midibot

End of an Era, indeed. Era has been defined as “a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.” Certainly applies to Ken in apparently ‘closing the book’ on sport kites. One of my first REAL stunt kites was the Air FX, which I acquired some 25 years ago. He’d already been building kites for quite a while before that. Still have that and a few others by him, and with good reason. Kinda sad, really, the thought that there will likely be no more dual liners from those hands. Things change. One will adjust to it. .

I have not tried spectra fishing line myself, but there are people here who have, or have discussed it. Using the search function on here I came up with this relatively recent thread which seems to advise against it, depending on the braid or weave (scroll down a bit in there): https://kitelife.com/forum/topic/10139-line-sets/#comment-79696 There are other comments by awindofchange and others in an older thread on another forum that may prove helpful: https://www.revkites.net/forum/topic/6166-spectra-fishing-line-vs-spectra-kite-line/ Let us know how your experiment works out if you proceed. It may be a useful addition to the knowledge base. .

I don't know how to say this, but here goes. The impression I get from seeing them online is that Hendga kites are quite low end. And that may be an understatement. The sole direct experience I have had with them is that of a quad of an acquaintance which exhibited substandard materials and construction compared with other kites, including others also made in Asia. Dare I say it: you get what you pay for (more or less). There may be other viewpoints on this, however. And if I am wrong, I am more than glad to revisit and/or revise my opinion. Hope that helps a little. . .

The Prism Guide to Kite Repair may be of assistance, depending on the nature of your repair: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0595/2906/8726/files/Guide-to-Kite-Repair.pdf?v=1636391279 If that doesn't help (or even if it does!) perhaps provide a little more detail on which part of the frame you are fixing, and, if possible, provide a pic or two and someone here may have more specific answers for you. And get that thing back into the air! .

Looks like the Flying Wings Jeager to me. I had two of them I got in the latter 1990s as well. The name always seemed to me to be a misspelling of the bird (or hunter), but that may have been intentional (?). Somewhere I have a copy of the original instruction sheet if that becomes relevant. .

Awesome old-tymey stunt kite. It looks like this one may even pre-date standoffs, which really does underline the age of the design. Early 1990s or so? Big time pull in a good wind, a real butt dragger! I have several, or would be all over this. 'Specially at this price. Thanks for posting this, it brings back memories. .

That is a good sign. You are pushing it. Timing develops. Happily, the Jammin' just uses 6mm or so pultruded, relatively cheap and plentiful. (I keep a stash on hand!). .

It’s funny how one takes some things for granted after awhile, and it becomes like riding a bike - you don’t even think of the mechanics after the initial stages (when you are probably thinking too much, if you are like me). So today when I went to fly after reading your post I decided to pay particular attention, and ‘watch’ myself do some snap stalls. Winds were a little on the strong side for some of the kites I had initially hoped to fly, so I pulled out the venerable Dodd Gross French Kiss. It likes a bit o wind. Thinking back, the turning point for me on the snap stall was practicing by taking it to the top of the window, and pointing the nose down, and flying down, to the snap stall. That snapper is a 180 degree change of direction, rather than the 90ish one does with some side to side stalls. An aggressive push with the right hand, to ‘take the wind out of the sail’ as someone described it, then pulling the same hand back somewhat and then pushing with both hands forward to settle the kite. Sometimes coupled with a bit of a walk forward, depending on the wind. One develops a feel on that. So the thought of ‘shaking the wind out of the sail’ is a mental image that helped me. Way back then (late 90s) I was flying a large big sailed kite in moderate winds when I learned it, so it was all kinda slo-mo, which I think also helped. That was an Aerie Air FX, a big 8-footer which was rock solid in precision manoeuvres. Still is It seemed easy on the French Kiss, but not sure I’d be starting on that if I had a choice. So yes, the kite matters, along with the wind. As one gains confidence, after starting the recovery fairly high for a while, you can try doing ever closer to the deck. Along the way, the 90 degree snapper came easier for me. Fun and games. Maybe a tip stab down the line…and...and...and... I agree with mebeatee -- a liberal dose of the 3 Ps is in order. And a lot of fun along the way. (Not sure this adds much other than a slightly different perspective, but there it is.) .

