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windofchange

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Everything posted by windofchange

  1. Length of string all depends on the kites you will be flying. It will usually vary from kite to kite so no one length is used as a "standard". That's all the fun though, hook the kites up, launch them in the air and then if you see a problem, pull the line down while the others are flying, fix it and relaunch again. You can spend hours playing with line laundry which is all part of the fun factor. When I am flying some of my giants thats what we do is constantly change out line laundry all day long to paint the sky different colors. Large bowls, other kites, tails, streamers, banners....its all fun and there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to fly them all. Let your creative personality run wild with it and have fun. One thing to mention is that your drawings/pics you posted are both considered trains, but in your first picture with the different sized kits the kites will usually fly behind the main flying line and not in front of it. The only way that a kite will be flying in front of the line is if the kite on the top has a huge amount of drag compared to the kite in the front. This will usually cause flying issues but once again, thats just part of the fun - finding out which kites fly where and how to get them all up and flying at the same time. Warning though.....this type of activity can lead to the uncontrollable urge to purchase larger anchor kites and tons of streamers, tails, bowls, banners, flags and anything else that requires long lengths of ripstop nylon. :)
  2. I don't understand what you mean by the standard "TRAIN" effect....to my knowledge you really only have two ways of stacking kites on a line. Option 1 - connect them all together off of one single line to form an arch Option 2 - connect them in a daisy chain - one after the other - to form a train. In your post, you mention that you desire to put at least one kite on the end of the line, this leads me to believe that you want to train them together. If so then put your largest and best lifting kite on the end of the line and then hook all other kites via carabiner or other method to the line wherever you wish. Your end kite would be a sky anchor which will hold the line and all other items off of it. Everything else would fly off of that single line. If you put the smallest kite on the end or if the end kite is not capable of holding up all the other kites, the larger kites down the line will end up pulling the line away and down from the top kite and they won't fly or look properly. Here is a page that explains a pilot or lifter kite and how to attach it. The pilot would actually be your largest kite at the end of the line: Gomberg Pilot Page Hope that helps, if that is not what you were asking then please let us know more details and we can help you out.
  3. Kite size depends so much on the wind conditions you will be flying in. In our area the 3.0 meter kites are the most commonly used but areas in the Midwest will generally go larger in the 5 or 6 meter sizes because the winds there aren't nearly as consistent or strong as what we normally have here. For land boarding you may want to consider getting the Peter Lynn Twister II instead of the Hornet as the Twister II has a bit more lift and will get you going a little easier on the board. I would recommend starting out with the 3.0 meter if your winds are normally 10 to 20 mph when you fly. If the winds are much less say....5-12 mph then you would probably want to start out with the 4.1 meter or the 5.6 meter. Also, flying on a control bar may be easier for you on the mountain board. The Hornet comes with control handles but the Twister II can be ordered with either handles or a control bar. Also, if you get the control bar you can add a harness later on should you choose to do so. If your local shop doesn't carry the Twister II's then let me know. We have full stock on all Peter Lynn products.
  4. The Ballistic was produced by New Tech Kites and is a step up from their Thunderfoil series. It was available in quite a few different graphic configurations including the Burner (flames) eclipse (red/black sun thing) Portal (spinning fan graphic) Blue vortex and Red Vortex (both color pattern with black). The Ballistic was an ok foil for people wanting to get dragged around on the beach or park but it really lacked the high end performance of some of the other introductory model kites like the Ozone Flow, HQ Beamer and Peter Lynn Hornet. With the very low aspect ratio of the Ballistic, it had a ton of grunt when centered in the window which would jerk your arms off quite hard but it was very slow and lost most of its power once it got past the center of the window. Because of this it was very hard to use in a buggy or on a board because it would give tons of sideways pull but you couldn't get much acceleration from it. The Ballistic came in several sizes: 2.2 meter, 3.6 meter, 4.9 meter and 6.2 meter. I don't think that all color patterns were available in all sizes though. I don't think the Ballistic is still in production but if you check around you can still find a couple shops that may carry the older stock. Personally I think you could get one of the other kites that I have listed for just a little bit more than the closeouts on the Ballistics and end up with a kite that flies better and has better performance. The Ballistic series did have some very nice graphics though and is much more colorful than the other kites I have listed. If you are dead set on getting another one of these, do a google search for New Tech Ballistic kites and you should be able to find a couple shops that may have them. Hope that helps.
