This week at NABX was an eye opener for me! What a challenge the strong playa winds were for this newbie - did other new kite buggy riders find the
winds an interesting mix of power and variability?
Anyways, I wished I had a slightly smaller kite in my quiver and saw a few that would fit the bill.
The Profoil 2.5 is no longer available but Bladerunner has lent me his numerous times and its always been very settled and smooth. So I wondered on a
long shot if anyone had this kite in their bag and would be willing to sell.
Brian from Oregon was flying a Stingray 1.7 that he bought from someone on the forum and he says it too is very smooth and polite in high winds.
Anyone got a lead on any of those kites?
Or else, a Beamer 1.4 would also meet my needs.
Please give me a shout if you have any info on any of these three kites.
And thanks to all of you who gave me tips and helped me out as I tested my wings on the big playa playground.
cheers,
Erinindigo_wolf - 5-4-2010 at 11:21 AM
Could you perhaps mean the Flexifoil Sting 1.7 rather than Stingray?
Short review here. I haven't had much problems flying it on the stock handles.
Recoveries are fairly painless. Can fly it in fairly stupid winds. Gusts aren't a real problem. You can pull it out of a luff & fold with a
sharp tug on one side, long before you have to worry about grass or goose stains.
I am biased on the Stings possibly because they were my first quadline foils (1.2 Punk & a 2.4 Petrol).... eventually a 1.7 & 3.3 followed me
home... without my knowledge :o (yes, I am sticking with that story).
ATB,
Samflash - 5-4-2010 at 12:08 PM
Hey Erin
It's Nic (the only girl on the team there), I might of been the one from HQ that put you on the Beamer. (Either a 1.4 or the 2) If you are interested
in finding one new or used let me know. Shoot me an email and I am pretty sure we can get you set up with one.
WEEEE!!
ps. I think I have a good photo of you flying it!
Nicheliboy50 - 5-4-2010 at 08:35 PM
Take a look at a PL viper 2.6 as well. I flew the 3.9 and 6.8 at NABX and I hafta' say they are great flying kites at a great price.Jaymz - 5-4-2010 at 08:55 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by heliboy50
Take a look at a PL viper 2.6 as well. I flew the 3.9 and 6.8 at NABX and I hafta' say they are great flying kites at a great price.
I am a buggy newbie weighing 180lbs and have a 2.6 Viper which IS a great kite. It was fine in 20-25mph steady winds, but when the wind went to near
30, I felt overpowered and was pulled from the bug a few times. Could be just lack of exp?
I then borrowed a 2.0 Beamer and was back in my comfort zone.heliboy50 - 5-4-2010 at 11:15 PM
Feeling really bad about my earlier post because I neglected to mention my friend's kites- PKD brooza and century 2 are also very nice. The cent
will cost a little more as it doesn't come RTF, but well worth it from what I have seen and is available as small as 2.2m.arkay - 6-4-2010 at 08:17 AM
I highly recommend the sting, it's a very low aspect kite that you'll be able to fly in nuking winds and not worry; super stable and just enough
power.
I was out in the nuking winds on, gee I can't remember, I think it was monday and Tuesday, with my sting 1.7 when pretty much everyone else was just
holding on to their hats. My first time on the playa and I never felt like it was (or could) really eject me. In fact I was looping it in the winds;
basically a sturdy stunt kite
If you do ge the sting and you want to fly it in high winds then I would suggest that you use other handles and lines. The stock handles are short
hollow plastic thinks that will snap on you and the lines are 100lbs... I just pulled the lines and handles from my 3.5 when I was flying the sting.
Figured I wouldn't be flying the 3.5 in the nuclear winds.airin - 6-4-2010 at 09:16 AM
Hey thanks for all the suggestions!
And Indigo Wolf thanks for the link to Brads kites and for the review of the Sting...yup, that's the one that arkay was telling me about on the
playa....looks like Brad still has one for sale, arkay.
Flash, just sent you a U2U about the 1.4 Beamer as well.
After my experiences with nuking winds down on the playa I'm thinking it makes sense to load up on smaller kites. BeamerBob - 6-4-2010 at 10:12 AM
Airin, I had the same vertical learning curve that you did. I wasn't there for the crazy winds on Tuesday and Wednesday but other days when the wind
picked up, I found myself feeling safe with my 3m Beamer. I feel like I could go in over 35-40 mph winds with my 2m. I'm 225 lbs so you could find
the same balance shifting each kite down 1 notch I would think. Several guys there were smitten with the PL Vipers as well. It is labeled as a
beginner/intermediate buggy kite but that's exactly what you want when it comes down to going out or staying in camp. I regret not meeting you when
we must've been right beside each other.indigo_wolf - 6-4-2010 at 10:18 AM
It looks like Flexifoil has gone PC, so as not to encourage flying in stupid winds, but this used to be one of my favorite snippets from the Sting
product page.
High wind, ultra stable, safe traction
The Sting also has a place in the kit bag for advanced kite buggy pilots as an ultra stable, high-wind traction engine. During testing in North Wales
the Sting was used in winds exceeding 50mph! :o As this kite is so unbelievably stable, non aggressive and super strong, kiting in conditions that
would otherwise be classed as unsuitable is now possible due to the Sting's gust absorbing properties (Flexifoil does recommend that you upgrade the
flying lines if you are planning to use this kite for this purpose).
ATB,
Samairin - 6-4-2010 at 12:19 PM
Thanks for all this info guys.
With any luck I may be able to add a 1.4 Beamer and maybe the 1.7 Sting to my quiver soon.thorst45 - 28-4-2011 at 04:31 PM
airin
I have a HQ Beamer IV 4m Comes Ready to Fly Im willing to part with.
Steveairin - 28-4-2011 at 07:21 PM
Thanks Steve; I was able to get both small kites that I was looking for last summer (you'll see them listed in my signature )....my original post was
made about a year ago. :wow:Bladerunner - 29-4-2011 at 06:49 AM
Steve,
Other than applying for the free kite for financially challenged it seems your only other posts are pushing your for sale gear on people.
Not cool!Trikbitz - 24-5-2011 at 11:36 AM
I have a nice little 1.8 century 1 RTF that will spank your ass every chance it gets but it's fast as. £100 and its yours P&P not includednocando - 24-5-2011 at 02:43 PM
Airin I have a Rage 2.5 RTF that I can cut looseindigo_wolf - 24-5-2011 at 04:53 PM
Post is over a year old and Airin got sorted for the small kites (check back about 4-5 posts).
Meanwhile, back at Aunt Martha's .... any chance the Rage 2.5 is Midnight?
ATB,
Samnocando - 25-5-2011 at 04:33 AM
what are midnight coloursindigo_wolf - 25-5-2011 at 07:21 AM
Midnight (Leading Edge To Trailing Edge):
Black Center Panel
White Accent Panel
Blue Wingtip Panel
Quite possibly the nicest scheme available for the Flexifoil Blade & Rage Series (Punk - Pink, White, Black was also nice, but limited edition).
Midnight was retired to bring out the Hulk color scheme (Green, White, Blue).
Hulk is a nice enough color scheme, however someone at Flexifoil needs to be covered in honey and staked out on a fire ant hill for retiring Midnight.
It's possible my view on the topic might be a tad extreme, but I don't think so. :embarrased:
ATB,
Sammasu - 26-5-2011 at 07:01 PM
Is flexifoil rage 3.5 to big?Mike_Lebo - 28-5-2011 at 03:53 PM
(yes, I am sticking with that story).