I think the two brass tail weights are intended to be at the bottom end of the spine, under the velcro bit. On some of my kites,(including my Jammin'), the friction of the tunnel at the velcro is enough to hold such weight(s) in place, but other kites have a 'stopper' such as a rubber O-ring, or a glued section of tubing where such friction may not be enough. A strip of electrical tape would do in a pinch. Experiment with trying it also with just one of the brass fittings, and none, to see what you like best for performance. Generally it affects the flippiness or fore-and-aft sensitivity, and thus ability to do certain tricks that require different capabilities that way. For instance, it makes doing Jacobs Ladders and Flapjacks easier to have the weights in, but at the cost of some stability perhaps. All quite kite, wind, and flyer dependent, and preferences may be subjective to the individual. Hth. .

My Sixth Sense STD at noon today - hope the pic works. This was a good day for it, with winds out of the south at the local soccer field, a good direction to maximise smoothness of the wind in that location. Variable, but around 12-14 kph (8mph-ish) and just about perrrfect for me. I was prepared for lower winds as well, with some ULs along in the bag (including the matching Sixth Sense UL). Delightful!

Very peaceful flight, mebeatee. Delightful. Great setting. Nice flying, too. What was the wind do you think? Lines? S'a big kite. (I had to look up ‘aleatora’ — found it means ‘random’ in Esperanto...? Interesting.) .

Wow! That was an exhilarating watch from the comfort of my couch. Well done. (I had to look up and refresh my memory about Nordic skates. I guess it might be a little trickier on my old hockey skates, eh? 😉 ) .

That's terrific. Do keep the group apprised on your adventures! .

Have to agree - $400 US dollars is an Outstanding budget. Higher end sport kite brand new, or maybe a couple of decent used ones. If the latter, maybe a Std and an SUL or UL to broaden enjoyable wind range. Think that moving up in size to a 7-8 footer will do wonders for performance and enjoyment. The smaller ones are quick little bombs, but larger kites -- ooo la-la. A fun mission for OP in any event! .

Price: may depend where you are, but a quick look for me here in Canada shows a sale price of $199 CDN at one vendor I found, for comparison. (You do refer to Canadian dollars in your post). Age: As long as it is a brand new kite, unflown and stored properly I would not be concerned about the design age if it goes back as far as you mention. While not everyone would agree, I think dual line sport kites have not changed THAT much in the intervening time. Many of my kites are as old or older and fly with the best, and newest, today. Again, just my experience. Have fun! .

Totally understand on the price thing. Good idea to know your budget and stay within. (Not always successful that way myself 😉) The Silver Fox UL is a good kite, particularly if it is the latest version tweaked by Lam Hoac, but there is the cost as you say. Not familiar with the other kites you mention. Sounds like you like the looks of the Insync, and it likely will bring some smiles I should think. I have been known to remove (or leave off) the upper spreader to get a bit better lower wind performance on kites, so that may help. I forget offhand whether there are adjustment knots on the upper part of the bridle near the nose but there are options for that as well to tune for the wind. (edit: just checked -- there are knots, so the nose of the Insync can be 'pulled in' or adjusted for lower wind conditions.). Hope that helps. .

Welcome to the forum! I have the Insync. A solid kite, of typical Flying Wings build quality -- good, but not outstanding (to me). From my notes, mine is 12.3 ounces (351 grams) on the scales, so a little on the heavier side of kites of that size imo. The frame sports 6mm pultruded carbon leading edges, which make them relatively easy and cheap(er) to repair. Stiffness comes from the rather nice DT18 wrapped carbon lower spreaders (the specs you list show the slightly lighter DT15, I note). The nylon sail allows it to be a little cheaper to make, perhaps at a slight cost of weight and other performance compared to an icarex sail. I would say that this is a good intermediate kite, somewhat limited in range of tricks but quite capable. Very precise, however. So -- nice, square corners and steady turns, but perfectly capable of a nice axel. It calls for larger arm movements than some kites -- not a wrist-flicking kite, if that makes a difference to your flying style. Fairly solid, approaching heavy, on the lines. I would not call it a low wind kite, but that depends on your local conditions. Features: It has a brass weight in the spine, and an adjustable leech line in the trailing edge in addition to the two standoff setups shown in the pics you posted. Two sets of 4 standoffs, which can be set up in either ‘trick’ or ‘precision’ modes. The included lines at 150# are a little heavy for light wind work perhaps. I tend to use 90#-ish, personal preference in the winds I prefer (10-15kph max). If the price is good, go for it -- particularly if there are no other alternatives! .

