John Barresi Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Great one Bill, one of my favorite games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Great one Bill, one of my favorite games. ......and so much fun at festivals. The SLK guys just love it -- NOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Great one Bill, one of my favorite games. ......and so much fun at festivals. The SLK guys just love it -- NOT! You should see their faces when a skilled Rev team rides one of their 90' Octopus kites down the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I'll have to search around and see if I even have a SLK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oapbillf Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I'll have to search around and see if I even have a SLK If you need to purchase one get a foil, no need to go big, two to three feet span is ample. In other words, no frame to damage your Rev if you hit it hard when it just becomes a floppy rag ! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted June 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 So after a month an 40 hours with my Rev, apparently I underestimated the wind. I am really kicking myself right now because after so many years of flying dualies, I should have known better. Everything was going fine when I first got to the park and was flying around for a bit. The winds were a blowing just a little harder than what I usually fly in, but it didn't seem too bad overall. I figured if the winds gusted a bit strong, that I would hold the Rev at the edge of the wind window, or just set it on its leading edge till the gusts passed. At times I could feel a bit of tension in the lines from the wind, but it wasn't anything that was pulling my hands forward. Then it happened! A little over an hour into my flying session while practicing my precision maneuvers, watching my lovely red and black EXP fly against a clear blue sky, I heard a very loud 'SNAP' and I see 2 black pieces fall to the ground and my Rev slowly drifting down after them with one wing flapping in the wind. I immediately bring the kite down in somewhat of a controlled semi-landing, staked the handles and ran over to the kite to assess the situation. I knew the rod snapped obviously, but my main concern was if there was any holes or tears in the sail. Fortunately (or probably luckily, most likely), the sail was fine. I then checked over the end caps to make sure there was no cuts or splits on them as I had no idea where the breaking point in the rod was. Luckily, the end caps were in fine shape as well. I then walk past the kite and search the grass and find the 2 pieces of my Rev's wing spar. I then break down my kite and roll it up, wind the lines and pick up my handles, stake and water bottle and head home with my tail tucked between my legs. Still kicking myself thinking I should have known better than to fly today with these winds. I just figured the Rev could handle it. So I guess I underestimated the Rev and the winds. Such is a lesson learned. Just wish it wasn't a $20 lesson, But ill take that over a $230 lesson due to a torn wing because of the rod snapping. What is interesting though (and I don't know if this is common), is that the break in the spar is practically a clean break right at the end of the Revolution sticker on the spar. Oh well. At least now I can make a Rev stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzKiter Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 ahh this sucks.... I guess it just takes one IRL lesson to let us realize how hard that wind is blowing so we can make that decision to put the kite away.. A month back I snapped the lines on my Quantum, that made me open my eyes and now I really pay attention to the wind.. hopefully you can get that replacement part soon. Good Luck out there buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted June 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I will be ordering a new rod tonight, so all is good there. This will definitely make me judge the wind better before and during flying. I remember hearing about your lines snapping, thats not fun at all. I guess broken rods and lines are just the inherent hazards of kite flying. May we all become better fliers because of them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Order a replacement ferrule and epoxy the two broken pieces back together. Voila, extra spar if you need one. Should be pretty cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Order a replacement ferrule and epoxy the two broken pieces back together. Voila, extra spar if you need one. Should be pretty cheap. The ferrule idea was suggested to me last night, but I thought that it wouldn't work because even though it was a clean break, theres still quite a bit of splintering. Later on though, I realized that I could just turn the pieces around and have the splintered (already sanded) ends in the end caps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystainedskin Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 It may not seem like much...but even the sticker creates reinforcment. Same as breaking at the internal ferrule point. In a high stress situation....the weakest point shows. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted July 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Finally, after waiting to get my replacement rod in the mail and after a week long wait for decent winds, I was able to get the Rev back in the air again. Between now and then, I have been flying my dualies, which has been fun. Learned how to do a Taz Machine. But it seems like progress with a dualie has been much slower for me. It's very possible ive hit a plateau with them at the moment. Anyways though, getting that Rev back in the air was great. Even though the winds could have been a little better, it was an extremely good 2hr long evening flight. I even took a chance with the rev and tried to do a trick with it. The infamous axel! Normally I wouldn't take a chance with that yet, but something felt right enough for me to try it. I think with the winds not being so good (kinda lacking a bit), it provided a 'just right' condition when I was holding my inverted hovers. Enough wind to keep the kite still, but not enough to have too much tension on the lines at all. And while looking at the kite when I was holding it inverted, at that moment, it had a very familiar look with the way it was hovering. Right