Benson Superfly

[Breezin]

Finally got one of these Tuesday. In hindsight this should have come before my Lams. Thought it would similar to my Hydra but more durable. More durable for sure but doesn't fly much like anything I've flown. First flights were in 10 to 15 mph pretty smooth winds. Hour in winds were dropping and got to the sul winds point. Like my Mongoose and Black Dog the kite flew pretty much the same as the winds varied. Yesterday went up in 15 to a bit over 20. WOW!! Moderate pull, really smooth loading with no yanking around. Thought the kite would be wilder and faster. Happy that it's not. Got other kites for that. Kite can dump wind really fast which led me to higher risk moves too soon. Need to learn the kite more before attempting much more than basic axle, turtle stuff in the higher winds. I've no doubt it's capable of flic flacs in 20 to 25 mph center window. I'd better be on a good day though. Kite doesn't feel very forgiving. It seems very deliberate without being methodical. Not a zany kite but still plenty of on the edge sensation. Really bumpy nasty stuff yesterday. Only kite that handles that stuff better is the Mind Trick vented. Bonded to my Tekken instantly and this kite just about as fast. Afternoon winds were getting close to 30. PSYCHO time. Now that kites zany!!! Imagine one 25% bigger with vents on 150# x 120' lines in 30 to 35 mph. OH MY!! Working on it cause the Superfly is the last kite I'll be buying for along time. Yeah I've thought that before but with a lot of help I've acquired a definite nirvana bag the last couple years. As kites wear out they'll be replaced but additions aren't needed. OH SNAP!! Speaking of Nirvana DAMN IT R-Sky. Really, really should have gotten a Superfly way sooner.

[BobL]

what decided you on the superfly versus the supernova or deepspace? and do you really expect us to take seriously last kite for a long time? oh wait, "along time" is how you spelled it...very clever

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eizokhqbf-w

[Breezin]

Wind range mostly. For me smaller kites are easier to control when winds are bumpy. Superfly surprised me there. It's really good in the gusts. Plus Goff looks like he's having more fun on the Superfly in the videos LOL. 

[BobL]

hey Breezin, happy new year etc  etc how is that Superfly treating you? youve had it a month or so...hopefully theres been good wind for you. what can you say about it so far? ive read that it can get pretty deep in the turtle, and also that its pretty sensitive to inputs rather than yank and spank. your thoughts/experience would be appreciated. after looking at the pics on the website it appears to be a very well finished kite and at a very good price...is there a catch? high shipping?

 

[Breezin]

