Power Kite Forum - Favorite ARC and why?

Favorite ARC and why?

WolfWolfee - 30-1-2010 at 08:50 AM

Thanks Maven, I'm getting old

So your favorite and why would be great..

Thanks

Maven454 - 30-1-2010 at 08:53 AM

Phantom has the best appearance, with Scorpion being the second best.

tridude - 30-1-2010 at 08:59 AM

ironic but the Phanny.......................best water performer and was designed as a land/snow platform.........................drives hard towards the edge, great upwind, and jumps are amazing...............................a few buggy pilots I know also like the Phanny for the forward in the window/upwindnd characteristics.........................Im def going to purchase the 12m P2 when it comes available.................................13m Venom would be second.................................. :lol:

:duh::duh:

bobalooie57 - 30-1-2010 at 09:00 AM

Though I don't fly the arc's (still enthralled by the open cell foils) I do love the graphics on the Phantom!

tridude - 30-1-2010 at 09:14 AM

everyone should experience hooked into a 15m Phanny in 15 to 20 kts,sreaming upwind, then send her back..................... :lol:

:wow::wow::duh:

WolfWolfee - 30-1-2010 at 09:29 AM

Now we see why maybe PL is taking a look at a Phantom II.

Todd - 30-1-2010 at 09:57 AM

Another Phantom fan!

dylanj423 - 30-1-2010 at 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
everyone should experience hooked into a 15m Phanny in 15 to 20 kts,sreaming upwind, then send her back..................... :lol:

:wow::wow::duh:

i can hardly wait.... i get excited in 10mph with my atb.... once you get the timing down, its stupid good jumps

Bladerunner - 30-1-2010 at 09:59 AM

You forgot the F-arc. My 1st twin skin .

My vote for the Syn was based strictly on what I have flown / owned. More sentimental than anything. I have never flown a Phantom but agree the graphics are best.I don't hate but don't love the graphics on the most recent arcs.

PHREERIDER - 30-1-2010 at 10:06 AM

venom I , smaller are quick, recover quick from the water. always on top of the tube guy on position ,so upwind is as steep as it gets.

STABLE - idles it self,

feedback thru the bar is like magic

incredible land sessions, good fun starting about 10mph.

range, opened and closed many a spot on one kite time after, time after, time after. more like opened a season or year!

phantom is right their with it. maybe a smaller one would deliver loops like a venom ?

both have bar pressure higher than most but fits me perfectly. ultra smooth power very predictable.

tremendously glad to have came into this class of rigs

zero gee - 30-1-2010 at 10:21 AM

My favourite is whatever I am currently flying.

Soon to be Chargers. :cool:

BeamerBob - 30-1-2010 at 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WolfWolfee
Now we see why maybe PL is taking a look at a Phantom II.

Wolfee you took the words right out of my mouth.

acampbell - 30-1-2010 at 11:14 AM

Love my big Phat Phanny 18. Easy gentle giant with two-finger park-and-rides w/ 4-5+ mph wind. Always a crowd pleaser, too.

ripsessionkites - 30-1-2010 at 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zero gee
My favourite is whatever I am currently flying.

Soon to be Chargers. :cool:

+1 to that ... I would like to fly a CH soon too.

macboy - 30-1-2010 at 12:19 PM

Although Rip has me first in line for the Phantom 2's (wink wink) I don't know that I'll ever part with my 15. Probably the most sentimental value of all my arcs - even possibly the new ones. It was the first kite to start throwing me around and I have a feeling it'll be the kite that I make most of my leaps forward with.

flyjump - 30-1-2010 at 12:54 PM

My old phantom 12m was my favorite. It packed down so small, yet in strong winds that thing could take you epic. It was so fast with so much depower. A close second is the 13m venom 2. That kite was so much fun

carltb - 30-1-2010 at 01:35 PM

i learnt so much on my 15phanny and it was my favourite for a long time.
buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut if you havent flown a charger yet then you need to fly one pretty quickly, then you will know why its my new favourite. i also thought the syn was the dogs dangles but the charger blows it away aswell.

macboy - 30-1-2010 at 01:47 PM

But what do you think the comparison between the Charger and the new Phanny will be like? Maybe same but different? I guess they can't have two of the same kites in terms of behaviour and performance so what might they do differently?

