Power Kite Forum

Revolution Blast

dblcrona - 16-11-2008 at 07:50 AM

I am thinking about buying a Revolution Blast and would like feedback from anyone who owns or has flown one. Thanks!

deezPANSHES - 16-11-2008 at 08:53 AM

I have a rev shockwave faster then the blast but man what a fun kite too fly.

what are you going to use the blast for static flying?

the nice thing about these rev kites are you can go from full power and in a second,
power can be dumped and the kite can come to a complete stop and then right back into full power.

my shockwave can fly along at 50-60 mph or just be graceful slow and smooth through the air.

revpaul has alot of experience flying rev's. I've watched him do 200 to 300 foot scuds on the shockwave.

He's been flying revs for about 10 years for hes got about 4 or 5 rev still kites.

revpaul - 16-11-2008 at 11:32 AM

i assume u r planning to use Blast as a traction engine and you do not have any quad line control experience.
sorry, i have no experience w/ Blast, or Super Blast.
I had two Shockwaves and can tell you that Rev's advertised 1:2 power Rev/foil estimate is no joke. a 2m Rev will pull as hard (at least) as a 4m fixed bridal foil but Rev is less forgiving. a Rev user has almost infinitely more fine control, with Revs, than normal foils. however, a great amount of fine control input is required to fly a Rev well. if you are planning to use a Rev as a traction engine you'll need to fly it well.
i'm not sure if the Blasts have same leading edge design as Speedseries(Shockwave/Supersonic). Shockwave leading edge is slightly curled which allows dead launches and 'gliding' (as opposed to simply falling out of sky) when completely depowered. the gliding action is not a good thing if you are using kite for traction. the kite will glide in the direction of the leading edge, which is usually straight towards user. dead launch works the same, straight towards user. this puts a lot of slack in the lines and user will have to move backwards to remove slack. backwards is not a direction users, in buggies or strapped to boards, like to, or are able to, go.
in my experience, thus far, foil kites fall away from user when depowered and thus slack is seldom an issue.
i think I am qualified to assume that the Blast, like foils, will not be fun to static fly for very long in any real wind, it'll pull too hard and you'll be fatigued sooner than later. i don't know of anyone using a Rev to jump with. i'd believe some guy did it but that would be an exception. there are a few who've used a Blast to buggy with but I'd guess it was more "something new/different to try" situation and not their norm. i'd bet these fellas already knew how to handle quad line kites too.
if you have no experience with quad line control i'd suggest a smaller Rev (for static) or a foil (for traction). a normal quad line foil will move/turn slower and will not fall out as quickly.
foils do not require 'the walk of shame' to relaunch near as much as a Rev. my first time with a Rev (RevII) required hours of relaunching and line untangling.
if you know of a Rev flyer nearby, look him up.
Rev's do some real cool stuff but under static conditions mostly.
Paul

KYTE SLINGER - 16-11-2008 at 05:03 PM

I have both the 2-4 and 4-8


I wouldn't advise trying to jump with a rev.... being that of a single skin doesn't have any type of float to it{lots of pop but no float} and will drop you like a Wells Fargo safe

"BUT" being that {single skin} has plenty of reach and controllable power on and power off

awindofchange - 17-11-2008 at 05:15 PM

Revpaul,

I have to disagree with most of your post. The powerblast 2-4 is an awesome kite that is super easy to fly and has the ultimate control. It has better and faster depower than any foil kite I have flown, even the true depowerable foils. The Blast will drop nearly 95% of all power with the flip of the wrist. Once you learn to fly one of these kites then the walk of shame (relaunching) is nearly zero as you can relaunch them from nearly any postition, even the dead launch. A simple pop of the top lines will put the blast series kites back in the air after laying flat on their face. Reverse launching is fast, controllable and super easy to do and can be done easier than with most foils. The Blast series kites can be flown in the depowered state anytime you wish, making it super easy to float the kite in the air with very little pull at all. As 'Slinger has said, they have nearly zero float so jumping is not recommended but work exceptional with the buggy because of their high speed ability and incredible upwind performance.

