Knuckles_616

While digging around the internet looking for something else I came across the Windswept Kites site. One of the pages [link] directs to a Google Drive containing various manuals and catalogues. In the 'Single line Kites' folder you'll find the instructions for the Sky Delights Dimorphodon.

I came across this video from 2008 [in glorious 240p] of a "soon to be released" prototype freestyle kite from Andy Preston. It looks a lot like a modified Psycho, but that had already been released by 2008. Does anyone perhaps have any further details on this--did this ever reach production, or was it scrapped entirely?

After a second look, the image I shared last night looks to only be a 2-D render of the Dimorphodon, so maybe these weren't the final production colours? I scratched around a bit more this morning, and came across a feature on Joel Scholz' kites from the AKA Facebook page [link]. A few comments down is a photo of the Dimorphodon shared by Joel [link] with colours matching yours!

Howdy, A quick Google image search turned up the following image [link]: You weren't far off searching for Pterodactyl, as the kite seems to be named after another flying reptile Dimorphodon. The kite in the catalogue has the colours of the wings inverted, but hopefully this leads you to more info on your specific variant. Steady breezes!

Bit of an update. While browsing the forums and reading up on open source kite plans, I came across a similar topic from 2021--oddly enough I'd missed this when specifically searching for the term "HQ Flow" 🤦‍♂️ Nonetheless, I'd also come across two YouTube videos by gokitinggr showing the Flow in action: Part 1: Mostly light-no wind conditions and tomfoolery until the 05:20 minute mark Part 2: Some tricks after adding a tail weight Interestingly, the kite in the video doesn't have Flow printed on it, whereas photos from the HQ website (below) do 🤔 Anyway, my Flow should arrive early next 😄

It was about 1995/1996 when I discovered The Kite Shop at the V & A Waterfront, Cape Town. I used to visit every opportunity I could, and eventually my dad bought me a Wild Thang Pro Carbon by High Flyers. [I don't have any photos of the kites, but will add these in the future] The Pro Carbon version cost a little extra than the regular fibreglass version without standoffs. I remember the first time we took the kite out. It was overcast and threatening to drizzle, the "field" was an open plot of land covered in waist high (for a 10-12 year old) bushes, and the wind was probably a little stronger than the ideal conditions for a novice. The roar of the trailing edge as it lifted from my dad's hands was exhilarating. The kite didn't stay airborne for very long, and after some arm gestures--no doubt resembling flag semaphore--the kite went hurtling towards the ground. Fortunately, the bushes provided a softer landing than the dirt. This happened several times, until my dad asked if I'd fully unwound the lines like the instructions said to do. I hadn't, so we unwound the remainder of the line on the red and black handles/winders. My dad had a few goes, and I remember him performing a few loops and figure-eights before also crashing spectacularly in the ground cover. That day we probably spent more time putting spreaders back into place and untwisting the lines before relaunching than we did doing any actual flying, but it's a day I haven't forgotten. Eventually my dad had had enough of retrieving the kite from the bushes, and it had begun to drizzle (or the moisture from the air was condensing on our jackets). We packed up and made the short drive back home. During the next few months we bought and read David Gomberg's books, visited The Kite Shop (somewhat) frequently to admire the bigger kites and watch the promotional videos, and we started flying at a beach rather than the bushy expanse. Eventually, my dad and I learnt to tame the little Wild Thang. Crashes became less frequent, and we learned to manoeuvre the kite to relaunch from most positions. >>Fast Forward ~30 years>> My daughter joined me on a trip home to Cape Town for the first time since 2019 [Thanks global pandemic]! We visited Noordhoek beach--one of the beaches my dad and I spent many hours flying kites at--and I got to share my favourite childhood pastime with her. She wasn't terribly interested, but I had an absolute blast! I flew my second kite [info coming soon™] and the Wild Thang for about 2 hours. It was cathartic. My daughter returned from playing in the waves and excitedly told me about seeing a sunfish and some crabs that had washed up. I handed the controls over to my brother, and left for a walk to see the sunfish. We returned about 20 minutes later to find my brother hunched over a proper bird's nest and muttering something about the lines being too long. Needless to say, that was the end of flying kites for the day, and we started making our way to the designated lunch stop [if you're ever in the vicinity, give Aegir Project a visit]. It took me a good couple of hours to undo the entangled lines, but it gave me further opportunities to reminisce on how much I enjoyed the hobby. Which brings us to the present. I want to get back into the hobby, and have been looking for local spots to fly, as well as getting up to date on the innovations and capabilities of modern dual-line stunt/sport kites. Google and YouTube make this so much easier than 20-25 years ago! -- For anyone interested, here is a review of the Wild Thang Pro Carbon from another forum (there is also a photo of the kite a few posts down): "Wild Thang. I don't like this one. It's small, flimsy, cheap (even with optional carbon frame). Needs a gale to fly in and very fast. I wish that dealers wouldn't sell them to newbies" --Sounds about right. The use of the word dealer is also appropriate, as after that first afternoon I was hooked on trying to get out and fly as often as possible.