Keep in mind that I'm still a intermediate flyer. Like when first learning my Mongoose and Widow I've tried to keep the go for it somewhat at bay. That's not going to plan. Kites to much fun and capable. The steady firm feedback is the most impressive thing so far. Had it in it's upper range couple days ago. Only got about 45 minutes in before winds started bumping a bit over 30 mph at times. From 20 to 25 it's FAST. From 4 to 25 it stays pretty much the same. Very smooth and stable with very little twitch even in the bumpies. Wasn't quite as good at the edge in the upper range as I thought it would be. Still really good and it's yet to be knocked out of the sky. Power hits quick but easy to control and predictable. Comparatively the Mongoose and Widow in 15 to 20 mph can in the blink of an eye give me a OMG moment.Switched to the Psycho  once again . It got blown out at least 5  times before a LLE decided it had had enough. I've learned to fly all my kites a little lower than stated except the Psycho. This one probably not. It'll still trick in 4 or 5 really well but below that it glides to the ground. Made the effort on my others because of the way the wind cycles here at times. Doesn't seem worth it with this one. Kite has a deep pocket with a backward bow in the LLE and a forward bow in the spine. For me that makes pumping air into the sail kinda futile. Not much billow in the sail making it feel powered up all the time. Think that's also why the feedback is so good keeping the kite smooth and stable. Not enough bow to dead launch but makes ground recoveries pretty easy.  It does sit deep in the turtle but more similar to my Widow than the Lams. My Lams can lock in and it takes a little flick of a wing tip to release them. More so on the Mind Trick. No I didn't figure that out. Had to call Lam. Hard to describe but once ya get it it's just a thing. That little flick with the right angle has made dumping wind faster and easier on all my kites. The Lams need precise inputs. Skyburner/Premiers respond well to snap and pop. Hydra too. Mongoose /Black Dog up to 12/13 is more of a guiding the kite around with longer smoother inputs. Superfly is different. Responds well to any of the inputs I've learned so far but with time I know I can do it better. Kite doesn't seem sensitive to me. Responsive and firm is what comes to my mind. Then again I fly a Nighthawk, Addiction and Psycho a lot. Spent some hours early on flying a Micron too. Axle based tricks have the most familiar feel. The flip and rollup stuff is where I'll have to adjust the most. Popping the kite into a roll up hasn't worked to well yet. Keep popping in the wrong spot. Climbing to the top of the window just before stall throw some slack with a step forward it rolls up easy. Can catch 2 or 3 with the 1 move. Studying that I think will give me a big clue on the different inputs I need to learn. Another is the kite will spin inside it's wingtip. Pretty good at front roll ups on the Hydra and Nighthawk, It's going to take different inputs but I think this one will do the trick pretty readily too.Hardest hit so far came from a failed flick flack. Knew I'd lost it as soon as I'd flared. Kite pancakes really well so I tried to turn it into a flat spin. Lost that too and tried to recover like on my other kites. Nope. One of my main goals in flying is to launch a kite and understand how IT wants to fly instead of MY way. Not very good at that yet so it's going to take some time to learn this kite. Oddly the better I'm getting it's taking a little longer to refocus when changing kites. Pretty dramatic change when switching from the Tekken SUL to the Addiction. Trying OPK before buying is sound advice if you can. I can't and boy was I wrong in guessing what this kite is like. Happily I'm not disappointed at all. IMO for a high end kite the Superfly is a bargain. Cost was what the website says with no surprises. The build quality is A+. Roll up stops on the Hydra are the worst I have. Don't care for Lams that much either. I like the Superflys the best. A newbie could learn on it but the abuse would border on stupid. Once solid basics are second nature compared to kites I've had or have this kite will get someone to the tricks quick. Kite kinda tells me what it wants. Just don't quite get that British accent yet LOL. If I would have got this in the summer of 2018 I really believe I'd be a bit further along. Not a lot but still. Mainly because the kite instilled an almost instant confidence and it's tough. Could very well be I'm looking back with rose colored glasses on though. In 15 mph winds my Widow gets real exciting. Start flying it like the Nighthawk and Addiction. BONKERS!! To preserve the kite I need better skills to really enjoy it above 13. Superfly is smaller so less pull and easier to trick in those winds. Frame has a little more flex so power is a bit smoother making the bumps easier to deal with. Widow tops out at 22 flying my butt off. Superfly to 25 with more predictability and less adrenaline The Mind Trick is still the best in 15 to 25 gusty stuff and 25% or more slower Had it for more than a year and a 1/2..Some days though it is still hard to Taz, Slot or do roll up stuff. It's a kite that challenges the heck out of me. Kites still quite a bit above my skill set. That's a good thing but man some days on it just suck. Superfly is fitting in perfectly between the Widow and Mind Trick. Learning it will make me better on the other 2 for sure.3 very different kites. 

[Exult]

@Breezin you have seriously much kite-thinking bottled up! As I also tend to occasionally write texts that are a bit on the longer side (which may be finished/published or not) I *think* that I can relate to this. For me part of it is to structure observations and remember insights that you e.g. wish to bring to the future sessions. To avoid leaving the field without having practised that trick or element of particular current interest. Active learning! It is also good to keep track of your own past learning, so that one day that when you wish to share, you can remember how you handled the difficulties. How do you make use of your notes/texts?

You went that extra mile to carefully describe the Superfly from your perspective + putting it into a context!