  5. 40 euro comes out to about $52.00 plus shipping & customs. This will put the price around 75-80 bucks minimum. For that price, you could add on about 10 bucks more and get a Prism Quantum which is a fantastic kite and parts are very easy to get from basically any shop. Another kite would be the Premier Wolf running about the same price that is an incredible kite that tricks excellent. For 75-80 bucks you can also find the Flying Wings Acrobatx, also available from pretty much any decent kite shop, comes with lines, straps and the Acrobatx won the 2006 kite of the year award from the KTAI. Fantastic tricking monster of a kite that you can surely grow with. You can find plenty of awesome reviews about the Acrobatx on this site. You can purchase an Acrobatx from us here if you don't have a local kite shop in your area: Flying Wings Acrobatx from A Wind Of Change Not that the Genesis is a bad kite or anything, but I think you can purchase a kite for nearly the same price here in the states that will be as good or better...and get it in 2-3 days without the hassle of international shipping. Hope that helps.
  6. The biggest difference between a "cheap" kite and an expensive one is usually the materials that are used to produce it. Most high end kites are produced with Icarex or Ripstop Polyester material. These materials are quite expensive to purchase and run the cost of the kite up much more than say Toray or Chicara or even standard ripstop nylon. Also, different materials have different types of coating on them to help protect them against UV damage as well as being somewhat water repellent and the coatings also effect the amount of porosity (how much air can blow through the material). The higher end kites usually have much better coatings that allow the kites to fly better in different wind conditions. The second and usually the most unrealized cost is the time that is put into producing a high end kite. With some kite manufacturers, they can spend up to a year or even longer fine tuning and perfecting a design so that once the kite is finished, the kite is absolutely the best it can be in all areas. Each re-design and tweak can be as simple as moving a tow point, changing the bridle, swapping out rods - all that can be done on the same prototype. But other redesigns such as deeper sail, higher aspect ratio, different shapes all mean that the maker has to sit down and re-build a whole new kite. Most of the time the new rebuild replaces the older design and the old design is trashed and no good to anyone. I know of some kite makers that have worked on a kite for a year and a half and have gone through hundreds of re-designs, resulting in building the same kite (with new ideas) two or even three dozen times. So when the design is finally ready to market, you are not just paying for that one kite but actually paying for 30 - 40 different kites that were needed to get to that one final design - not to mention the hundreds of hours it took to get the kite finished. Total cost of building one high end kite could be as much as $20,000.00 or more if you added up all the hours, all the materials, the packaging, shipping, marketing, labeling etc.... Then when you divide that cost over 75 to 150 kites that will be sold over the next year or so (hopefully more will be sold but that would be pushing it), you end up with a kite that costs the kite maker to build about 150.00 to 200.00 each. The one kite you are purchasing may only cost about 30-40 bucks in materials....but you aren't really paying for that one kite, but paying for the designer and builder to produce a kite that is absolutely a dream to fly which includes everything else listed above. A "cheap" kite takes about oh.....20 minutes to design and finalize. Plug it into a computer, cut one demo, take it out and if it goes up then its ready to go into production. People who design "cheap" kites really don't care if the kite can do everything....or even care if it can do anything. As long as it goes up and looks pretty, its done. Not only is there no real R&D, but the materials are usually whatever is cheapest at the time. As said before, when it comes to high end kites and "cheap" kites...you really do get what you pay for. Now I am not saying that if you purchase a high end kite such as a Skyburner or Blue Moon you will instantly become the next worlds best pilot and be able to do everything under the sun....but the high end kites will allow you to learn faster and be much easier and nicer to fly - and if you are working on tricks, the high end kites will do those tricks much easier and smoother. Some tricks just can't be done on a "cheap" kite. One thing is for sure though, if you can't do a trick on a high end kite, chances are it isn't the kite that is holding you back. There are some really great kites that are inexpensive. I would not call these kites as "cheap" because these kites are actually made by some really good kite designers and are made from some really good quality materials - "cheap" to me means they are kinda junky kites. These are not junky or "cheap" but very affordable. Some of these would be the Premier Nighthawk, Premier Wolf, Premier Jewel, Premier Addiction, Prism Quantum, Prism Nexus, Flying Wings Acrobatx and I am sure some others that I can't seem to recall right now. All of these kites are very capable of doing a majority of today's tricks and all of them can be purchased under $100.00 - and they come with good quality lines and straps!!! So an affordable and capable kite doesn't necessarily have to be a "cheap" kite that you can't grow with. Hope that helps.