Very cool. Lot of deltas and rokkakus, diamonds and eddys and the odd cody. What passed for stunt kites back then? Or did they even exist in competition yet? Inflatables? I’m thinking that a panoramic shot was a feat of technical genius back then perhaps 😉 (I looked at your pic by opening it in a new page and zooming it out -- fun shot but it is maybe a bit fuzzy that way.) .

Wow. Terrific possibility for someone who wants to set up an instant kite making studio (or supplement their own). Not a sewer myself, but certainly have heard of Bainbridge as a sail fabric maker/supplier. I assume ripstop nylon? Any idea of approximate yardage of cloth? May help someone assess. As a side note, pultruded .2200 is in short supply in my experience so nice to see reference to those in there. Amongst all those other goodies. .

Wow. A lot to unpack! Here’s a preliminary go on your inquiry on Flying Wings Silver Foxes (sometimes ‘SF’ here for short) and the Acrobatx. I am familiar in varying degree with all of the kites you refer to, and here are my brief impressions: The Flying Wings Silver Fox 2.3 and 2.5 are similar. As one might expect, the numbers in the names denote wingspan (roughly, in metres). They are both generally fairly largish in feel in flight, and require larg(er) hand/arm movements. Large(r) presence in sky. Very capable. Older design approaching 15 years or so. The UL versions have pretty much the same sails as the standard versions, with a somewhat lighter frame. In my experience they have only slightly lower bottom ends, compared to, say, Benson or Jest of Eve models in comparing STD and UL versions. The 2.3 Pro: a later refinement of the 2.3 in weight, construction, sail and bridle. Still available from a few retailers. Have, and like, the STD; lusting after the UL The 2.2 is a variant (approximately 2018) incorporating Lam Hoac’s further tweaks incl layout, shape, bridle etc, and features such as ‘claws’ on the LE for YoYo manoeuvres. I find the 2.2 UL a more sleek machine flight-wise in comparison to its predecessor. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the 2.2 STD but I would expect similar handling but in higher wind. As in other kites, some tricks may be easier (or at least require slightly different inputs) in one version over another due to weight distribution, etc. Google the review. Acrobatx: also same era as the early SFs but a little smaller, at closer to 7 feet. Heavier build, using more economical materials, with pultruded carbon frame and a nylon sail. No leech line so can be noisy (unlike the SFs, which can be adjusted for this). Flight-wise, quite manoeuvrable. Trick capable but a bit faster than all the SFs generally, in my experience. Not as refined. Smaller hand movements required. Comparatively less pull unless windy and depending on bridle settings. Good bang for buck, especially at sale prices I have seen. Good upgrade from Quantum trick-wise imo. See the review in KiteLife in approx 2006. The UL version has a much lighter frame and sail, and more of a finesse feel, but lighter handling as many ULs are. It is more $$ due to materials etc. Carbon-wrapped tapered spars in the frame. Looks and appearance in all these including colours: being subjective, I can’t comment. Lines: I have several sets but generally use a set of 50# x 75 or 85’ on the ULs, or sometimes 90# in stronger end of the wind range. For STD kites I usually use 90#, sometimes 120# or 150# in more wind. In summary, all of these are fine kites in their own way. TBH, to varying degrees, they might all be considered an upgrade over the Quantum, which is a fine but basic kite in my opinion. (I can’t help but think that more time with your E3 is in your future, as it, too, is quite a capable kite.) While I see and appreciate the place the Quantum fills, comparatively it feels rather … clumsy to me. If that’s not too strong a word. (I still like mine though!) I hope the above is of some assistance. Any Qs, ask away. I am confident that there will be other views on this but this is my perspective. (Just a part-time recreational flyer with too many kites, if that is even possible.)