I hope to get my hands on a Charger either through the "Pass the...." or at NABX but I think I'm still a year away from being able to know and appreciate a kite's performance. I WISH I could fly as much as you (figuratively AND literally ; )

flexiblade - 30-1-2010 at 02:53 PM

My go to for about a year was/is the 10m guerilla - amazing range - could fly her from 8 to 35mph. Just about a 1 kite quiver. Now I've flown my new 12m phantom only once, winds have gone into hibernation again, but I was very impressed - cannot wait to get her out in some steady winds with the bug.

lad - 30-1-2010 at 03:29 PM

My 12m Phantom is still my simplest and more reliable kite and the one I've the most fun with, so far. I was amazed how I could zip down Treasure Island on it, then halt for the straying kiddie kite, then auto-zenith / carabiner it to a volleyball post for a break.

Hmmm...all the talk about the 15m Phanny....one of which, with luck, will appear on my doorstep next month! :cool:

Oh well, what the hay...might as well post this one again....

heliboy50 - 30-1-2010 at 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude
13m Venom would be second.................................. :lol:

:duh::duh:

That makes me smile- just got my first arc, 13m V1 (not flown yet.)

lad - 1-2-2010 at 12:10 PM

rudeboysaude - 1-2-2010 at 01:03 PM

I'm always inpressed with how popular the Phantom is on this site! I thought it was a great crusin buggy kite, but you guys seem to like them for everything. Huh. I must just be a different style kiter. I sold my phantoms because I needed more power. I guess that's why I miss the option of different ARCs. Right now PL only offers the Charger. Goes to show that there are people that want a different ARC as well. The Charger is so awesome I can't imaging choosing a Phantom over it, but it seems a lot of you would. I personally don't think I'd buy a phantom 2 unless they could make it turn like the Charger. But, I do have an addiction, so I better leave myself some room for going back on my word!

macboy - 1-2-2010 at 01:46 PM

My experience with arcs is limited to the Guerilla, the Venom and the Phantom. I'd "snag a new Phantom 2 without question" is a bit presumptuous to say but I can only assume (hope) that the things about the Phanny 1 I love will be improved or fine tuned for the Phantom 2's.

Here's my breakdown on what I like about each (and remember...I'm still by all accounts a pretty new kiter so this is based on my level of observation/skill):

Guerilla - SUPER stable. Forgiving. Smooth flying. Great depower (it's like two kites in one - from zero to hooj through the trim strap alone)

Venoms - SUPERer stable. Forgiving. Smooth flying & power delivery. Great water relaunch (better than my Guerilla for sure). 19 is a good lightwind performer, 16 is a good solid wind powerhouse and quite likely a fantastic hangtimer (haven't tried yet but will)

Phantoms - Very responsive. Great range of power through the bar and through the trim strap. Stable but if she goes down it could be a tricky relaunch (bowtie prone). Fast flying. (And coolest visual ever. Simple yet bold ; )

I think the Phantoms maybe win out on PKF first because people don't forget the graphics and then because people don't forget the finer bits like the performance you get without too many straps or a VPC to muck with.

I just love the Arcs. A learning curve on the self launch and relaunch but that's about it. They are stable, predictable and BRIDLE-LESS! I can unroll ANY arc in the basement after a snowy session and not have to worry about the dog getting tangled up in spaghetti hanging off the kite. So what if I have to attach four lines and preinflate?

I don't know. Maybe the SA will woo me to the FS side but the bridles alone are enough reason not to. If I can find the same performance in an arc at the end of the day I might just stick with them. (I'll have been through a few FSers by the time I have the requisite skills to make such a judgement call ; )

Man I ramble. Sorry.

f0rgiv3n - 1-2-2010 at 02:22 PM

My first arc as a venom 13m, second scorpion 16m, my friend owns a phantom 15m, and I now own the synergy 15m.

I wish i woulda kept the venom a little longer than i did because that kite is pretty close to my favorite so far. The synergy still is amazing to me, it's incredibly fast and awesome lift/float. the speed is what makes it so awesome!

geokite - 1-2-2010 at 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rudeboysaude
I personally don't think I'd buy a phantom 2 unless they could make it turn like the Charger.

The larger turning radius of the phantom is a plus in my book for the buggy. On the dry lake bed I'm usually not flying anything larger than the 9m, and I don't need a tight turning kite for the buggy. The 9m turns just fine.

