Paul LaMasters

you can do a flush leading edge end-cap attachment point on the leading edge sleeve W/O going to the T-fitting solution too. Bazzer's Phoenix efforts are "lashed down" onto the back of the sail (kinda' like screws into sheet of plywood) instead of a single loop of elastic shock cord. Nothing moves and its absolute totally flush. He also incorporates a doubled row of straight stitching into the trailing edge border (edge binding). This make more of a hard ribbon to slice/cut thru the airstream in reverse flight, as opposed to the much more common triple stitched zig-zag method. Lam does the progressively tighter and tighter zig-zag, like every couple of stitches are a different size, even on his appliqué. A WAY COOL effect that almost nobody else would do except for their own personal equipment. Doing it yourself means you can change anything, even the ridiculous!!! A French Bridle incorporates a "restricter line" that can be used as well, to lock down the end=caps on the leading edge. Doing this also adds a distance between the sail fabric and the frame (up at the top) such that your hand can fit inbetween w/o touching either item. This is the same effect as the reflex solution with none of the pre-engineered flaws. You can get that killer glide to (throw and catch) by trapping those elastic knots and washers behind the down-spar's fittings/end-caps. You can test your glide easily by throwing the kite off of the lines, it should go away from you flat and far, like a successfully throw frisbee! If it just wimps out a few yards away then you can alter it. Restricting the end-caps' movement and/or just placing 'em flush will still allow for seven equal line lengths as the stack strings, as done by the REV masters Lee (Segwick) and Sam (Ritter), using 12 packs of Rev ones, flown for decades in all conditions. Dugard and Polansky, even Alden Miller don't have the spars sticking out, way above the leading edge, they use the 1.5 platform sized format for their stacks.

So folks can't create a stack with a flush leading edge ? congats to MC!

You're ready for a mesh kite progressive stack!, leave half of the fabric strips out a couple Vickis or 135%s, followed by two 100% and finally a couple of 75s and two 40%ers to bring up the rear

hi Riff, As a future improvement to consider,.... The Down Spar end-caps on top should be flush along the leading edge, sticking up is sure tangle point some day when you are all slack lined and spankin' it. and maybe a little more curvature built into the leading edge (seems pretty laser straight in the video compared to other kites shown) so it "cups air" better. Try a couple of inches (2) down from the center (on each wing-tip) so the curve is built into the leading edge sleeve without a set of sticks inserted, your kites look good in the sunlight, editing could take out JH in the foreground, Ha!

Wasn't concerned about reflex diameter tubes, just knowing that other builders make kites that don't fit rev's 1/4 inchers unless the caps are swapped out first

Brianne Howard's custom bag service is the ticket if you can describe or visualize your objectives sufficiently, AND she is a joy to work with besides! She made my mini-rev stacks carrier from the attached diagram, it is perfect and worth every penny. I doubt you could intentionally create anything more complex than that thing I am very happy with the large sized Orvis Fishing case too,... holds 10-15 revs and all the bits in a tightly padded carry-on Brianne's Case.pdf

just wondering, do those caps fit Rev tubes, or just those of a slightly slimmer diameter (Skyshark for example)

I live inland, the secret to wind forecasting on the ground level is division,... take the weather-person's prediction of speed that day and divide it by three! They take measurements 300 to 500 feet up, so above all the crap we deal with routinely. if the guys say 5 to 10 mph, ... to me that equals 1.5 to 3 mph on the ground, an SUL or maybe a full sail if framed appropriately is the best choice. Turbulence is another factor of inland flying as well. Decide which way you're going to go and make it happen, give ground and walk backwards when you need to, recover your field when possible. Some of the coolest tricks are actually easier in no wind, half axels done whilst walking forward for example. Practice clam-shell roll-ups from that half axel. How about 180 degree turns backing up from the bottom of the wind or on the ground in a column. You need to walk backwards to make it look smoother. All hands is NOT the secret! Once you can fly in the twitchy swirls or a dead calm, nothing is out of your realm for possibilities. ENJOY the journey along the way, the sense of discovery,... what happens if you jerk one line or handle hard? What about out on the edge? Dead center down wind? How does that impact the identical technique? Get to a coach/more experienced flyer if you want to save money and improve the skill-sets most quickly. -plm