  7. The biggest problem is that you are requiring a lift of 110lbs (50kg). Thats quite a bit of weight on a kite. A large Cody could do it and would do it pretty easily but should the wind or line or kite fail, thats quite a huge amount of weight to be tumbling down towards the people on the ground. A large Peter Lynn Twinskin foil would be able to do it as well but you would have the same safety issues regarding failure. Another possible issue is that your kite will drift somewhat in the winds depending on how clean the winds are at the time. This may cause the bottom line your robots are climbing on to whip back and forth. These wouldn't be an issue at all with a helicopter because it can stay in the air under its own power and is not dependent on the current weather conditions. Relying on Mother Nature to supply a good clean steady breeze is well....not that reliable. In order to lift the weight amounts that you are requiring, you would need a very large kite (which takes extra care for launching and maintaining) and a very good wind to launch it in and lift the weight required. Don't want to sound to negative, just trying to offer some situations and possible avenues for development. If the weather wasn't so unpredictable, this would be very easily accomplished. Hope this helps spur some ideas.
  8. Attach a line permanently to the 12:00 and 6:00 position of the frame - stretched flat across the bottom of the sail. Then attach a clip to a single line and clip it to the fastened line on the kite so that it can slide back and forth without snagging. The flying line will slide from 12:00 to 6:00 as needed allowing you to do yo-yo (out and backs), spins, etc... When the wind blows the kite will hang off the front of the kite and float in the air. Although you can fly it somewhat in stronger winds, it is most fun in zero winds. I have some UFO's here in stock. If you need a picture I may be able to snag one for you. Super fun kite though. I also like the sliding line-through-the-flying-rod feature of the UFO. It allows for much better control and less tangles/snags.
  9. The 3D and 4D are great kites and work well for light winds. They are somewhat limited on the tricks they can do but they do fly very well and are awesome kites for indoor use. The Wala is super fun as well. Not a dual line but still fun to play with when nothing else will go up. You do have a couple options under the $100.00 but they are somewhat limited to what else is out there.
  10. Well, I had a couple of great suggestions until your last bit about 100.00 or less.... The only options that I can think of for a dual line light wind kite under $100.00 would be the Prism 3D and the new Prism 4D. The new Prism 4D sells for $95.00 and comes in a great little case that includes flying line and a space for another lineset. The kite flies awesome and is another testament to Prism's continuing leadership in the dual line kite market. It comes in a variety of colors and packs down very small which is nicer than the 3D that it replaced. We have all colors in stock. For more info and pictures of the 4D, you can click the link below. Purchase the 4D here The Prism 3D is also a great kite but not quite as good as the all new 4D that replaces it. There are still some 3D's left in stock around the globe but they are getting more scarce as time goes on. The 3D doesn't break down as small as the new 4D so carrying it around is a little more difficult, especially if you are wanting to take it on a vacation or when you travel. Still, it is smaller than most dual line kites when they are at their full length while stored. The 3D sells for $89.00 but you can probably find some closeout deals around for a little less as the 3D has been discontinued and is no longer being produced. For more info and pictures of the 3D, you can click the link below. Purchase the 3D here Another option would be moving to the single line Wala from Flying Wings (formerly called the Aerobe). We have been playing with this kite for the last few months now and it really is a blast to fly in zero winds and can also be flown in winds up to 15-20 mph. Zero and Light wind flying is fun, especially when nothing else will go up. The Wala retails around $60.00 and comes ready to fly including line. We have most colors in stock as well. For more info and pics of the Wala, you can click the link below. Purchase the Wala Here If you were not going to limit your selection to under 100.00, there is quite a few more options for you. The Shadow from HQ is a great kite in winds from 2-3 to 8mph and can trick pretty good starting around 3mph. The Shadow retails for $180.00 - lines not included. We have the Shadow in stock but I don't yet have a link for it - sorry. The kite that I have been spending all of my light wind flying on is the Widow Maker UL. This kite is absolutely amazing, even though it only listed as a UL, you can remove the tail weight (and the upper spreader if needed) and it will fly in nearly zero winds. The wonderful thing about this kite is that it will do nearly all the tricks in as little as 1 mph with the tail weight and US in. I can fly the Widow Maker UL in winds that are difficult for most SUL's to fly in. The WM UL retails for $325.00 - lines not included. We have the Widow Maker UL in stock as well. Purchase the Widow Maker UL Here There may also be other options as well but these are the ones that I have the most experience with right now. Hope that helps.