[BobL]

nice review, you can hardly say too much for my taste plus im looking at the supernova pretty hard right now and the superfly...i agree great bargains and i have yet to buy a new kite this year heh heh.one thing about that benson website, they make their kites look like new cars in a showroom. i suppose you have  a kite buffing rag on hand for emergencies while you fly loll or a butler. keep it up Ted, good stuff

[Breezin]

10 hours ago, BobL said:

a kite buffing rag on hand for emergencies

Nope I wait for it to rain LOL. Mongoose and Widowmaker Pro fill pretty specific spots. If I didn't have those 90% sure I'd have a Supernova and Nirvana. Spending wisely is hard to do because there are so many cool kites. SKD kites are pretty stunning but cost an arm and a Lam. If I ever post a 300 word rant complaining about a bad day in awful 7 mph smooth winds ignore it. I'll have lost my freaking mind. When first starting I kept a diary but it didn't last long. Interfered with the fun and got boring. EVERY time I fly I try to perfect my axles and slides no matter the wind. When struggling with something returning to those 2 moves helps ease the frustration and think. Doing that is how I accidently learned to Taz and Slot before I could Cascade. Superfly and AC sul Taz almost at will. Nose at 10:30/11:00 around they go. Mind Trick starting at 9:00 needs a LOT more precise inputs. It's a kapow marching forward kinda thing. The other 2 are rather floaty and elegant. I'd read early on that the slide is one of the easiest tricks to learn taking a lifetime to perfect. I agree. Took me awhile to grasp that you can slide anywhere in the window. Transitioning from trick to trick catching a slide in between for me aids in setup and adds some pinoche. In higher winds it might only last 2' or 3' but it signals a fairly proper controlled dumping of the wind. You can see it but it's more of a feel then visual. Thinking of it as a moving stall has helped. Superfly slides really, really well in the higher winds. On my 1st slide I knew I could learn to fly the dickens out of it with a fairly short learning curve. It hasn't replaced my Hydra at all. Well except for the way it's going to be banged around.

[BobL]

SKD kites are pretty stunning but cost an arm and a Lam...hah! that cracked me up

yeah, you probly have the 2nd best wind situation on this forum, 1st being someone on the pacific coast...me? i think we had winds over 4mph maybe twice in december, not much better in november...who knew? i didnt pay much attention to the winds til kiting came along...now im a slave to the wind. i try to fly 3 or 4 times a week for a few hours maybe every day if nothing else is happening and i usually have a list of things to work on  (in my head). like you ive got a pretty good quiver to choose from starting with the Echo, the ATM, the Zephyr, the E3, the Hydra and back to the E3 for 18 to 25mph. sounds pretty good, right? noooo  ive been mostly flying the Echo in 2 to 4mph for day after day unless i drive a couple hours to the coast ($50 well spent). funny thing is when i do get those rare 10 to 20 minute gigs on a real trick kite the tricks that are pent up in my Echo muscle memory just come boiling out...im like what the f#$%! whered that come from? i uusually have the Atm hooked up and waiting on 50x50s 

i like the wind range and general toughness of the 7'  Superfly but also thought the Supernova would fill a gap for me being slower, more stable, replacing the Hypnotist i gave away...well enough of this rant, im going flying. thanks for sharing

[Icarus]

To BobL

How did get on with the Supernova having flown a Hypnotist?

I'm learning on a Hypnotist but thinking I might progress to a Benson kite later this year.

[BobL]

welcome to the forum, Icarus

as it turned out, i didnt get a Benson, i got a couple of  used Widow Maker Pros being sold by John Barresi here in the classifieds...im still looking at the Bensons but in the meantime ive picked up a used Blue Moon Mantis, a used Level One Genesis, and just recently an unflown Prism Quantum Pro.plus i have a pair of Sky Burner Ticas on order...my plate is full to overflowing

the Hypnotist is a good kite especially for beginners but needs too much wind for where im at. if they made an ultralight or if someone reframed one  a couple ounces lighter ...hmmm

Breezin is the one to talk with about Bensons...(hey Breezin, whered you go?)

[Icarus]

BobL,

Thanks for your reply. I think Breezin bought a Superfly which I'm not really considering. Yes Hypnotist is heavy, 600g. I like to fly it in as low a wind as possible but it does tend to drop out the sky when you are trying to recover while flying low and the wind drops. Also I find tip wraps are difficult to clear from the bungee knots. Otherwise a great a beginners kite that tricks nicely and can take a beating. I was interested in Supernova because they are a similar size but I wondered how different the inputs would need to be.