Just got a 6m Charger, but after one flight I can see using a 30cm bar for it in the buggy (anyone know where I can get one?). I don't really want to have to micro-manage my kite to keep in flying straight and level.

rudeboysaude - 1-2-2010 at 06:17 PM

I understand the worth in a slower turning kite also. In high winds, I don't want something that will turn fast. And those tiny arcs are super fast already especially in the conditions they are great in. That's why I thought the Phantom was a great buggy kite, but on the water and snow, I preferred the other models.

shaggs2riches - 1-2-2010 at 06:39 PM

So far I only have used my Scorp and right now it is my favorite kite. However, the Phanny looks pretty nice!!!!

power - 1-2-2010 at 09:10 PM

This poll doesn't really prove anything because most people just said their favorite arc was whichever one they owned with nothing else to compare it to. Still interesting anyways.

markite - 1-2-2010 at 09:38 PM

I've owned and/or flown every generation and It's different models for different reasons and uses. And a lot of impressions change as you move back and forth between the various models. What i thought was great in one kite now feels like a dog going back to it.

After the S Arcs we found the G's a lot more user friendly but then going to the Venoms etc forward the G's just aren't grunty enough in power and are slower.

I loved my Phantoms and still love them in the buggy but with the bigger sizes I want a kite that doesn't twist off quite so much to loose power working it on the water.

Scorpions are fast in a lot of respects and had some memorable water sessions as well as buggy and snow kiting. Nice vertical boost, not as good for float and we still find bad days struggling with clean launching on gusty inland winds.

When you get to big open areas and try pushing the kites to the max that's when you notice the small differences. The Scorpions will still surge a bit more forward and back in high speed and tend to pinch back a bit - I'm looking to get them a little further forward like the Phantom

The Venoms have been a good all round kite but not overall anything that had me raving. More reliable launch than the Scorpion and good float but not quite as quick.

The Synergy has been far better launching, delivered a good boost and float in the winter and water. Stable in a buggy but again not quite sitting out as far forward as I'd like to see on the smaller sizes but it was a good performance step up in a lot of aspects.

The Charger, I'm just starting to put the into the hands of guys around here and from the limited sizes available on the dry lake last year it delivered solid performance and speed but really want to kick them around a lot more this winter to get a better comparison - just need a better winter than we've had up to now.

Phantom II - this is goes back to some suggestions and coaxing we did with the VO boys last year at NABX and thanks to a lot of guys following up with everything we suggested we have our fingers crossed for something good.

In a buggy I want a fast kite, scary fast but stable and doesn't need to have a super fast turning speed on the smaller kites.
On water I want solid power, boost and float and don't want to have to work the bar quite as much - fast turning kite to keep the power
On snow - for skis I want similar to buggy use, for snowboard I want similar to water use

A bit all over the place on my answer and not sure if I answered the question.

PS-Steve I'm checking with Ziggy where he picked up his 30cm bar, I've been using 40cm as my smallest but I hear what you are saying about watching that steering especially burning up the palya

Kamikuza - 1-2-2010 at 09:40 PM

I voted Phantom simply cos I love the graphic and the bright, bold colours. I like the Synergy design second but as for actually flying, I don't have enough experience to tell them apart yet ... I like the purple on my Vortex though :D

bmor - 2-2-2010 at 08:00 AM

I'm a new arc flyer who has only flown a 16m V2 and 12m Farc so no point in voting. I will say I like the smooth power of the V2 on snow, powered up it's a park & ride machine with easy one handed control. We haven't had conditions yet to find the top end of it's range but so far it easily covers the range of a 12 and 10m depower foil. Light wind wise, if I inflate it with a fan and launch it by pulling on the front lines and can get it to zenith, it will pull me. I find it generates good pull when diving it for a power stroke to get moving.

The Farc is a different beast. Haven't really flown it in heavier winds. In lighter stuff it generates good apparent wind once you get it moving.

Drewculous - 2-8-2011 at 03:03 PM

Bump.... Itll go well with arkays polls

:lol:

arkay - 2-8-2011 at 04:05 PM

P15... go to kite for any wind. I've flown it from 10-30. Decently fast and not too overpowering.

But the V2-13 is more fun... super fast turning and can generate a ton of power if needed. I hit 40 on the beach in 20/25 by just dipping the kite :D Fun kite to ride up the dunes and fast enough to loop in lower winds!