I don't mind the isolation part as one of the reasons I fly kites is to savour my alone time....my "job" as a musician is very social. Now having said that I am missing my work and socializing, as this is the time of year I should be out touring festivals....with an iFlite in the stick back, a Switch in a snare drum case, and a Rev 2 with 2wrap travel fame in the hardware case. I have a friend who is a sponsored flier and he normally would be touring around kite fests, and also has not been able to physically connect with his team of fellow fliers. And like yourself, has a few new spiffy kites that haven't seen airtime yet. Plus of course being cautious, I haven't been able to go and hang out with him and try out new stuff. I would have to deal with ferries and the city....not.... My partner and myself help produce Art and Music fests, and although she still has admin work to do, there is a huge cultural drop....except for "virtual" stuff and like a kite fest, not the same at all. Yep....pretty crazy times, and like yourself I have zero interest in antisocial media....except for this lifeline here. So thanks folks for all your virtual companionship!!! bt

Well the only solution to your dilemma is to buy a few more kites.......SERIOUSLY!!! 0 wind glider kites....there ya go. There are a great variety of them and you can fly anywhere from your living room to where you do your bridle testing..... Mr. Barresi also has a fine small dualie that doesn`t need much room...etc etc There were folks who made mini revs many moons ago....some probably still do. I used to have some decas as well....I`m mentioning this because of your kite making skills pix/vidz. I am extremely fortunate in my kite "field" only succumbs to tides, however those ocean breezes are not sometimes.... More often than not these daze rather than an sul Rev (1 or 1.5) or a sul dualie I`ll put up a no wind glider kite.... I also (used) to tour with iFlite kites to get my kite fix. It`s cool to be able to put a kite into a drumstick bag!!! So there ya go.....buy some more kites...!!! bt

There needs to be some clarification..... First off the old B series and the new classic (in B sail pattern) are the same except the new classic series has the features of the B pro....ie doubled/sewn up LE ends....no more rev fray...yay!!! The only real difference is the new classic B has the velcro bits on the back side for Rev`s reflex frame system... I have a grey fade and did not need the frame or reflex stuff when ordering....sail only (have many frames)...and the velcro bits were on the sail. If you have an SLE sail....then it has a different sail pattern from the B pattern. The present EXP pattern is the same as the old SLE pattern...which given colour choices, can sometimes look way better than a B....huge factor. I digress....I have a full vented SLE sail and also had a full vented B.....yes I sold the B and kept the SLE....also, very important, the SLE can be the name of the kite only and will have a regular frame and NOT include those confounded tomato stakes they used back in the day....hence the SLE (rods) name. Either/or ya got yourself a nice kite....now the fun stuff... If you`ve saved 80 bux on this kite you are now 80 bux closer to your next kite as it is virtually impossible have only one (or two or...), or there is that other lineset/bulk spool, frame??? bt

Yowza...I really like that sail pattern.... That`s quite something!! It reminds me of....and please take this as a huge compliment...Steve Tapp`s multi paneled Enigma in a (your) quad sail. Maybe it`s the colours???...dunno but I`m thinking my eyes may get kooky after flying that for a while....guess you`ll have to send it over here to test my theory...lol. bt

I always switch tops and bottoms after every session as this way they will get a more even "stretch" over time. Try this next time you go flying.....just fly normally and keep track of how much, and often, tension is used on the top lines vs. the tension on the bottom lines. Now if you are doing more fancy or aggressive flying....axle's, pancakes, et al....again keep track of the tension on the tops vs. the bottoms. Even just keeping the kite in a stationary hover..... Notice anything? bt

Coolio....the "collection" has started.....wahahahaha. bt

Ooh la la!!!! That's a nice one!!!! Yup....very "easy" kite(s) to fly, and yes it will "give away" some moves while still retaining that mystery of wtf was that???? There are many reasons why the Mamba has been around for such a long time and still rules the roost as it is by no means a one trick pony...one of the best allrounders ever!!! I think you will be very and pleasantly surprised at how well it will fly and perform in UL wind territory!! (Sometimes I enjoy my std Mamba more than my ul Mojo in low winds) Most definitely a kite you'll want to grow and dance with..... bt

Yay!!!! Good on yaz!!! Yes all lines must be of equal length....and that's just scratching the surface....check out the following for starters.... https://kitelife.com/video-tutorials/ Have fun!!! bt

I'll keep it "Mamba" mode....here is a pic on this iPad....more on another unit. (I have a Mamba, Killer Bee, Mantis, Mongoose, Mojo ul, 3 Air Fx (2 standard, 1 vented), K2, and K3. The Mongoose and the K2 needed some time for me to appreciate....but woweee!!! The Mantis and Mojo also needed a couple of sessions to figure out as well....(not that I will ever figure them out and don't want to). I remember Ken saying on his site he made the Mongoose for "him" and his style of flying, so I learnt pretty fast I don't/can't fly like him.....I am a total old skool flier btw, fwiw. Just for fun I went to BMK to see what was happening these days and to check out the 61/49 kite.....I'll be saving for quite a while for that one...lol.. I noticed some new variations on the Mamba and went....wtf.... Here ya go....my Mamba was inspired by a Killer Bee that I had acquired. I was also interested in Ken's evolution as an independent kite artist/maker so as they came up for sale I bought what I could when I could. So for fun here's my Mamba and Bee side by each. bt

