Captainbob Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 Wondering what thoughts are on this new Quad design. I read yesterday on Dodd Gross's Facebook page that he is getting one and going to start teaching Quads utilizing it. Should be interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPuppets LimitVoodoo Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 The ABS is pretty... I need to see the leading edge bend a little more; the kite seems to fly in a very "stiff" manner, and doesn't seem to fly with high precision, at least in the vids I've seen (could be the pilots hehe). Looks like it has some sort of built-in magic sticks. Lam Hoac makes excellent kites, so I'm sure the build quality is exceptional. It is a pretty kite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 To paraphrase Ben D. - it looks like a mix of 3 different kites. A copy of a copy of a copy. He left it at that. I agree with the "stiff" comment and haven't seen it's hover ability demonstrated, just the flight while moving! Having seen some of Lam's work, I would guess that quality will be no issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reved Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 magic hoops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 These videos are pretty nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LaMasters Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 ABS is an older design updated by a master builder/the only past national champion, building a sport kite in the history of the AKA! Lam is an expert at construction technique and the "details". Whether it does everything a Rev does or not . . ., I'd had to determine for myself. Every design decision has mixed consequences, too stiff/flexible, weak or too heavy, will side-slide easily vs a floaty 3 dimensional shape. Does it do roll-up tricks (why have rounded off truss system otherwise)? Can it be thrown or caught? (this is a deal breaker for me!) I understand trying something new or different, just to stand out from the crowd,.. HEY, that's why we picked up the quads in the first place! If you're reading this Lam,,... we want to see what the ABS can do! Show us the magic of your flying skills, demonstrate all the capabilities within your kite and then sell a few afterwards. Low winds are the primary flight conditions in the mid-atlantic region, that would be most appropriate for our kite club. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 ABS is an older design updated by a master builder/the only past national champion, building a sport kite in the history of the AKA! Lam is an expert at construction technique and the "details". Whether it does everything a Rev does or not . . ., I'd had to determine for myself. Every design decision has mixed consequences, too stiff/flexible, weak or too heavy, will side-slide easily vs a floaty 3 dimensional shape. Does it do roll-up tricks (why have rounded off truss system otherwise)? Can it be thrown or caught? (this is a deal breaker for me!) I understand trying something new or different, just to stand out from the crowd,.. HEY, that's why we picked up the quads in the first place! If you're reading this Lam,,... we want to see what the ABS can do! Show us the magic of your flying skills, demonstrate all the capabilities within your kite and then sell a few afterwards. Low winds are the primary flight conditions in the mid-atlantic region, that would be most appropriate for our kite club. I think that competition is the best thing that can happen in any industry. Keeps companies from getting complacent, and spurs improvement in products and innovation. I am by no means an expert in kiting, or in quads for that matter, but there is something about the way that this ABS flies that I find intriguing , and I have read remarks on Youtube and another forum, that echo my take on this design. Will be interesting when these actually hit the market, although I have read a post by one person that already has a set of 5 of them, and loves the way they fly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Anyone get any prices yet ? I'm expecting the ABS to be around the price of a Pro series Rev... but you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Anyone get any prices yet ? I'm expecting the ABS to be around the price of a Pro series Rev... but you never know. I was looking for the same info and posted on a thread on another forum that I didn't think it was for sale yet, because I couldn't find any info on it. I was assured by someone on that forum that it is for sale, but as of now, no link is posted yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 The ABS is pretty... I need to see the leading edge bend a little more; the kite seems to fly in a very "stiff" manner, and doesn't seem to fly with high precision, at least in the vids I've seen (could be the pilots hehe). Looks like it has some sort of built-in magic sticks. Lam Hoac makes excellent kites, so I'm sure the build quality is exceptional. It is a pretty kite. It is being flown by the designer, and it seems like he has won a few awards, so I don't think his piloting skills are lacking in any way. http://www.skysportdesign.com/history/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPuppets LimitVoodoo Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 The ABS is pretty... I need to see the leading edge bend a little