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LE tabs (service available for Revs)


John Barresi
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UPDATE: We are no longer offering these upgrade services, but hopefully this topic will serve to assist folks who do their own upgrades in the future. šŸ™šŸ»

==

Extend the durability,Ā lifespan and performance of your 1.5 sized Revolution kite (includes EXP,Ā SLE, B-Series, B-Pro, printed sails, etc) with tab reinforcements along the length of your leading edge mesh - the exact same mods I make to my own own equipment, they are now available to other fliers upon request.

Over 30 sails worked on so far!

These mods will not prevent mesh tears entirely, but will make the kite more stable, reduce damage andĀ ensure that your kite maintains it's important flight shape for much longer than normal.

Ordering notes:

  • All sails should be folded and sentĀ without frames.
  • Return shipping is included during check out, we pack and mail the sails via USPS Priority Mail flat rate box (US customers only), $13.45 covers shipping for up to 1-4 sails, $18.45 for 5-8 sails.
  • All apparent dirt and sand should be cleaned out of the kitesĀ before sending (not good for our sewing machine) andĀ a $10 cleaning fee will apply to each sail that we need to clean ourselves.

Ā 

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Hi, I have two brand new kites, not revs, but, you know, the other rev, the [F] rev, maybe its not worth it for these kites but I thought i'd look into it. Its for my boy [23] who's new to quads and I think he'd really appreciate having it done.Ā  Were going to WSIKF and am thinking of giving the kites toĀ Mr.B around the end of the fest if he'll do it., it will save some postage and some time. Looks like a very nice job. I have a sewing machine but have large fingers like tootsie rolls made of butter. Just having him sign the kite would be worth the money. So everyone knows, it's for my boy, I don't fly btw, he breaks em, I crate em. IĀ haven't made up my mind to do it yet but since there's some timeĀ left.......Ā Ā  Maybe some feedback is what I'm looking for. btw, checking Ocean shoresĀ kites website, andy has all his b-series on sale for 199.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm definitely looking to have this done on my new Rev B. Is there a general idea of turnaround time for this service in the coming weeks? I'd like to send it in sooner than later but I'm not sure what your schedules are like.

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10 hours ago, John Barresi said:

This is exactly why I treasure my LE tabs...

IMG_1473092540.307040.jpg

My Pro STD, you can see the mesh has broken down along the majority of the LE but the tabs keep the sail in place so my airfoil doesn't go to crap. :)


Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Might as well just lose all of the remaining mesh. That should make the kite fly faster in reverse. At this point it only adds weight and blocks air flow. If you don't want to lose the momentum the existing mass offers, the upright tubes can be "strategically" weighted at the lower tips, to increase glide ratio at the same time. Weighting the lower tips of the uprights should also make axels a bit flatter. Can be a win/win/win combination.

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Obviously the LE reinforcement tabs is a very good idea. Of course,Ā this got me thinking...... Ā seeing how we have probably 6 sewing machines in the house (my wife quilts, need I say more). About twoĀ weeks ago I was with my wife in the local Jo-AnnĀ FabricĀ store and I started looking for something suitable to use for reinforcement tabs. The only thing I could find that looked about right was some black 1" wide nylon strapping, like you might use for straps on a bag.

OK, now the big question. Is this the type of material used when you do the LE mods, or are you using some super fantastic, limited production substance that's onlyĀ available to individuals with at least a dozen World Championships to their credit?

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  • 3 months later...

Just finished work on an older Nylon SLE sail for @zachprism01Ā from the Karma drawing - got this in the nick of time, it was already starting to show stress marks on the sail along the verticals (which lead to sail rips if left unsupported)...

IMG_6553.JPG

Also, the single stitch trailing edge with Nylon stretches way more and causes the trailing edge to actually scallop inward and recede.

Nylon is way more flexible and porous (water absorption), so it especially benefits from some extra love. ;)

Finished with wear strips, LE tabs and the 2nd trailing edge stitch:

IMG_6550.JPGĀ IMG_6551.JPGĀ IMG_6552.JPG

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  • 3 months later...

I currently have 13 B-Series sails on my work table for mods and it's simply amazing the degree of manufacturing inconsistency from sail to sail... So much so that it's literally impossible to pre-cut or use a template for wear strips since every wing is a different length or panels joining up differently.

in addition, the thread they use is quite a bit weaker than what I'm using (Guterman's)... All that aside, it truly warms my heart to be giving all these sails new, robust lives ahead of them. :)

/rant

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A couple of ?'s The first is would these upgrades apply to B2's as well? And second will you be in Long Beach all week? I'm trying to make it this year, and I'd leave my sails with you. After the fest of course!

Sent from my LGMS631 using Tapatalk

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8 hours ago, whtmtn said:

Side note, the last and only time I went was '95. life changing

Shouldn't wait that long. Bad for the bladder and kidneys.Ā :lol:Ā 

Seriously though, these upgrades are excellent for any kite that has a leading edge mesh and will fly in reverse, regardless of size. The second stitch in the trailing edge improves reverse flight. It increases stability and speed. Not so much noticeable to a beginner, but eventually everyone canĀ tell the difference. When I first tried it, after many years without, I was amazed.

It should be standard on all models. It is literally two minutes of additional labor to do the trailing edge. The improvements to the leading edge mesh would be more time consuming, and probably increase the price of the kite by five to ten percent. I would pay the difference gladly.

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