The power from the Blast series is correct in that they produce about double the power of a similar sized foil. This is shown in the naming of the kites, the Powerblast 2-4 is a 2 sq meter kite that produced the power of a 4 sq. meter foil. The Powerblast 4-8 is double that, producing the equivalent power of an 8 meter foil. They can be very fun flying static but the larger blasts excel in a buggy, especially the 4-8. Once you get it locked into the power you can feather control the brake lines like the accelerator of a car with a turbo!!!

Great kites for sure. The blast series is very different from the stunt or speed series Revolutions and is difficult to compare the two different types. The Powerblast 2-4 is nothing like a Rev II. IMO, the Rev II can be one of the most difficult kites to fly for a beginner.

That being said, the foils are more forgiving and do require a lot less flying skills to fly than the Revolution kites. The Rev's are more technical.

If you have any questions on a specific size then ask away and we can help you out.

krumly - 17-11-2008 at 09:40 PM

Kent -

I do have a question on the Powerblast 2-4 and 4-8: Do they use the same leading edge sticks as the Shockwave and Supersonic, or are they larger diameter or heavier wall?

My first, and only, Rev is a Supersonic. Got it after flying 2 line stunters, but before getting into 4 line foils. A bit of a learning curve, but when it clicked, wow! I've used it with skates on black ice on occasion. Would you say a 2-4 flies similar to a scaled-up Shockwave?

krumly

SecondWind - 17-11-2008 at 10:35 PM

I have been wanting to try one out with a Dirtsurfer - just may need to after reading this :yes:

I had a Rev II and I really enjoyed flying it.

Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
Revpaul,

I have to disagree with most of your post. The powerblast 2-4 is an awesome kite that is super easy to fly and has the ultimate control. It has better and faster depower than any foil kite I have flown, even the true depowerable foils. The Blast will drop nearly 95% of all power with the flip of the wrist. Once you learn to fly one of these kites then the walk of shame (relaunching) is nearly zero as you can relaunch them from nearly any postition, even the dead launch. A simple pop of the top lines will put the blast series kites back in the air after laying flat on their face. Reverse launching is fast, controllable and super easy to do and can be done easier than with most foils. The Blast series kites can be flown in the depowered state anytime you wish, making it super easy to float the kite in the air with very little pull at all. As 'Slinger has said, they have nearly zero float so jumping is not recommended but work exceptional with the buggy because of their high speed ability and incredible upwind performance.

The power from the Blast series is correct in that they produce about double the power of a similar sized foil. This is shown in the naming of the kites, the Powerblast 2-4 is a 2 sq meter kite that produced the power of a 4 sq. meter foil. The Powerblast 4-8 is double that, producing the equivalent power of an 8 meter foil. They can be very fun flying static but the larger blasts excel in a buggy, especially the 4-8. Once you get it locked into the power you can feather control the brake lines like the accelerator of a car with a turbo!!!

Great kites for sure. The blast series is very different from the stunt or speed series Revolutions and is difficult to compare the two different types. The Powerblast 2-4 is nothing like a Rev II. IMO, the Rev II can be one of the most difficult kites to fly for a beginner.

That being said, the foils are more forgiving and do require a lot less flying skills to fly than the Revolution kites. The Rev's are more technical.

If you have any questions on a specific size then ask away and we can help you out.

DAKITEZ - 17-11-2008 at 10:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
The Rev's are more technical.


That about says it all.

The revs are great kites ... if you ever feel you have foils mastered and your getting bored ... grab yourself one of these blast series and you will be learning to fly all over again.