  11. Glad to have you back JoneZ. Have a wonderful time in Montana and best of luck with the rest of your Immigration. Also great news that you weren't hurt any worse in your accident. Get feeling better soon, have a great vacation and take lots of pics!
  12. Not sure bout the older sailors such as the picture posted above, but the newer ones you lay back a bit more in the seat and the boom swings side to side above your head. When you sheet the sail in to its max, the sheet line comes down quite low and sometimes you have to duck and bob your head back and forth from side to side, but most of the time the boom is high enough that it never gets in the way.
  13. Here's some pictures that were just taken from our annual 2010 NABX event here just south of Vegas. We had some awesome times and perfect winds! NABX 2010 - Photo's by John Chilese
  14. Yup, those are blokarts. If you want to step up a little, I would get the Manta instead as I like those much better. For more info you can look at www.nalsa.org I own a Manta windjammer as well as a twinjammer (ok, the twin has been officially confiscated by my wife). We sail as often as possible as well as kite buggy. It's a very addicting sport but is more fun than you can possibly imagine!!! Btw, anyone hear about the greenbird ecoticity project that set the new official land speed record for a wind powered vehicle last year at Ivanpah? It hit 126 mph - all 100% wind power. Now that was cookin'!!!! Greenbird project website
  15. Very nice. Doesn't make much of a difference if it is the ITW version or one of the originals - other than the prestige of having one that was hand made by the master himself. I also own the ITW versions - both the Sky Bird and the Cloud Bird. Beautiful kites and they fly exceptionally well.
  16. Is that an actual George Peters version or is it the Into the Wind version?
  17. If you are planning on purchasing an EXP, you may want to do it in the next two weeks as the price is scheduled to go up for the 2010 models. Just a heads up.
  18. Come over to the dark side!!! We have cookies! :P Now that you have crossed over to the dark side, you will discover that we don't actually have cookies...but hey, this is the dark side after all, what'cha expect?
  19. One thing that may help is to put a twist in your lines (loop the kite) before doing a roll-up. This helps keep the lines close to the kite closer together so they don't flail around as much.
  20. Haven't heard of it??? Wow, don't know what to say..... I don't think I have ever been in a situation where I knew something that you didn't...I got to stall for a moment and take this in....so that's what it feels like....wow.... : ) LOL Blue Moon 61/49 - Indoor / outdoor zero wind kite How the name for this awesome kite came around (quoted from Ken McNeil & his website): The name 61/49 is inspired by the legend of 1930's blues man Robert Johnson. Robert was a solid but unexceptional musician with a strong desire to be the best that ever lived. One dark Mississippi midnight, Robert met the devil down at the crossroads and made a deal for the talent to be the best in exchange for his soul. That crossroads? You guessed it, the intersection of routes 61 and 49. As for Robert Johnson, he died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 27, having recorded only 42 "takes" of 29 songs. His music, however, has lived on to inspire and influence many musicians, including Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. Of course, the story of Robert Johnson and the crossroads is a legend, some say a fairy tale. I see it as a metaphor for change, and for making a decision to move in a new direction, even if there might be a cost. For Blue Moon, the 61/49 represents not only a new kite, but a change in philosophy that might just impact everything we do. A crossroads, if you will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbNOWuvWe1o
  21. My favorite Indoor is the Benson Innerspace. When nothing else will fly, I get the Innerspace out. Second - Blue Moon 61/49. This kite has got to be the most fun you can have indoors with your clothes on. Third would be the Flying Wings Aerobe - been playing with this one a lot lately and having a kick of a time with it.