more; the kite seems to fly in a very "stiff" manner, and doesn't seem to fly with high precision, at least in the vids I've seen (could be the pilots hehe). Looks like it has some sort of built-in magic sticks. Lam Hoac makes excellent kites, so I'm sure the build quality is exceptional. It is a pretty kite. It is being flown by the designer, and it seems like he has won a few awards, so I don't think his piloting skills are lacking in any way. http://www.skysportdesign.com/history/ Right Captainbob, I don't think it's the pilot either (hence the hehe when I said it) I think it's the kite. Lam Hoac's skill looks to be limited by the performance of the kite. I've seen prices of $300 mentioned by Patrick Tan, not sure if that is RTF, comes with multiple frames etc etc just saw $300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Andy from Ocean Shores Kites is planning to carry them. Haven't heard any prices yet. Wondering where it might get made if mass produced and will it still keep quality up to Lam's standards. I plan to go to Ocean Shores this weekend, if Andy has one, I'll report on construction. Don't know if it'll be used for a demo model or not, we'll see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystainedskin Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 I agree with Ben...as in a combo of other kites. I started with the Hq Mojo and can see the l.e. similarities. I always had an issue with the kite being seriously stiff(mojo). The l.e. also connected via a fitting into the verticals.....always popped out requiring a walk to the kite too remedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 I sent an email from Lam's website, and he responded with the pricing. He also sent a color chart and said that they would be available mid July Here is the pricing that I cut and pasted from the email he sent me. The ABS available in UL, Std, are $ 320. Mid Vent: $ 350. Full : $ 380 and Super Vent is : $ 445. Here is color chart if this works. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted June 4, 2014 Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 Sounds like he is having the ABS made off-shore, like his new ATM design. That's how he's getting the pricepoints so low. He actually told me that about the ATM, I'm just assuming because the ABS prices are so low that must be the case also. The kites that Lam makes himself start at ~450 and go up from there. BTW, according to Lam, the kites made off-shore are made by a personal friend of his, not some factory. The quality is up to Lam's standards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Someone has flown an ABS on another forum and posted his impressions. http://www.gwtwforum.com/index.php?topic=11233.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Looks like it flies and hovers pretty darn good to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J750-ji_6E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I wondered how long it would take you to pick up on that video... pretty impressive. I've been thinking about a Zen, but seeing this video has me scratching my head. Something different ? Better looking ? It would make me happy if I could fly it half that good ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I wondered how long it would take you to pick up on that video... pretty impressive. I've been thinking about a Zen, but seeing this video has me scratching my head. Something different ? Better looking ? It would make me happy if I could fly it half that good ! Been into flying things my entire life, grew up next to LaGuardia airport and Flushing airport. and even at 8 years old spent hours watching planes land and take off and fly around. There is something about the way the ABS flies, that blows my mind. It is graceful, smooth, balanced in both forward and reverse flight, and just looks good in the air. A 20,000 hour pilot that helped me get my pilots licence, told me years ago, that " You can tell how well a plane flies just by the way it looks in the air." I look at the ABS in these videos, and think that it is probably a blast to fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 The best of anything that flies only performs as well as the pilot flying it. There is no substitute for time on the controls, period. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted July 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledur Posted July 6, 2014 Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 Funny. The fourth video (post # 17) was filmed in Varennes, on the south shore of Montreal. Same park where I started my flight training a few weeks ago. Too bad I missed the show ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted July 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmoaks Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Hi Guys, Here are a few pictures of my ABS UL. Let me say first that at best I am an advanced beginner when it comes to flying Quads. I live inland with very mixed winds so when the winds are 7-10 mph I will go out with a kite. Most of the time it takes everything I got just to keep the kite in the air with the dirty mixed winds so I don't (can't) do many tricks. All I will say is that if you like to fly quads...you have to try Lam's It's a blast to fly ...It's Awesome!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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