I consider myself a decent intermediate pilot, but my first few days on the blast you would look at me and think I never flew a kite before. Once you learn how to fly them they can be very rewarding.

revpaul - 18-11-2008 at 02:18 AM

Kent,
I guess I should have read, and followed, the original post more diligently as it clearly stated that the poster "would like feedback from anyone who owns or has flown one".
my bad. I will absolutely never let it happen again.
however, since we may have confused the original poster, let's clear up this issue.
my second sentence to the original poster was "sorry, i have no experience w/ Blast, or Super Blast." I assume the original poster would surmise that rest of my post, relating to a Blast, would be opinion solely based from my, non-Blast, Rev flying experience.
You have flown Blasts. good.
Question. when you dead launch a Blast which direction does it immediately travel and at what distance, generally, will it travel before it "pops up" enough to catch the wind?
I've found with my Revs in almost every situation, other than in very high wind (where a Shockwave will scud me at a fast jogging pace for as long as I keep it turning in the window and where I wouldn't fly any other Rev larger than a Shockwave even if I had one) to super high wind (spar/bridal/line snapping in a split second with no warning unless extremely cautious) that I 'must' move backwards to keep the slack out of the lines or the kite simply falls over backwards as it flies to an upright position. I doubt most quad line kite beginners would find either of the fore mentioned situations fun with any 4m foil, 8m foil, or any size Rev. My Revs simply do not float away from me when they completely lose wind unless i purposely/trick the kite. If I let them, and 'I' haven't seen a beginner skilled enough not to, my Revs will quickly drop straight down when in a "luff" situation. I still can't launch any of my Revs once they are lying flat on their backs. Laying flat on their backs is the most common position all beginners, I've seen with my Revs, put the Rev in. Of course my experience is only with the Shockwave, Rev I, Rev II (stacked X3), and a Barresi Series. 'i've' found that learning to fly foils required far less walks of shame then learning to fly Revs because foils are launch-able from many more lying positions and they actually float away from me when luffed.
how much wind is required for a beginner to maintain simple/crude control of a Blast in order to keep it airborne? how much wind is likely too much for the beginner, with no prior quad-line control experience, trying to learn how to fly a Blast? would the margin be smaller or larger with a smaller Rev than with a Blast? in the same wind, which is too low to allow a beginner to control/keep a Blast airborne would a beginner not be able to static fly/learn some stuff with a foil? apparent wind and all that.
what exactly is it that you disagree with?
I made a statement, based on popular opinion here at PKF, and my own, that static flying an 8m foil (the equivalent to a 4/8 Blast) in decent (i should have wrote moderate) is not fun for very long. hence? you say the Blasts excel in a buggy. we all agree that one shouldn't attempt jumping with a Rev. The ability of a Rev to dump it's power in an instant was mentioned prior to my post so I felt it unnecessary to repeat. we both stated that the Rev to Foil power ratio is 1:2. i told original poster that Revs do a lot of cool stuff(are fun) and to look up a Rev flyer in the original poster's area.
we both state, almost word for word, that Revs have "ultimate", "almost infinite fine control" and that "foils are less forgiving" and require less flying skills.
seems to me that those two statements equate to a common opinion that, for a beginner, a Rev would not the preferred choice of traction engine?
so what's up?
Good night,
Paul

*if one were to travel to 100 popular and busy land traction beaches/fields all around the world and were to see 10 000 land traction kiters, how many of the land traction kiters would be using Revs to power their land traction device? :dunno:

awindofchange - 18-11-2008 at 03:08 PM

Revpaul,

I am sorry if my comments offended you. They were not meant to be taken as a personal attack against you or anyone else for that matter. It was just that my experience with the blast series power kites is much different than yours and I only commented to show that.

Please continue to post your comments on any topic you feel you can be of help to, that is what makes this forum such an awesome place to be a part of.

You have asked me several questions and I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.

Q1 - "Question. when you dead launch a Blast which direction does it immediately travel and at what distance, generally, will it travel before it "pops up" enough to catch the wind? "
The kite obviously will immediately travel forward. This is the only direction it could travel. The distance will depend on a couple factors, how hard you pull, the wind conditions and what kite it is. Your post seems to center around the Blast so I will presume you are asking about it here. If done properly, the Blast will travel forward between 1-2 feet and 5-7 feet depending on the above before popping up, the amount of popping up enough to catch wind will depend on the wind conditions.

Q2 - "how much wind is required for a beginner to maintain simple/crude control of a Blast in order to keep it airborne?"
A beginner should be able to maintain simple/crude control of the Blast in winds starting around 4-5 mph. Optimum wind range would be about 7-10 mph.