I'm currently liking Jon Trennopol's thicker frame (skyShark) set in my 1.5s,.... more mass and still light enough for most all conditions. It's thicker than the end'caps so the tubes feature a plugger end piece. Paul Dugard is growing fond of them as well and he's on the stocker bridle instead of a French like me (the bridling does force a kite to bend differently, one in the center & the other on the outer 3rds of the frame) You can really spank out some killer slack lining stuff with all that mass though! I grant you, it's not an original Diamond tube for responsiveness or weight savings (from the Dantonio Days), but I'm liking it in the ShooK mesh kites and even have a full-sailed B-pro trussed up that way too. This frame REQUIRES Rev end-caps, off-branding replacements will NOT fit, so not in my Bazzer Ash. That kite has two wrap tapered down spars (SkyShark) so more weight is forced forward. What great kite he makes (shameless plug for another outstanding builder of kites) Framing is another area where the pilot can influence performance towards a specific goal. Nice STRAIGHT lines (tracking is tied to a stiffer leading edge) or suddenly powered up from slack lining (a bendy/flexible frame that quickly FILLS with energy and much easier on the pilot too) This 2nd one wants to turn within it's center. The first one wants to turn on it's end-point. Compromise? you bet, but you can lean it into one direction with framing choices. I got a ultralight weight frame made from the 5/16 inch reflex stuff from Lolly to fit one of my Zens for X-mas (i'm Jewish). I've gotta tell you, that frame rocks big time. Super responsive and it has taken a severe beating too. I did have to switch out the end-caps, but this re-framing project impressed the heck out of me. It kept the low end and raised the wind range considerably higher in that direction. I carry a big selection of framing with me and will switch a light weight frame into heavily vented kite, as well I've been known to slap a fat tube in a full sail so I don't break in flight but I'm not falling out on the edges either. I'd rather "over sail" than even be under-powered, but I've got buddies who think the opposite too. Ultimately you need to experience enough choices to make intelligent decisions about your own preferences. The joy of the quads is their unbelievable versatility. You can make 'em any way you can imagine, in looks or performance. Making your own is surely one of the most rewarding experiences. But so also is the joyful expression on a kid's face when they can "do it all by themselves".

unless your preference is Skybond instead of LPG

1, virginia beach is very narrow sandy area to fly and butted up against the buildings too, but other activities for the family are available. Very friendly smaller type venue for kite flying and meeting old or new friends. 2, Wildwood (end of this month/Memorial Day weekend) is a fricken' huge beach and the usual activities along a boardwalk during the summer are offered. My bride doesn't like wildwood but loves Cape May. It is less than 10 minutes away, one the beach is FREE but if you dig down five inches there's a hypodermic needle buried. Cape May is upper crusty bed & Breakfasts, quaint little shopping and CLEAN from the sky to the soil. Wildwood is the largest event of the 3, longest lasting and more diversity of kiting types in the air, even an indoor gig with a huge facility. Everyone should do this event at least once. Do NOT attempt to drive home Monday the 28th of May though! nobody ever leaves then unless you didn't know any better. Traffic doesn't move ten miles in 4 hours' time,.... you've been warned! 3, The Washington DC event (Cherry Blossom KiteFest) is a one day gig with a thousand touristy things to do in the area before or afterwards. 13 Smithsonian museums~all free, a killer zoo, again free. Parking is huge hassle all around the communities nearby and downtown but the festival is fun even if you didn't "live" kiting. The event is kinda' tough with local wind conditions, it's surrounded by trees and large buildings so turbulence should be expected, and almost certainly the high wind kites can stay home. The local kite club is very active so you could join us and learn something new. We have all the different interests represented.

before the sun rises, doesn't that sound awful? Good spots (for example, at that front corner of 17th St. & Constitution Avenue) with easy access departures assured at the end of the day and FREE. That spot is mine & I'm there by 6:00am otherwise a friend will grab it. By 6:30 all those choice locations are nabbed up. After 8:30 it's better to walk some distance and do the regional Metro system or Uber. This sunday is mother's day so I'll home early enough to help assemble the festive dinner for number one gal of my life! I'll fly either at the Soccerplex in Germantown or maybe Baker Park up in Frederick, MD.

each direction of flight has a finite speed limit,... look at 'em as proportions of each other,... Remember the objective is to hide the differences in speed, generally and maximize the differences to certain aspects of your routine (precision) or music (ballet). These items are called opportunities! 1st is a side slide, inverted or upright, doesn't matter. Call that speed "X" Doing this same movement up and down instead of side to side will be slower still. The 2nd speed is reverse flight, or "X-2", it is a little bit faster than a slide. Again going against gravity (like a reverse from the ground to the top of the window) will be slower than the other way towards the ground. HIDE that difference with your handle control and foot movement. The 3rd speed is forward, it's "X-4", Way faster than a slide, like 400% if you so desire. If all you do is fly around in forward flight though you are missing out on the magic of a quad-lined kite's capabilities. The kite will never go as fast sideways or backwards, as it will in forward flight,... so you control that forward speed and hide those differences, unless it really fits at the moment of your need. I am offended when folks fly/demo a two stringed musical routine with a quad. In my mind you aren't showing me what I want to see, SLOW precise control with bursts of power ONLY where they actually fit. A good portion of that routine needs to be backwards, not 5% if you are knocking my socks off, the "quad-line effect" So, don't worry about your reverse speed, just fly backwards like you own it. Amaze folks such that they don't even understand what direction your kite can fly in naturally, then offer 'em the handles for a try themselves. Practice an inch above the ground inverted until you are MORE comfortable in this orientation than upright. Pretend you have to fly between my outstretched arms and the ground. Less room than under soccer goal..... to execute this level of control you might very well be moving your feet all over god's green earth to make the kite appear stationary. If you can stand in one place and fly all day, then you've got better wind conditions than I know locally here in the mid-atlantic states!