then, I got a sudden flash in my mind of the many different rev videos ive seen of which contain axels, and my kite was in that same positioning that ive seen in those videos. So I thought 'go for it!', and suddenly im giving a sharp tug to one wing while giving slack to the other and to my surprise, it spins! Albeit, it was a very sloppy and almost questionable axel.. But there it was. In midst of my surprise, I thought I would give it another try. I immediately get it back into its proper hover position and I am keeping a sharp eye on it, waiting and watching for that right moment. And when I think I see it, I pop that right wing and give slack to the other and watch as it only does a half spin, going flat then drift down to the ground. Landing of course, with the leading edge facing me. No problem though as im still slightly reveling with my first even axel with a Rev. I get the kite set back up and in the air again, flying it around a bit before getting it back into position and pop that wing again.. No axel. Instead, it was a very weak hover that I was able to catch and fill the sail in time before it drifted down to the ground. I try this a few more times with the same results, either luffing to the ground, or filling the sail just in time. Still trying.. waiting and watching for that right moment, and I see it again! I pop that left wing and slack the right and to my amazement, its a perfect, picture worthy axel! Score!!! 2 axels in the bag for me! I figured that now having done 2 axels, that I should have a little bit of a grasp on how to do them and that I would be able to get in one or two more before the nights end. Sadly, that was not the case. With the winds slowing down, more often than not, the kite keep fluffing to the ground when I would try to axel it. With getting a little tried of walking back and forth to the kite, plus almost being that time for the street lights to start coming on I decided to call it a day (or night by now?) and pack it up taking my two axel achievements with me. Now I can add the axel to my list of things to master along with my clockwork turns and vertical ladders. I'm sure that will keep be busy for a while before I even consider trying to learn the forward bicycle/moonwalk. I'm a happy camper 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Great, gotta love that feeling when you pop a good one! Try your axels at the edge of the window to make a bit easier. Also check out the "Samurai Slide" which is the entry move/position that gets the kite relatively flat before you pop it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted July 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Also check out the "Samurai Slide" which is the entry move/position that gets the kite relatively flat before you pop it. Is this a "Samurai Slide" at the 13 second mark? If so, ive been practically doing those all day every time I flew the Rev. I just though I was doing a very uneven slide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystainedskin Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Good ole Scotty That slide will help. You are shedding air off the sail. The less pressure in the sail will make it easier to initiate the move. Also...his kite is on Magic Sticks...effects the flight different than without. More "float" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Yep to all the above... Samurai Slide + Axel. I also do a version where I'm flying straight (leading edge facing true right) in a ground pass at speed, then snap the kite upside down (sort of like a stall) so it drops right into the Samurai (no slide) position where I can crack the axel... This gives it to me "on demand". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Not only at 13 seconds but pretty much the whole video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 You can see the "snap axels" (diving and across the window) in this video, albeit through a dogstake. You can see how fast it puts you into axel position, and depowers the kite at the same time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Wow, that dogstake flying just warps my mind ! I have enough trouble keeping track of right and left... Do you put the right handle in the left hand, left handle in right hand ? Would that make it worse ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barresi Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 All you'll ever want to know about dogstake... http://kitelife.com/kl-archive/issue-81-around-the-bend/ Of course, a tutorial is on the to-do list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted August 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Apparently after close to 50 hours flight time with my EXP, the sail seems to be stretching and not holding the air as good. Unless the winds are blowing good enough that I have a strong pull on the lines, the kite takes more foot work to fly and has very little response to it. Makes the whole wind window feel like im flying at the edge of the wind window. Tightening the bungees may help with this issue, but im too worried about overdoing it that I don't want to chance it right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Try tightening them up just a little, then trim after testing. You can always undo any adjustment before the trimming!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyclad01 Posted August 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 I doubt ill trim them. I am thinking about tightening them up a little, but I am unsure about what the proper tightness should be. Knowing me, i'll end up tightening them too tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul LaMasters Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 first thing to remember "you want the top end-caps FLUSH w/the leading edge when you are finished" with all the forthcoming adjustments. Tighten those tops and then work on the bottom elastic knots. On a low wind kite you can affix the cap to the sail/frame with a zip-tie or bridle line on top. The sail is correctly tight without any deformation visible or wrinkling present - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyzakite Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Reading about the less response and "seems to be." To me it sounds like, how equalized are your lines after 50 hours of flying? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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