Q3 - " how much wind is likely too much for the beginner, with no prior quad-line control experience, trying to learn how to fly a Blast?"
I would say that winds above 15 mph would be possible for the Blast but very difficult for a beginner with no quad line experience.

Q4 - "would the margin be smaller or larger with a smaller Rev than with a Blast?"
Not exactly sure what your question is referring to but I will assume you are talking about wind ranges. The only Rev that is significantly smaller than the Blast is the Rev II. The wind range of the Rev II is about the same as the Blast but the results is very different. In the higher winds the Rev II will still have very little pull as compared to the Blast and will be much more twitchy. The Blast will pull very hard and will be less precise.

Q5 - "in the same wind, which is too low to allow a beginner to control/keep a Blast airborne would a beginner not be able to static fly/learn some stuff with a foil?"
Again I am not quite understanding your question here. If the wind is too low to allow a beginner to control/keep a Blast airborne then I wouldn't be recommending a beginner fly in those winds. If you are comparing size per size (1.5 meter Blast against a 1.5 meter foil) then the Blast will actually be easier to keep airborne than the foil in the same ultra light winds (I can fly the Blast in zero wind with very little backwards walking, I can not fly a 1.5 meter foil in those same winds without running like crazy and even then it is very difficult. If the winds are to low to fly then it would be very difficult for a beginner to static fly/learn some stuff with regardless if it is a Blast or a Foil. Again size per size, the Blast will fly in a wider range than a same sized foil so it would be easier for a beginner to static fly a Blast in winds that were to low than it would be for a (same sized) Foil in those same winds. Now if you are not comparing size per size then obviously it would be easier for a beginner to learn to fly a larger foil such as a 8 or 10 meter foil in the 1-4 mph winds than it would be for a beginner to learn to fly a 1.5 meter Blast in 1-4 mph winds.

Q6 - "what exactly is it that you disagree with?"
You stated in your post the following:
**...as a 4m fixed bridal foil but Rev is less forgiving**
I find the Rev is more forgiving because you can power and depower it instantly where a fixed bridle foil will yank your arms off in a gust with very little ability to depower it. The Rev also has better control and precision, allowing you to hover it anywhere in the window where a foil will collapse and fall out of the sky when hovered for any length of time. The Rev also allows you to give fine precise control while at the edge of the window, keeping the kite from overflying and a Rev will never give you the dreaded bowtie.

--------
"...which allows dead launches and 'gliding' (as opposed to simply falling out of sky) when completely depowered. the gliding action is not a good thing if you are using kite for traction. the kite will glide in the direction of the leading edge, which is usually straight towards user."
If the blast series are being flown in the proper wind range then it is nearly impossible to have the kite "glide" leading edge first towards the pilot. Because of the added sail area and weight distribution on the Blast series kites, even in the "Glide" position the trailing edge of the kite will almost always drop down enough to catch the wind and open back up. The only way you can get the Rev Blast series into this position is to purposely force it that way by powering the kite up high in the window, then instantly depowering it and at the same time, grabbing both leading edge lines and yanking them towards you. I have done this with the 4-8 but you have to pull in about 3 feet of line to do it. It is also very easy to recover from this by taking the slack back out of the line as the kite drifts back into the center of the window and I highly discourage anyone doing this stunt in the higher winds with the larger 2-4 or the 4-8. If you did this with a foil, it would collapse and in most cases reopen in the center of the power zone or bowtie and crash.

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*...dead launch works the same, straight towards user. this puts a lot of slack in the lines and user will have to move backwards to remove slack."
This statement is completely misleading and is totally dependent on wind condition, regardless of if it is a foil or a Rev.
When launching in proper winds you don't have to move backwards at all to relaunch the Blast series. In stronger winds the kite will automatically stand back up without having to dead launch at all, just like a foil. In the lighter winds then you would have to take the slack out and walk backwards just like you would have to do with a foil. Once the kite is in the air then you would walk back to your buggy as the kite flew. With proper skills the Blast series kites are as easy to relaunch as any foil. Again, if you are comparing size per size then the Blast series would be easier to relaunch regardless of wind. If you are comparing a Blast to a 8 or 9 meter foil then yea, the foil would be easier to relaunch in the lightest of winds.