Ha!, trust yourself Sari, whatever feels right,..... must BE right! Consider a french bridle next time a few bucks are burning hole in your pocket. If it stinks for you I'll take it off your hands, so there's no risk whatsoever. If the kite is more responsive in flight great, if it's too twitchy to you then go back to old faithful REMEMBER: You have to "tune" the French bridle's flying line attachment points thru flight tests (adjust their lengths) so your handles use the same exact knot settings regardless of which bridle is selected.,

At least 14 kites in your "A" bag,.....

teaching kids?, at least 80 feet, they need reaction time to form muscle memory/feel the wind, longer lines allow a bigger picture to be drawn with your kite, shorter lines are less impacted by fickle wind conditions. light weight string is 50#, but I'd recommend you stay on 90 or 100# strength until you get better, it's more durable and has less effort to keep 'em perfectly even on the flier's part. you need a location clear of obstructions, hills, trees, buildings,... etc, the better the "view" behind you the better (smoother!) the wind will be for flying. Turbulence is your mortal enemy! brands? most of us have a preference for either LaserPro Gold or Skybond,.... I use both in varying conditions. Looser grip, move your feet, now relax your hands to the point of almost dropping the handles, if the kite won't back-up (fly backwards) the tuning needs adjustment, smile and breath, sharing is good, enjoy and report back to us with your progress too

Rev is taking just as many other firms have before them. Nothing wrong with "business is business!" if you can get away with it. Bazzer's Dragon kite masterpiece artwork was found at Michael's craft store, it's being public domaine has nothing to do with his talent necessary to bring that art to alive on a kite sail. Draw a diagonal line thru the rectangle of a b-series panel, wow does that look like a Phoenix now, or what! Shook's mesh design came from a single lined delta weave kite, since evolved thru input from his consumers,.... run a strip here, reinforce that patch, change this slightly too. Innovation comes from listening and questioning what is discussed w/o bias. Tom Edison failed hundreds of times before inventing the light bulb but he kept at his objective until successful. Occasionally two folks come up with a similar design and haven't ever heard, met or seen each other before. Ashworth's london bridge kite and Andy Wadley's Airbow design. Lots of wheels have been invented thru-out history, round ones still work the best. The justification I heard from folks this wkend in Ocean City buying a printed eyes kite was "for protection of their investment". They can beat the printed kite and save the great original Eyes for only the most special of occasions.

WoW kite club's 1st Sunday fly is this weekend,.... See you guys down on the Mall grounds? EARLY if you want any parking nearby! Big Mulberry tree sticking up out of the ground (looks like a hand with spread fingers) on the West side is our base-camp location. I will have equipment that can be flown in no wind, you might need some practice with the techniques necessary to maximize your flight pleasure, but if I can do it I know anyone can too! We should have a dozen of so no-wind quads available, some single liners and dualies, maybe a fighter or 2, even an indoor kite. Bring water to mist/wet yourself down if it's blazing hot, certainly appropriate beverages and lunch to consume as you guys will be down there all day making it work. Meet the usual gang of Wowsters and spank some rip-stop with us!

I remember watching 'em fly in a dead calm for a whole year in DC (none of my kites from Chicago-land or Ft Lauderdale would fly there!) I remember the first time someone asked me for advise (and I turned around to see who they could possibly be speaking to) I remember the first time I thought I could make a better bridle, then an improved overall design, finally I don't want it made "factory-fresh styled" anymore, make it my way. You can push kite flying in so many directions, the best builder, tuner, flier, team-mate, sherpa, or spouse!