I didn’t even know there was a forum for kites on Reddit . (Although guess it shouldn’t surprise me!). Checked it out. I find I rather like lower wind flying. As such, I am familiar with the Silver Fox 2.2 UL, and it is a splendid kite, with some tweaks over its predecessor. Mine uses Dynamic spars, which are available, but perhaps not as widely as other rods. I like your idea of sourcing a spare rod or two ‘in case’ at the same time, and sometimes do so myself for the reasons you advert to. On the Badass: yes, the US has a presence for the kites, which I believe are made in Germany but possibly framed In the US for distribution on this side of the pond. The Badass frames are pretty much standard gauge pultruded carbon, single length rather than ferruled, as frob has indicated. That is not a problem for most flyers I expect, unless there are special needs for transportation capacity as has been stated. (Generally, I have not fully broken down a kite to the 1/2 size leading edge mode much, except for shipping. Tend to keep all mine with leading edges assembled.) I have a Badass UL -- love it, too. I ordered it with an extra LE and LS, as I wasn’t sure I could get the extra length jobbies here in Canada. I do believe that there are a number of US suppliers of rods of the longer length needed, including Kites and Fun Things, and I believe Goodwinds and possibly others. At any rate, have fun in your search for a kite. Agree with the idea of trying some if you can, although for me it seems that local flyers are somewhat sparse. I managed anyways, enjoying the journey by winging it with forums, youtube and corresponding with others. .

Hi, Ceremolligence. Welcome to the forum! While I am not familiar with the Sunny, I did a quick google and can see that it is quite a star out there 😉 I do have a number of New Tech kites, most of them going back a ways, some over 10 years old in design. Last time I looked, they do still maintain a website and the one time I wrote them an inquiry some time ago I did not get a reply. You may fare better - worth a try. That said, I seem to recall someone on here reporting on being in touch with them (Frob?), and perhaps there will be a lead there. The company was quite an active one on the kite scene for a fair time but I have not heard anything recently. Hopefully someone will be able to shed a shinier light for you here... .

I can relate to the ‘returning kiter’ aspect, as I came back myself about 5 years ago after a hiatus. So I ‘get’ the feeling. On the Bensons - excellent build quality in my experience. The Deep Space probably has the wider appeal as more of an all-rounder; the Superfly is quicker and more ‘flicky’. I find my SuperNova a larger, stronger feeling kite that requires relatively more in the way of hand movements than the other two, and a larger presence in the sky. But from the reviews and feedback from others, maybe not for everybody (I do like mine). Suggest googling reviews and videos and perhaps threads on here for comments that may help in your decision amongst your alternatives. Depends what you are ‘after’, which may not even be apparent until you’ve looked a bit. Or did for me...and that's part of the fun. The descriptions on Tim’s pages may also help, if you haven’t already done so. Can’t go wrong with any of them. (Where’ve you heard that before? ) ,

Nice job! Really like the effects of the 'fading' of the colours. Somehow it adds depth to the image, almost a third dimension (along with the two-tone and also faded 'iron' bars). You gotta get us a real pic once available, eh? Interesting that Polo uses the Crystal sticks in the frame. I have some Freileins that use them. And great idea on the extra, lighter frame -- can 'mix and match' according to fancy and wind conditions, even combining various weights within the frame such as a T2 'innie' with T1 'outies' on the LE as an alternative to a complete swap. Can see why you were enamoured of the venteds in that video. Oh, to be so near a beach. Keep us posted! .

It was a lot of fun to scroll through your inventory. Many I recognised. Many I didn’t! Can’t go wrong with your choices. While you say you may not be enamoured of the colour of your Tica, it is a fine choice as a ballet style kite and was ahead of its time when introduced (the video posted by BT above brought back memories). The fittings, if some are of the original surgical tubing, may need replacement but not a huge job if not already done. The same could be said of the Wren, another great choice btw imo. The Pro Dancer is likewise a good choice and you have various colour schemes to chose from. Do consider in addition one of the UL versions and the Vented to give a good range of winds the kite can be flown in. (I assume that the ULs are not the SUL version, which is a timeless design still being made and sold today!). I also like the Luna Moth (#1 in your list), as I believe they were flown by the Poys back in the 90s and they were based in my home town of Toronto. Great looking kite that won many competitions in its day. Further Notes (I may have further thoughts if I spend any more time on it but off the top of my head): -you intially mentioned a Rok and hereby remind you of it - great flying kites once trimmed properly for the particular wind. If wanna settle for a wee one, the LL Rok (#36) is a good choice -the Ospreys shown as #2 and #3 in your list look like cute little beginner kites designed by Skyburner but possibly made by Premier. -the NikNak (#5) was well regarded as a kite for very light wind and indoors and is more like an SUL than a UL I believe. -the Buena Vista (#74) I am almost certain is the x4i, a splendid little wisp of a kite that is mainly indoor but also okay outdoors in zero-ish wind. Here’s Hoy’s BFK ad from back then: http://www.bfk.com/kite/ki07013.htm Thanks for posting your stuff. Your dad had a wonderful collection. .