-------
"i think I am qualified to assume that the Blast, like foils, will not be fun to static fly for very long in any real wind, it'll pull too hard and you'll be fatigued sooner than later. "
You are of course qualified to assume, but your assumption is wrong. Because of the depowerability (is that even a word?) of the Blast series kites you can fly them with very little pull therefore you will get fatigued a lot less with a Blast than you would with a fixed bridle foil. You can hover the Blast dead in the center of the power window in 15 mph winds with very little pull. This is very difficult to do with a foil and will require much more arm/wrist strength to do so. Plus you can bring the power on very gradual with the Blast and even fly the Blast in its depowered state where you can't do that with a fixed bridle foil. I can fly my 2-4 in 20 mph winds for much longer than I can with any 4 meter foil.

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"there are a few who've used a Blast to buggy with but I'd guess it was more "something new/different to try" situation and not their norm. "
This is a very general statement that is completely misleading. Depending on the wind conditions, I will select a Rev to buggy with over a normal foil because of its exceptional performance advantages, not because it is something different to try. Those that actually use the Revs for buggies will concur that these kites are exceptional power engines that outperform any foil of the same size in all areas including overall speed, acceleration, depower, control and upwind ability. A skilled pilot in a buggy with a Rev is extremely difficult to compete with. I don't know of anyone here that uses the Rev's that feel they are just "something different to try", most if not all use them because they work exceptionally well for what they are designed for.

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"foils do not require 'the walk of shame' to relaunch near as much as a Rev."
This is personal opinion that can change depending on the pilots experience and one that I also disagree with. I find that I do the walk of shame much less with a Rev as I can relaunch it from any position and it never bowties or has bridle tangles.

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"Rev's do some real cool stuff but under static conditions mostly. "
I think that if you actually flew one of the PowerBlast's in a buggy you would change your opinion on this.

And for your last post:
*if one were to travel to 100 popular and busy land traction beaches/fields all around the world and were to see 10 000 land traction kiters, how many of the land traction kiters would be using Revs to power their land traction device?

I have no idea how many pilots would be using Revs but that's not to say that there wouldn't be a couple. like sheep or lemmings, most of the masses will just follow someone else. There are a few that will step outside of the norm and discover something different that may actually work better.

You did ask me directly what it was that I disagreed with. Please do not take this as a flame or war of the posts against you. I am only responding as you requested.

Again, just because I disagree with the above comments does not mean that this is a personal attack against you or anyone else for that matter. Other pilots may have different experiences that I have with the Revolution Blast series, it is just that my experience with the Revolution Blast series has shown to be different than what you have stated.

My sincere apologies if I have offended you, that was not my intent.

revpaul - 18-11-2008 at 03:44 PM

No hard feelings. thanks for your time and expertise on the subject(s).
for the record, i would like to try a Blast with a buggy one day.

awindofchange - 19-11-2008 at 01:01 PM

Anytime your in the Vegas area let me know, I would be more than happy to let you have a go on one. :)

krumly - 19-11-2008 at 05:22 PM

Hey, Kent-

Would you say Revolution equates the Powerblast 2m and 4m to foils twice the area (4m and 8m) due to:

1) the crazy speeds they can develop (line tension squared with doubling of apparent wind)?
2) or increased pull due to being able to hit a much higher angle of attack before stalling than the 'set' angle a fixed bridle foil is designed to?

Also, because of the smaller surface area, do you end up flying the kite much more actively than you would a larger fixed foil to achieve same buggy speed? Maybe another way to ask this, is can you park-and-ride a smaller Rev like you might a larger foil and hit the same speed on a buggy, in the same winds?