I am adding another quad. It doesn't have a name yet, but "Illegal" is as good as any, one of Ashworth's 3rd Gen designs made by Eliot Shook. Pictures to come eventually! Hopefully bridled-up and testing this weekend in ocean city

The whole DC crew is off to the festival in Ocean City this weekend. Do not be afraid to fly other people's kites, we understand when things go wrong but you can try a bunch of stuff quickly and compare side-by-side. If you break a spar we all smile and say THAT"s OKAY, you remember this attitude and carry it forward. We're not paying you if we break yours either! Now with that fear factor out of the way, just come down and join us, try our crap and have fun. I'm new here in DC, only been doing it for a couple of decades @ the Washington Monument. I'm the current president of the local club too, Barbara, my misses is the RTeasurer naturally. Dave Ashworth was our past president. He only builds his own kites and is nationally recognized for his outstanding indoor and SSUL designs (usually they are quad-lined). My coach, Jeffery Burka and other friends in WoW have been Revolution consumers half a decade longer than me. I've got probably 60 revs in various sizes and configurations too, a whole bunch just for no stinking' wind. In fact I'm working w/Dave and Eliot Shook on a new indoor kite that can also go outside, but it can fly standing on one foot with 100 foot holographic mylar ribbon tails. It's Dave's 3rd generation but we are using more durable material now instead of Orcon. We are still in the development stage but I'd value your input as well. Next time you see me, say hi and give it a spanking! I fly EVERY Sunday regardless of the weather and we have a presence on Facebook if you want to join us. We just did an indoor and outdoor gig at the Strathmore Music Hall, also have a display of kites up in the mansion thru the end of the month. I'm the "other Paul" by the way. Paul LaMasters,... my buddy is Paul Dugard we travel as a roadshow to many festivals together. Kind of an ass 'cause he can fly two revs at once and they don't have to match either. I hate him really! Fletch, grand national champion indoors and he and Melissa (Harpster) won Quad Pairs Ballet too. We have every kind of kite enthusiast in our group and no fee for joining since the treasury is cash wealthy. Please join us and master the dead calm flying, so you long for days like August in the District just as the rest of us do. -plm (AKA as REVflyer)

imagine a fine sports car with old useless bald tires, ... it doesn't matter how much power you put out, it ain't getting to that last square inch of the road! Well you kite is that same way, save a dime and see if it effects performance overall? Okay sure, but Save 25% and I will question you again in 60 days and at the end of the year. Did you really save money or in hindsight you should have gotten the best darn tires to fit your ride instead, regardless of their price? I am hard on my lines and fly a lot, (10 hrs a week minimum) so the expense of lines is just a part of being sport kite flier, several times a year I buy new strings. You could make your own handles or even a killer kite, but you gotta BUY flying line no matter what! This is no place to go cheap, save $ on something else and get the best darn lines you can find, it is that last sq. inch of contact with the pavement!

my experience is only with LPG and Skybond, I use both in different environments one is like flying on wires (nice if you don't want to snag the floor, crap or dirt indoors or out). but doesn't hold it's slipperiness as long, throw and catch + the rest of the 3D stuff & shorter lines, = LPG gold 90# The other is TWICE as slippery on day one and every day thereafter too. It has a "softer hand" though, it is thinner in diameter and more visible (unless you are flying on beige soil&yellow clay), team flying or long lines cruising = Skybond 50#, 100#, 170#

some builders' "hot tack" with the cutting tool,... take a fine edge soldering iron tool tip and make it more needle like still with a jeweler's file or emery board. Lightly tack every few inches to weld the fabric strips in place. The best kept secret to this technique is to sew thru the hot tack holes and hide 'em! You can pick-up a hot tackers work and see their holes when backlit usually, 'cause hiding 'em entirely is tough. SprayMount light-tack adhesive from several feet about of the work and let it drift down onto the fabric is another technique to prevent that material from slipping around. Go light and see if it's enough to hold, .....you don't want to clean-up with bEnzene if not required. some use blue painter's tape to hold pieces in place, slowly removing it just before entering the jaws of the sewing machine. Some folks waste fabric with the Randy Tom Method, using full pieces of every color, sew the parameter thru all layers and cut away color afterwards from both sides until you arrive at the desired layer. some builders used a spray bottle with just water in it, wet capillary action holds the pieces in place and needless to say, clean-up is a breeze, no foul chemicals to inhale either Go to a workshop on kite building and steal everyone's best ideas, see which way works best for you, practice before you waste expensive materials. The amount of labor is not different if you cheap-out of the fabric choices available.

Dave Ashworth never makes a kite the same way twice, always experimenting and sometimes he invents a new more energy efficient light bulb, but I've witnessed his best failures as well. I've known Dave over 20 years and he doesn't have ANY store bought kites at all! Part of the engineering process he occasionally forgets, like the part where you only change one variable at a time and compare results. Nope my buddy changes five variables and then complains about "oversteer" as an example. Then there's Bill Biggie, he made a kite every day for 500 days in a row and changed each one 4% to see the differences in flight dynamics! He also had a witness sign his log book each day as official evidence, naturally he kept all of those kites too. I admire a great kite builder, but I'm more about immediate gratification, so I'm a Visa Card flier until Shook and Bazzer become completely inaccessible to me!