I think my 3-D has a punctured nose--something to check on my next visit. I didn't get much opportunity to fly it at the time, but when I did it was an absolute blast. It felt like it wanted to be on its belly performing helicopters rather than being upright and flying. Apart from the 3-D, my older kites need a bit of a breeze to stay airborne. Not a problem back home, but those drills from the Prism videos will definitely come in handy in the future. I was looking at the Prism Nexus 2.0, but maybe the Hypnotist would be a better option though? There doesn't seem to be any one who stock Prism in South Africa, and the custom duties will probably cost the same (if not more!) as the kite. I have work trips to Europe and the United States planned for later in the year, so that could be my opportunity to buy a few kites that would otherwise be difficult (and expensive) to obtain in SA. Suggestions for other manufacturers are very welcome! Thank you, I actually watched those two nights ago Also watched the first part of the Stranger video. I remember watching this intently and learning to emulate Andy's arm movements. Sadly the footage from the wind farm wasn't uploaded by the user. For a longest time the Psycho was my dream kite. I saved up for months, but eventually ended up buying an Erazor instead as it was newer. It didn't come with a VHS 😐 For now I'm focussing on a modern dual line, but not entirely ruling out the possibility of coming home from my trip to the US with a quad

Thanks for the advice @Exult! I learnt to fly at the beach, and was quite spoilt as my hometown has some of the best beaches (and winds) for flying kites. There is a cricket field near my work that doesn't seem to be used all too often, so will enquire about being able to use the space. I also flew a few of my dad's kites, especially a Flexifoil Stranger, and to a lesser extent a Prism Illusion (As a teenager, I was terrified of crashing and breaking it). I definitely plan to give the Stranger some airtime next time I go home. Rare Air's XnTrik was sort of a 2.1 m version of the Psycho. The main reason for buying a new, more modern kite (as opposed to fetching my kites from my folks) is to add something to the bag that I don't already have. I currently have my eye on the HQ Flow for the following reasons 1) it's wind range (3-18 km/h) covers the local conditions, 2) it has a 1.57 m wingspan with a 3 mm carbon frame (my other kites this size all have 5 or 6 mm frames), and 3) it's going for a pretty good price, with lines included. Alternatively, I've been looking at plans for various open source kites. These look fantastic, but sourcing the materials locally might prove problematic. Thanks for the links, I'll give these a watch this evening. My dad bought the David Gomberg books "Stunt Kites!" and "Sport Kite Magic!" I want to dig these out and give them another read. I last read them about 25 years ago! Thanks again and steady breezes!

Not quite new to kiting, but looking to buy my first kite in about 20 years! I live in an area with average wind speeds between ~8-12 km/h (~5-7.5 mph). I plan to mostly fly on sports fields (and maybe the odd parking lot), and am looking for something smaller in size (<1.8 m/70"). Options in South Africa are pretty limited, but a local store has the HQ Flow (at a very decent price too!) I'm not familiar with HQ, but their kites look quite capable from the few YouTube videos I've watched. So my questions are: how sturdy is the Flow is (i.e., will it survive the occasional nose dive into a soccer pitch), or should I be looking for something a bit more durable (e.g., HQ Limbo II, etc.)? Thanks in advance!

Howdy, Thanks for the add. Wanting to get back into kiting after a ~15 year break. Learnt to fly on a Wild Thang, upgraded to one of Phil's (from Far Out Kites) kites, followed by an XnTrik (spelling?; Rare Air), then an Erazor (Flexifoil), and finally a 3-D (Prism). Since those days I've moved to a city that has no beaches, and fewer windy days. Looking to add a more modern model to the bag o' tricks (which is still at my folks place), or try something completely different and go for a quad! Cheers