I have my guesses based only on flying a Supersonic, but I would like your take on it as someone who flies the big ones.

krumly

awindofchange - 19-11-2008 at 07:40 PM

The Supersonic and Shockwave are kind of similar to the larger Blasts but it is hard to compare the two. The power of the Shockwave doesn't even compare to the 2-4. The speed series kites are just blistering fast and don't harness the power like the larger ones. The 2-4 is a lot slower and you do have finer controls of the brake lines to pull the power into the kite. Also because of its longer size (from trailing edge to leading edge) just a small movement of the brake lines will dump a ton of power out of the kite without it falling out of the air. The power series does have a fine control from power to depower to stalling. You also have to fly the power series a lot more like a foil instead of like a Rev. You still do nearly all of your turning with the brake lines but you need to pull in left and right before hitting your brakes a lot more than you would expect. If you don't pull in first then the turns are very sluggish and a lot more difficult to do.

Not sure exactly why the produce so much power per size but I would have to say it is a combination between being a single skinned kite with very little drag and the speed in which these kites can accelerate to. The Rev's really do remind me so much of my earlier days buggying with the C-Quads as they fly so similar and produce the same type of power.

Because the trailing edge lines can effect the kite so much, you can get a lot more power out on the edge than with a traditional foil, this is one of the reasons they have such awesome upwind performance.

I do tend to fly the Rev's more actively when first starting out, the main reason is that they are so fast that they hit the edge of the window very quickly and need to be redirected a lot sooner until your buggy gets up to the speed of the kite. Once you get a good speed then you can do more of a "Park-n-ride" type of flying. Parking them in the sweet spot produces very smooth power and continuous acceleration.

A foil has a really tough time matching the speed of one of the Rev's in the right winds (depending on the skills of the pilot). Size per size I don't think it is very possible. You can park and ride the Rev's and it will match or beat the speeds of a same sized foil in the same winds. (meaning an 8 meter foil would be tough to keep up with the 4-8 in the right wind conditions).

So much of this is dependent on the skills of the pilot. A very talented pilot on a foil could outperform a normal pilot on a Rev and visa-versa.

Both myself and Joe Hadzicki from Revolution were out on the playa during NABX a few years ago. We were both flying our 4-8's and running back and forth across the playa. Nobody else was able to ride as the wind was very low and almost non-existent. We rode well into the dusk and were packing up under flashlights because we couldn't see. LOL It was a total blast (no pun intended). After the run we had several people come up to us and ask us how we were buggying when they couldn't even feel any wind and their kite wouldn't even get in the air. Once you figure out these kites they are pretty awesome.

The awesome thing is that you can park-n-ride with these kites and get hauling pretty fast....and then one or two pumps and it is like hitting a turbo charger.

Hope that helps.

cheezycheese - 5-11-2009 at 05:08 AM

i got a lesson in flying Rev's from the kings of Rev's "the Rev Runners" i believe their name is. they are the group that does all those synchonized flying ddemos. i had just finished flying my 1.4 beamer static and jumped on the Rev. The first thing the guy said to me was "relax" he told me that i looked like i was trying to strangle the kite. Once i was able to lighten up my touch, the flying became easier. they require very light input to do the same moves u might try with a foil and then some. i was flying a vented rev in pretty high winds.
once i got the hang of it, it was a 'blast':lol: (pun intended). they are definitely on my wanted list...

bigkid - 5-11-2009 at 06:34 AM

cheezycheese, I agree.
I had a customer who wanted a 4-8 blast and as always, "do you know how to fly a rev?" Well he bought it anyway, then I bought it back, for less because it was abused.lol I would recommend, like my customer was told, any help from a rev flier would be light years ahead of the learning curve.
I tried the 4-8 in 8mph wind, and put it away after 15' of face scudding. I have no experience with the rev's, and the exp rev took me many hours to get the hang of after that.
IMHO, get with a rev flier and start there, much more fun!

awindofchange - 5-11-2009 at 12:16 PM

The 4-8 is a monster - and probably one of the most difficult Rev's to master. The controls are a bit different on the 4-8 than the other models as well. One thing I found is that you need to do a lot of pulling / pushing with the 4-8 to get it to react in the turns (somewhat like a foil kite) --- well, you need to pull the side you want to turn and then give it a ton of brake line to get the kite to rotate. Pulling left and right alone will not work - and just trying to man-handle the brake lines (like on all other Rev models) doesn't work that well either - unless you have Popeye arms and can do it. The 4-8 pulls like a freight train when powered and you really have to man-handle it hard to fly it. You also have to move your hands way down to the middle of the handles on the 4-8. It has so much power that you can't use any leverage against it to rotate the handles if you are holding on top.

