Rev 1.5 questions

[Evilgrimace]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I'm Jim, very new to the forum and though not a quad newbie, I wonder at times!...I've got a bag full of dusty kites! I've flown so infrequently that my skills are thin! Though I've knocked (or crashed!) the dust off of most of them now in the last month! This forum and the REV forum are super resources...had nothing like this (no kidding) when I bought my first air machine in 94.

I have 3 Rev's...two identical 1.5's (bought for stacking) from 95, and a Rev II from about the same time...when I say I wonder about being a newbie...I've flown my Rev's set up incorrectly for 17 years! I just learned about 3 weeks ago that the vertical spars are to be installed on the back side of the sail...hmmm, ok, though I can't hover in all the clock positions, I can hover in most and reading about spar installation it was said that these babies are more stable with them installed correctly...so I'm stoked to see if I really have any skill! Ok, enough blah blah blah...

My first question for the collective is regarding the usable wind range for a stock Rev 1.5...I realize that is a two part question when you have to consider line weight...so, lemme rephrase...hypothetically, I've got 300# line, what's the Rev's wind limit? I'd imagine that's spare strength based...on a more advanced line of thinking, frame replacement/augmentation...thoughts and suggestions are invited...I like to stack my 1.5's and wonder if I'm close to over stressing the lead kite...

on the softer side of things, I've got 50' 50# line, how light a breeze would you expect a 1.5 to fly reasonably?

Thanks!

[Jeepster]

300# line is way too heavy for a Rev 1.5 sail. You'll be damaging sails and breaking frame sets well before you approach the 300# limit. I use 150# line on various stacks that I have and find that to be more than adequate. With a stack of two 1.5s, you don't need to worry about heavier rods in the lead kite. Add a kite or two to the stack and then you'll need to bump up the frame set stiffness. Catch Kent from A Wind of Change sometime and talk about stacks ... he's my expert!!!

As to how light a wind ... that's not as dependent on kite/lines/etc as on pilot skills. Kind of like fixed wing and helicopter pilots ... it's not the machine as much as the pilot. Takes lots of practice, but it's fun to watch yourself develop the skills to keep flying when others become grounded. When everyone is flying and the winds are dying, watch the competitive spirit come out in Rev flyers.

Cheers,

Tom

Edited ... flew two of my stacks at Kite Party today and discovered that I'm using 150# line instead of 120# line.

[Wayne Dowler]

Answered some of these questions over on the Rev forum, check there!! Enjoy!!

[Spence Watson]

I'm Jim, very new to the forum and though not a quad newbie, I wonder at times!...I've got a bag full of dusty kites! I've flown so infrequently that my skills are thin! Though I've knocked (or crashed!) the dust off of most of them now in the last month! This forum and the REV forum are super resources...had nothing like this (no kidding) when I bought my first air machine in 94.

I have 3 Rev's...two identical 1.5's (bought for stacking) from 95, and a Rev II from about the same time...when I say I wonder about being a newbie...I've flown my Rev's set up incorrectly for 17 years! I just learned about 3 weeks ago that the vertical spars are to be installed on the back side of the sail...hmmm, ok, though I can't hover in all the clock positions, I can hover in most and reading about spar installation it was said that these babies are more stable with them installed correctly...so I'm stoked to see if I really have any skill! Ok, enough blah blah blah...

Hi Jim! Welcome to the forum

My first question for the collective is regarding the usable wind range for a stock Rev 1.5...I realize that is a two part question when you have to consider line weight...so, lemme rephrase...hypothetically, I've got 300# line, what's the Rev's wind limit?

As Jeepster already mentioned, 300# is extremely heavy for a rev. 150# is more the standard as a heavy line (used for high wind or stacks) and 90# is the standard for flying normally. Remember that there are four lines, so if the kite is pulling 1200 lbs (300x4) then you have many other problems other than line strength.

That said, I imagine you could fly a rev with 300# line in five mph if you practice enough. Ideally, I think you would want around 7-10 considering the line weight.

I'd imagine that's spare strength based...on a more advanced line of thinking, frame replacement/augmentation...thoughts and suggestions are invited...I like to stack my 1.5's and wonder if I'm close to over stressing the lead kite...

I'm not much of a stacking guy, but Jeepster sounds like he's got this about right.

on the softer side of things, I've got 50' 50# line, how light a breeze would you expect a 1.5 to fly reasonably?

Thanks!

With this line set, you could fly without any wind if you practice enough. The kite could easily be flown in 3-6 mph.

Bare in mind my numbers are from the stand point of flying a single rev. There shouldn't be much of a difference when going to a stack, but like I said, I'm not much of a stacking guy.

[Evilgrimace]

Good thoughts...the 300# line was put hypothetically! as in not part of the equation! I have several 90# line sets.

but again, good thoughts. I'm taking away from this that the wind range of the 1.5 is 3ish to 18 mph.

I'm also happy to hear that a two stack of 1.5's doesn't require a beefed up frame set...

Thanks!

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[Reef Runner]

HI Evilgrimace,

Welcome to the forum.................

I'm surprised, that in 17 years, you haven't broken a spar, or something......... Glad you got that straightened out. As you have already seen, just ask, and you will be flooded with good, no great, information..............