I have a Mamba....along with a whole bunch more BMK/Aerie kites. (the only brand I have more of are revs). The bestest!!!!!! There's a reason the Mamba is still around....and you're going to find out why!!!! And yes the vinyl end caps are pretty well a go on any dualie....otherwise known as Dorsal caps....you GWTW folks will recall 😉.. bt

Ok then.... Carl Robertshaw 1 Cool Sedgwick 1 Zen white/grey/black/green 1.5 SUL blue/black/white 1.5 SUL red/orange/gold/white 1.5 sle layout....blue/black/white/mylar 1.5 sle layout mid vented red/black 1.5 sle layout full vented black/white 1.5 B layout grey fade 1.5 NYM black/white/gold 2 yellow self vented 2 Sedgwick layout orange/white 2 Sedgwick layout hot 2 Sedgwick layout cool indoor/0wind teal/black All kites have multiple frames and the 1.5 SLE panel layout's have NO SLE's....just panel layouts. I had a 4wrap and an SLE in a self vented (and sold) hot Sedgwick Rev 1. The hot Sedgwick 2 has a 2wrap travel frame. Over the years since I started....1994....I've sold 3 1's....2 blue/yellow, 1 Sedgwick hot self vented; 2 first run 1.5's...standard and sul; 1 sle panel w/mylar, 1 phantom 1.5; 3 solid colour 2's....red/purple/hot yellow. Most of these were sold to folks looking to add to stacks. I've also sold all of my Deca's.....1 Deca 6; 2 blue/red/black 6ft Owind Deca's; 4 0wind minergy's...blue/red/black(x2), white, grey/red/purple; 1 teal minergy. My faves given optimum winds are the 1's followed by the 2's, and then the 1.5's. I still contend the 1.5's are a compromise between the 1 and 2....which in essence they are I guess. An excellent size for sure but a drag in a way as there is a whole generation of new fliers that only know the 1.5 sized kites irregardless of maker. Also I do not like 120' lines except on the 1's....100' max on the rest. Many handles and line sets as well. I generally like to use the lightest line and frame I can get away with depending on wind.....the 1's with a 2 wrap rule all for me. I don't like strong winds and very very rarely will I go out when the winds form whitecaps on the waves. Fave winds are 0 to about 6 or so..... bt

There's a story in the Spring 2020 issue of the AKA mag that includes a bit about an atmospheric research team flying very high altitude kites and having their 8 meter double conyne's line break at 4000 ft........!!!! It goes on to say it kept gliding for about 15 min (with payload weight and tether helping to keep it stable) and they were driving around following the kites untethered flight. They were able to see the kite land and it was ok.... bt

Well I lucked out big time on the ol' gwtw forum that had the bestest swap meet!!!! Especially when everyone was into getting the new shiny....so some classics were sadly overlooked as they didn't just hand out all the latest flippy flappy tricks so nobody wanted them...am I being biased here...lol.... I ain't no kite trickster by any means, and must admit was under under the tutelage of Mr. Ray Bethel who would let me try out his PD's and Kestral's when I lived in Vancouver. It took about 30 seconds to fall in love with the PD sul and all the PD kites fly the same, which cannot be said for other standard vs vented kites of the same model. I must also add I got my vented AirFX (which is way rare) from this here wonderful place....so ya never know! Skyburner made a whole set of PD's but were mainly known for the sul. I first bought a PD sul locally, scooped a PD ul from the infamous Paul Fouts collection, plus a PD vented from the same forum. I have pix on another machine...on iPad now...will check later. In the meantime here are a couple of pix that show a whole PD set that were up for sale on that old forum.....crappy pix but you can see them. The person didn't want to break up the set so I didn't get the PD standard.....and couldn't afford the whole set.... Again these kites are not mine....in gwtw swap meet...many moons ago. I have a gold sul, black/white/blue(s) ul, and black/white/teal vented and will look for pix..... bt On a side note....and hope he's OK.....search Breezin's posts here on this forum, as he well documented his foray's into brutal wind flying.

Just because one has a vented (dual line) kite, this does not mean that the usual "slack line tricks" will be attainable......where's Breezin when we need him as he flies in crazy winds and has tackled this subject. The same applies in zero/low wind flying... There are some variable venting kites out there....have Ken build you a Mamba.....(is that reference allowed??). I have a vented AirFX, and a vented Pro Dancer....I can fly them in below the rated wind range but why as they are part of sets of kites...sul to vented. The only vented kite I have that can have a lower wind range is a vented Rev 1.5 that I put a 2 wrap in, or a full sail Rev 2 that I put a 2 wrap frame in as well. That's the cool thing about Revs....changing out frames.... Now having said that the other 1.5 sized quads....Djinn, OSK can do this as well. The moral of the story is buy more kites!!!! bt

I can't answer your question as I've never seen a "Grace" except in vids....but it looked cool.... Are there any Grace's around.....discontinued? I have a Wala 1 and a 2 and the 2 glides better but I haven't closely compared the setups of them...re more flying vs more gliding.....I'm going to leave them as be because of the difference(s). I have some iflites, zero g, emong, and 1 into the wind skate and a focus skate and all fly/glide differently, which I wanted. Check out the glite, soar and flick on the Gomberg site.....sweet deal on all 3.... Also...here's another comparison....Wala and G-lite........ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1tjmDZW5do8 bt

I was going to say a Peregrine as well or a Pro Cheetah......but the framing/fittings threw me off. I have a 3/4 Peregrine.... There are a bunch of us with oldies but goodies kitewise. Good luck with the refurbish!! On another note....my Mom lives in Chilliwack and I (used to) go out and visit from time to time...... bt