  22. For me, the requirements for a top kite would have to include everything, exceptional tricks, good precision and control and must have top-notch construction / materials. The kite also has to be readily available for purchase at a (somewhat) reasonable price (for a high end competition series kite anyways). Last but not least, the kite has to have that sex appeal look! This can be so controversial on what looks good and what doesn't - but for my post I will put what looks good to me. LOL The top 5 kites are: My # 1 pick - Skyburner Widow Maker - this kite does it all, precision & tricks (more than I can throw at it), and exceptional build. The construction alone sets this kite above the rest with it's rolled seams, wrapped leading edge and Nitro black diamond tapered carbon rods. There's nothing that sets the level of kite like a signed sail, and all of the Widow Makers proudly boast "Made in the U.S.A" hand written right on the sail. Customs even come with Jon T's. Signature - the builder is proud to put his own name on the kite and you will be proud to fly it. The Widow Maker is also one of the few kites to come out lately with a sail layout that isn't claimed to be a "Nock-off" of some other design. The spider look is awesome (IMO) and very unique. No mistake what kite you are flying when you put one of these in the air. For a kite that does it all, the Widow Maker rocks! # 2 - Skyburner Widow Maker UL - Ok, the Widow Maker gets the top two picks from me. Not because of favorites for Skyburner but because both of these kites are just plain awesome in every aspect. The UL is the best UL I have ever had the chance to fly and will trick down in the 2 mph range very easily. It also does more than my feeble skills are capable of doing and does them with extreme precision and grace. Many times I have pulled off a Taz or Comete and known that it was the kite that made the trick possible cuz I screwed up the inputs half way through. Out of all the UL's that I have or demo'd, the Widow Maker UL is the one that other pilots come to me and ask to put it in the air. The range of WM UL covers down to SUL Range (1 - 2 mph when weight and upper spreader is removed) but also very trickable up to 6-7+ mph. Not only will it fly in 1 mph but it will also trick in those winds as well (with a little work). The Widow Maker UL is not just a Widow Maker standard with lighter rods, Jon T. redesigned the entire kite specifically for UL flying which makes me put this kite on its own listing instead of grouping it with the standard. #3 - Benson Deep Space. If you can trick - this kite will push you to the next level of awesomeness!!! Construction is second to none, looks are awesome, roll bars are perfect and the Trick Or Treat DVD just makes you wish you had this kite. If you don't like the Deep Space, work on your skills and then come back to it. Fast paced trick monster to the extreme!!! #4 - HQ Infinity - This is probably one of the most underrated and unspoken dreams of a kite on the market today. This kite is excellent!!! Every bit as good as the highest end boutique kites available today at a price that is very affordable. Completely adjustable bridle system lets you set the kite up for precision or tricks - or just tweak it to fit your personal flying style. It has pre-installed pig tails on all three bridle connection points with about a half-dozen 1/4" adjustments. Tail weight is unique and pre-installed, carbon frame, PC31 Icarex sail. Available in standard and vented models. You can have any color you want as long as it is black and white. Just a very good looking kite that flies even better. # 5 - Flying Wings Soul - Have to give this kite credit because it too has not had near the response that it deserves. Not only is it a high end kite that can compete against the best of them, it has tons of customized features that puts this kite in the upper crust of kites. PVC tubing on the bridle lines to help protect the lower spreaders, folding flaps on the stand offs to keep from wrinkling the sail when putting the kite away, Customized marked rods that have the label reversed on one side so that when assembled the wording reads the same way (instead of one being upside down), customized stitching of the "Soul" logo on the kite, double stacked yo-yo stoppers that can be folded back for precision flying or stood back up for tricks, and top notch construction out of PC31 Icarex. Flying the Soul is a treat as it too tricks with the very best of them, not to mention that really cool "Rising Turtle" trick that the Soul excels at. Well, that's my list anyways. I know there are tons of others that also deserve credit for what they are and can do, but these would top my list.
  23. No comments because everyone is very jealous!!! LOL Actually, my Widow Maker UL is one of my favorite kites and it is (IMO) one of the best made and flying UL's on the market. It's a shame that this kite and Jon T don't seem to get the respect and admiration they both deserve. The colors??? Well... I would have cringed when I first "heard" of the color combination but seeing the pictures - hey, that's rather striking. I LIKE IT!!! Nice kite - let us know how ya like it. I love mine!
  24. My attachment didn't work on the above so here it is again.
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