What happened to R-Sky?

[Bob D]

I was curious about the newer Nirvanas and don't see them for sale. Can someone tell me if they're still making Nirvanas? 

[davide63]

Looks to be still alive and kicking https://www.shop.r-sky.com/

 

[Zuul]

Nearly everything is made to order.  The website hasn’t been updated in a long time, but they’re still filling orders. 

[Exult]

11 hours ago, Bob D said:

I was curious about the newer Nirvanas and don't see them for sale.

Could it be that in the menu on the R-Sky web shop that the Nirvana is listed under “Polyvalent” (versatile) and not under the perhaps more familiar “Freestyle” or “Précision”, that makes it less obvious to find?

I get the impression (and they state something similar) that they wants to move on and not be locked into being the Nirvana company only while still referring to the old successful design. Nirvana occurs only one time in in the menu along kites like Nirvana 3E (third edition), NSE (second?). Often the names of other models names starts with an “N” (“Next” and “NFX”).

Sorry to ask, but have you tried to: use the web contact form, use the e-mail address ou téléphonez-leur (which personally would terrify me due to my severe lack of french conversational practice 😬)?

Just saw that Bilboquet (in France as well) sells both the NSE and Nirvana 3E and other R-Sky models.

[Zuul]

 

No shortage of Nirvana variants. 

[Mike Eibey]

Are the Nirvanas really worth the price?

I mean when you can get a benson kite for about $150 less. I've heard they're amazing kites but have also heard the craftsmen ship from R-sky is not top notch compared to benson.

Anyone have a nirvana they can vouch for?

[jaydub200]

I've not flown an R-Sky kite for well over 10 years, however I have flown the original Nirvana and tried a NSE for about 30 minutes.

The Nirvana didn't have a great reputation for build quality in the early days, but I believe the NSE and Nirvana 3E are better built than the original Nirvanas.

Having said that I know of one local flier who bought the 3E and sent it back demanding a refund he was so disappointed with it.

There aren't many of the UK fliers that I know of who fly R-Sky, fundamentally because the R-Sky prices are set at aa level where you can get better built kites from a number of European kite makers (although that number is decreasing year by year).

Although my advice would be but elsewhere, I do have a secret hankering to fly the Nirvana gain.  I actually like the slightly bigger kites that are that bit slower through the air;  I like to see whether a trick is well formed and I also probably need that bit of extra  reaction time as I get older.

Getting back to your R-SKy vs Benson question.  The Nirvana is a completely different kite to the Deep Space, SuperFly or SuperNova and may give you something the others don't that makes any difference in build quality academic.

[Bob D]

I wasn't able to find R-SKy's web site when I Googled it. Thanks for the help!

I've never had the success with the Nirvanas that others have praised it for but I do like to see then backlilt in the sky. I sold the standard and kept the HW, UL, and WW.  The WW has so little mass that I have trouble doing much at all with it. The HW is somewhat trickable at the lower end of its wind range. I DO like the UL but it doesn't give away tricks like my Widow Maker Spider.  I was thinking about giving the updated model a shot but I'm also thinking about a BMK M3 or one of Lam's kites. (Or a Horvath glider....) 

Too many decisions! I love all kites but the budget is limited by the more practical person in the home.

[Mike Eibey]

Never have gotten to fly a nirvana but will see to it someday.

I own one Lam kite thats phenomenal.

Just recieved a benson deepspace yesterday also that I've only flown once in about 3mph winds so there was alot left to be desired with the conditons. Seems like it'll be a fantastic kite when the winds picks up just a bit.

Ironically with the light conditions I ended up mainly flying my prism 4D. Its not much of a trick machine but you can really persuade it into quite a few different tricks. Hit a handful of 540s with it today and numerous half axle fades. Never really tried that hard getting this kite to trick but its definitly up to it if you can coax it.

Definitly wouldn't mind having an N3E lw also.

[Bob D]

I have the 3D but I can't do much more than axel it. I've discovered glider kites to fly in very light conditions. The duals haven't been very fun mostly because my ticking skills are lacking for that kind of wind. I have a  BMK 61/49, iFlite and Falcon Aero Designs (Doug Stout) Raptor 48F and Bird Of Prey 36. The 61/49 and Raptor are great for a very slight breeze with their long glides before they turn around. I wish I were better with the SUL duals but I don't usually have solid SUL type of wind to try and trick in. I guess I'll keep at it.

 

[Mike Eibey]

So I'm a little ignorant on the glider side of flying.

Is that something you do outside or is it mainly an indoor thing? Also are you actively flying it around outdoors or more just letting the wind do what it will with it?

[Paul LaMasters]

indoors or outside, depends on the kite model applied and your objective(s).  You actively fly 'em, like a  sport kite, some have superior negative glide capabilities (Janus by Bill Biggie), some float on a fart (iFlight), some you'll "add weight to" in an effort to alter the glide (Manta, up to a pound!) some are compound shaped like the 61/49 by McNeill and need some slight breeze, .... Skate glider kite can fly unattended if there's even enough to feel on your neck~kind of wind

glides are single lined kites, but all single line kites are NOT gliders

 

[midibot]

5 hours ago, Mike Eibey said:

So I'm a little ignorant on the glider side of flying.

Is that something you do outside or is it mainly an indoor thing? Also are you actively flying it around outdoors or more just letting the wind do what it will with it?

 

I have only flown outside with them so far and can only speak to that. 

Earlier this week when I got out there was little wind forecast but it was supposedly gonna pick up as the morning progresses, as it often does around here on such days. On setting up it felt on the back of my neck that the breezes were still in waiting, maybe 2kph so I pulled out an Emong, a glider of about 4 1/2 foot span (diameter may be more apt description as it is kinda roundish). Basically flew it like a genteel fighter kite, with small pulls on the line and arm movements to redirect, and the odd hand-over-hand gathering in of line in fairly rapid fashion to gain altitude.  

All very active, with some footwork as well for good measure. The six inches of snow added some drag to the feet but cushion to the landings. However, rise off ground launches were not as doable as they might be on grass etc. 

There are lots of videos out there but here’s one of Lam on the Magic Angel II kite BT was referencing on another thread. Five minute workout indeed! Lam is far more active with his kite than I with mine, but here’s a taste of what it can do: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ytC2vlZQI

 .

[midibot]

On the subject of Nirvanas: this is just my view. 

The Nirvana is an important kite to get to fly. No self-respecting stunt kite pilot should NOT have flown one!

The full retail price disclosed on the current website is downright scary, however. It has always seemed so to me, but moreso now with prices and exchange rates etc (I am in Canada). We have a local source which has a few and I have supported that shop. The one I got there was a LW NSE, which I think is the second generation of Nirvanas. Love it. 

Also picked up some Nirvanas used, including a late model 3^rd gen. That saved money of course. They don’t come up very often but did occasionally on the old GWTW forum. Like them all, although one well-flown kite came with a modified (homemade) bridle that I think I wanna restore to factory specs.

 I, too, read that earlier kites may have had some manufacturing shortcomings but the worst I have experienced myself is small things such as lack of stoppers sometimes where other high end kites would have had them, and that kind of thing. The materials used seem of similar first rate that other such kites use (fabric, spars). Maybe the odd sewing stitch a little off. A workmanship detail here or there. Niggles. 

So while my experience has been limited to standards and the LW (or UL) -- I like ‘em! But that is subjective, admittedly.

 

.