Captainbob Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 There was light wind at my local field today, so I got out the Rev 1.5 Std, and flew it a couple of hours. I tried the things I did Sunday on the B mid vent with the magic sticks installed, and it was like night and day. Kept flipping the wing while trying to fly in reverse, while I had no problem with reverse flying this past Sunday with the magic sticks, at a much faster speed by the way. Same thing with inverted hover, easy with the magic sticks, more difficult without. Walking back and forth to the kite, staking, etc... thanks but no thanks. When I got back to the house, I called Flying Smiles Kites, and ordered another 16" kit for my standard Rev. While I was on the phone, Eliot gave me a good tip that he said Cath had told him about. When finished flying, and taking the magic sticks off, to keep from losing one of them, just place them on the leading edge, under one of the bungee cords, before rolling up the Rev. Keeps them securely in place , and they won't fall out or get lost. I said this in my review, but I think it is worth repeating, since several people have asked me about it. Is setting up and folding up the Rev slowed down at all when you have Magic Sticks? The quick answer is yes, about 2 seconds to insert and or remove each magic stick. That's it, you pull up the fitting with the spider on it, insert the stick, insert the other end into the fitting on the vertical, and done. About the same time and difficulty as putting in one of the vertical rods. Same with disassembling it, but in reverse. For rolling up the kite I use the same method I have always used, but when you roll it up, you will have the Magic Stick "bridle lines" partially on the outside of the kite as it is rolled up. This causes no difficulty in rolling it up, and it slides in the kite sleeve with no problem. I figured the extra 5 or 6 seconds that this adds to setting up the Rev, is well worth it, when I consider the huge amount of time I used to spend walking back and forth, back and forth, between the kite and the staked handles, resetting the kite up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmadz Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Glad you like them Bob. I bought a used B series that had them on it. I still haven't decided about them yet. I have much more wind than you so I thought that it would keep me flying in that gap under my full vent. I have the race rods in now and was flying it in 11-13mph winds. A little squirrely and I adjusted my leaders to take off some of the brake surprisingly. they definitely want to flic flac which is weird for me. I'm interested to see what it'll like this Summer in low winds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 Put the second set of Magic Sticks on my ReV SLE with the race rods in it this morning . As I suspected, after flying it for about 3 hours today, it lost the rubbery feeling that I experienced with the Race Rods, and seemed more solid. Flipping the wing was reduced greatly, compared to before the Magic Sticks. Same improvement in reverse flight and inverted hovering. I'm sold on the Magic Sticks and will put them on any new Rev i get. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LaMasters Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 Team kites have sticks now, but Scottie frowns on random insertion of unique abilities to the routine. We did get a group axel which had us giggling together though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystainedskin Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 After approximately 20 to 30 hours of flying basically non stop on magic sticks...I find a better glide, easier slack line (axels,flic flacs) and easier recovery in those "rare" situations... Also, easier on the body with slack line tricks....specifically my shoulders.. Granted these were others people kites..but considering "whos" kites and setups were involved..besides handles. Maybe that will help for those thay do not fly with them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry OKC Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Well I am going to try out a set.. I will let everyone know my thoughts this weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LaMasters Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 The "sticks" should install great right out of the package, but let me know if you run into any concerns. The frame should NOT be flexed or distorted when finished. I heard a recent help piece of advice last week to prevent loosing the stand-off tubes when packing up or transporting. When removing the stand-offs, just tuck them under the elastic at the leading edge/down spar junction. (thank you Cath!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 I poke them inside the down spas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Only difference I had with the race rods, on my second MS set being thinner, was to put a small piece of electrical tape around the vertical above and below the APA fitting to keep it from slipping out of place ( duct tape would also work) . The 3 wrap verticals on the SLE, didn't need the tape, because they are thicker and the APA fitting was much tighter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Only difference I had with the race rods, on my second MS set being thinner, was to put a small piece of electrical tape around the vertical above and below the APA fitting to keep it from slipping out of place ( duct tape would also work) . The 3 wrap verticals on the SLE, didn't need the tape, because they are thicker and the APA fitting was much tighter. Did the same when I put the sticks onto my Diamond frame. Must change the red tape to black one of these days, less of an eyesore! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 You'd find that same problem on 2 wraps also! A while back I was looking for a way to keep sand out of the caps, made dis assembly a real pain! Found that common "O" rings worked OK for this, pushed right up against the caps! But with one problem - I needed 2 different sizes - 1 size for 3+4 wraps, and 1 size for 2s and RR!! I had taken one of each rod with me and saw how the fit was off if I tried to go with just one size! Got that solved now, Home Depot has an "O" ring that works for all sizes!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Think of the red tape as"pinstripes". Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry OKC Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 So they were perty easy to install. I too had to use some tape to keep the APA's in place (black race). I didn't know if I wanted the 12" or the 16" so I got one of each. I used the 12" on the std sail and the 16" on my mid-vent I will wait and see how I like them and might be getting another set for the full-vent. I just installed them last night and hope to get some flying time this weekend.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 So they were perty easy to install. I too had to use some tape to keep the APA's in place (black race). I didn't know if I wanted the 12" or the 16" so I got one of each. I used the 12" on the std sail and the 16" on my mid-vent I will wait and see how I like them and might be getting another set for the full-vent. I just installed them last night and hope to get some flying time this weekend.. Hope you had better Rev flying weather this weekend than I did. Forecast was for 10+ gust to 18. At the field, it was swirling winds from every direction, rotating every 30 seconds by at least 60 degrees, and varying from 0- 8 mph at most. Only thing I could fly was my Niknak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry OKC Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hahaha we had 25-30 with gust to 40 and rail all day. No flying this weekend.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Gonna voice an opinion, YMMV! If you are gonna put magic sticks on a race frame, it would seem to me that you have negated the advantage of that frame! The flex is what sets it apart from all the "wrap" rods,!! By trussing it up and taking all the flex out, it seems to have taken that advantage out!! Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought the flex was what set them apart! Confused??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Gonna voice an opinion, YMMV! If you are gonna put magic sticks on a race frame, it would seem to me that you have negated the advantage of that frame! The flex is what sets it apart from all the "wrap" rods,!! By trussing it up and taking all the flex out, it seems to have taken that advantage out!! Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought the flex was what set them apart! Confused??? Who said it took "all the flex" out of the race frame? What I did say is that it lost the "rubbery" feeling especially in gusty winds, which I didn't like, as if the frame was made out of a box of rubber bands. If that's an "advantage", it's one that I didn't care for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 I haven't really been following this topic all that closely, mainly because I'm not all that interested in the whole magic stick thing, even though, as I mentioned in an earlier post, given the right opportunity, I may consider trying a set, just to see what all the hype is about. Either way, I won't be loosing any sleep over the matter, although it may be interesting to see. Now before everyone jumps down my throat, I'm not saying that sticks are bad, or good, because, "I really don't know", but from a common sense standpoint, I've got to somewhat agree with Wayne (who incidentally has tons of creditable "Time on the Lines"), and question why I would want to add "sticks" on a Race frame. As mentioned, isn't that the whole point of the race frame - to get FLEX ? I don't understand why anyone would spend the extra $buck$ on a set of race rods, and then turn around and spend another $30, to stiffen them back up. I must be missing something. And while I'm on a roll, another thing; If you are bound and determined to outfit your race rods (or diamonds, or 2-wraps) with sticks, I'd suggest that you don't use tape, to keep that fitting in place. Tape will start off ok, but eventually, with a little wear and use, it will begin to attract dirt, grass, and sand, and basically create a genuine, sticky mess. If you need a couple of stoppers, either use O-rings, as I think Wayne suggested earlier, or short pieces of surgical tubing. For entirely different reasons, I have short (<1/4") pieces of surgical tubing, on each end, of every rod I own, no matter what size the rod. If it goes into an end cap, it has a piece of surgical tubing on it. These pieces of tubing, when pushed up snugly against the end caps, keeps dirt, grass, and mainly sand, out of the end caps, which can become locked onto the rod, given the right circumstances. Either the surgical tubing, or the O-rings, would likewise work nicely, for holding the "magic stick fitting" in place, if you are having that problem. So, just a couple of observations that I've made. No harm, no foul, just observing & thinking out loud........... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyzakite Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Wayne, They was designed for taking the place of a stake on beaches, the string trusswork holds up the rod, if the rod could stand alone there would be no need for the string, As a secondary effect it may be limited travel of the left or/over the right wing. I don't know if I would be able to flip one wing completely over at, I would like to try set for that purpose, otherwise for the most part I use my trusty screwdriver to stake at home. Nicks post was added while I was typing, I agree NO TAPE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hey what do I know, I just use them and they work for me. BTW, my Race Rods cost me $1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Wayne, They was designed for taking the place of a stake on beaches, the string trusswork holds up the rod, if the rod could stand alone there would be no need for the string, As a secondary effect it may be limited travel of the left or/over the right wing. I don't know if I would be able to flip one wing completely over at, I would like to try set for that purpose, otherwise for the most part I use my trusty screwdriver to stake at home. Nicks post was added while I was typing, I agree NO TAPE! I think the design was in part , to spread the load more evenly on the frame. It is very apparent the way the kite handles in very gusty winds, and in reverse flight the wing flipping tendency is reduced dramatically, when using the sticks. I think the surgical tubing is a good idea. I got the tape idea from another post I read, where a very experienced Rev flyer suggested it. So far, I see no problems yet with the very tiny piece of tape on the verticals, but if I do, I will switch to 0 rings from Home Depot. The text in blue is copied from the link below. " Redesigned for 2010, and flown by former AKA National Champion Quad-line flyer, Scott Weider, I have spent the better part of 15 years flying with the “Magic Quad Sticks” attached to the back of my Revolution kites, understanding the philosophy behind the design should help you make the most of your flying time, improving your skills with a better understanding of the characteristics of the “Magic Quad Sticks” on a Revolution kite. The “Sticks” were designed to increase the inter-dependency of the wings on a Rev, thus enhancing the ability to fly in reverse, increasing the glide ratio for 3d type tricks, such as catch and throws, and with the interdependent wings the weight distribution across the body of the wing changes the center of balance when the kite is flat, as in axel rotations, the “Sticks” also provide advantages during Flic Flac type moves, in the air or near the ground to execute rolled up landings and then unroll it to easily relaunch the kite, without the extension of the sticks and lines off the back of the kite, these rolled up landings are nearly impossible to do. With the “Sticks” installed your essentially making a flat kite a form of three dimensional box type kite, enabling the fly lines to wrap around the kite to leverage your recoveries to a normal flying configuration. " http://magicquadsticks.com/Welcome.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Mal Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Captain Bob , Can you get me a Green race frame for 1 $ please ? You get to be my new rev dealer... Ok, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Captain Bob , Can you get me a Green race frame for 1 $ please ? You get to be my new rev dealer... Ok, Phil Only the black. Just order a B series and $1 gets you the race frame . http://www.awindofchange.com/product/revbarresi.html BTW, I see you are in Brussels. Do you know where Kortrijk is? The company I used to work for is located there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Mal Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hello, I just brought 4 revs in 4 months, I think my wife has had it... I know Kortrijk. Nice small city towards the coast. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Can you get me a Green race frame for 1 $ please ? You get to be my new rev dealer... Phil Phil, That is an "upgrade" price. You have to give up one of the other frames, that normally comes with the B-series, and then they will upgrade you to a race frame, for $30, normally, but right now, AWOC is running a special upgrade price, of $1. You still have the cost of a regular frame invested in that price..........so it's not really like it is $1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_(on-light)110px.png.f871ac6915a5dfb149c2fb26bbaf0493.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.