[Andy55]

Get a Benson, I’ve just ordered my second DS, a UL this time, hope winds die down by the time it arrives, the way wind has been here I should have ordered a vented vent, yes that is correct, vents on a vented!!!😀

[Icarus]

@Andy55Actually I went for the Superfly UL in the end as a contrast to my Hypnotist but as you can imagine I've only had a few hours on it due to the weather. I also got a good price on a HQ Infinity which feels like an upgraded Hypnotist and has become my main kite. With the recent weather ordering a Benson DS vented has crossed my mind!

Good luck with your DS UL. Be good to hear your thoughts after you've had some time with it.

[Mike Eibey]

Let me know how the Sulerfly is.

I just ordered a Deepspace STD last night. 

Tim said the lead time was 6 weeks so I may as well forget I ordered it and let it be a Christmas surprise. 😀

[Andy55]

@Icarus, how do you find the HQ Infinity, I was going to order one before I ordered a Hypnotist from Kiteworld here in the Uk, but they were a long lead time, I had to send the Hypnotist back due to extreme vibration and noise, it vibrated so badly it slowed the kite down, and the noise was unreal.

So I bit the bullet and ordered a Benson, and can honestly say the wait was worth while. 
Not got out now for about three weeks due to excessive wind here in the UK.

[Andy55]

@Mike Eibey good luck with the DS, I am sure you won’t regret it, I have thought about the Superfly, but believe it is a different beast to the DS.

How do you go on with import to the States, due you have to pay import duty as well. I fancied a Mamba at one time, but the delivery time due to COVID, and import duties put me off.

[Mike Eibey]

I honestly don't know. 😅😅😅 The Benson website said 19 euros to ship anywhere out the europe area I believe. I think thats like 25 dollars US. 

I assumed he knew how to do the international shipping. Now I'm worried haha

I'm not sure if there's an import fee. I wouldn't be surprised if there is. Hopefully its not too much.

I got to fly a tica the other day that another kitelife member brought out for a meetup. I'm not really sure how well it does alot tricks but that thing felt absolutely perfect in air and did the nicest and cleanist half axles id ever seen. Which says alot because the half axle is not my best trick by a long shot.

[Andy55]

@Mike Eibey. I believe the UK is one of the worst for import duty, I imported some model land yacht kits from the US, and it cost me about €80.00.

I used to make model yacht sails, semi commercially, I still worked for a living, and never had trouble sending them to the states. 19 euro good price, I pay €8.50 for just  90.0 miles. 🙂

[Mike Eibey]

Ouch. Thats alot of money just so the government can get theirs. 

I dont think it'll be too bad but haven't really heard of what it could be here. Hopefully someone who's been in this situation can chime in for incoming us import fees.

I did buy a kite from Lam Hoac a few months back which shipped from Canada.

I didnt pay any extra fees. I believe shipping was like 20 bucks. 

If you've never flown or done business with Lam he really is one of the greatest builders, flyers, and coaches you could have. He's just so helpful and knowledgeable. When talking to him he'll always ask what kinds of tricks your working on and will break down exactly how he learned and opened that trick up and what seems to be the key to each trick to unlock it.

[Andy55]

I did have a bit of banter with Lam by email earlier this year, I was thinking of an ATM, but he was having trouble at the time sending to Europe, minimum 6 weeks, plus the build time, but he would have devalued the kite for import. 
id love to meet him and learn some tricks, but distance is the problem.

[Zuul]

You won’t have to pay import duties on a kite from Europe to the US.  I ordered an R-Sky not long ago.  No fees.  No trouble. 

[Mike Eibey]

Awesome! 😃 Now to just wait 6 weeks. 😐

[Andy55]

Good news on the import duty, more funds towards the next kite 😀

[Mike Eibey]

Yeah! Thats always good news!

I think I'll atleast wait to get this kite before buying another. I dont think my wife would quite understand. Haha