Usually a new pilot can step into any of the normal Rev's (EXP, 1.5, Rev 1, B-Series) without any worries. Normally time is the only thing you need to have to learn them. The Blast and Powerblast 2-4 are a little more beastly but still can be learned in moderate winds by any beginner - as long as you have some time to master them.

The Speed series (Supersonic and Shockwave) are crazy fast and twitchy in the stronger winds and will really test your Rev skills - usually not recommended to learn on.

The 4-8 is just a beast of a kite and very hard to figure out, especially if you have not already flown Rev's before. In 3 mph winds it will scud you down the field - on your butt or face, it doesn't care. LOL

They really are awesome kites - and totally fun to fly. The power from the 2-4 and the 4-8 is staggering, I recommend everyone take any opportunity you may get to fly at least one Rev in your life time. :)

Bigkid - try that 4-8 again in 4-5 mph winds but this time, really put a lot of control on the brake lines so the kite doesn't accelerate very fast (or super slowly!!!) and the power will be very minimal. Also, remember that if you get a huge burst of power, let the bottom of the handles out - RELEASE THE BRAKES!!! This will depower the Rev. Give it a little time and I think you will come to love it. :)

Maven454 - 5-11-2009 at 01:30 PM

While we're on the topic of Revs, what's the difference between the various "normal" Rev models?

Kamikuza - 5-11-2009 at 04:16 PM

Some have lighter frames, some have mesh venting for higher winds ...

Maven454 - 5-11-2009 at 04:24 PM

Anything other differences?

Kamikuza - 5-11-2009 at 06:30 PM

Different sizes, the EXP was more durable, others are vented blah blah
http://www.revkites.com/main/products?s=73e4469294f3c0c9d0e4...

I got the 1.5 IIRC and it's fine for durability ... you thinking of getting one?

WELDNGOD - 5-11-2009 at 07:39 PM

revs rock! I got a 1.5 SLE, and it is the most challenging kite fo sho. But awesome fun too.

BigMikesKites - 5-11-2009 at 08:03 PM

Wow. What a thread...But I will tell you I do have a Revolution Blast. It is a great kite. I enjoy it. I don't fly it as often as I do my foils, but it has its place.

Power, yes, off, yes. It will do what you want it to do. Sometimes I think I'd rather have a B series Rev instead since I have all the power I want in foils, but I'm glad I have the Blast.

:singing:

Maven454 - 6-11-2009 at 04:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kamikuza
Different sizes, the EXP was more durable, others are vented blah blah
http://www.revkites.com/main/products?s=73e4469294f3c0c9d0e4...

I got the 1.5 IIRC and it's fine for durability ... you thinking of getting one?


I think about it off and on, I'd love to try one. But not right now as kiting has sucked all the spare cash right out of my wallet :D.

Kamikuza - 6-11-2009 at 04:57 AM

What's that saying - an hour to learn, a lifetime to master? :)
You got a credit card don't you? :lol:

rocfighter - 6-11-2009 at 05:15 AM

I have a blast I got when they first came out and I had money to spare. It is an animal for sure. But I feel if your power kite isn't dragging you across a field why fly it?
The main differance of the blast and a foil is responce time. When switching back and forth it takes a few crashes to get in the right mind set for the blast.
Most dealers say stay away from it. But it's all in the adventure of life. I say try it.
Dave.

awindofchange - 6-11-2009 at 05:47 PM

The basic differences between the "normal" models:

EXP - Nylon sail, standard 3 wrap rods, minimal panels in the sail. Only available as standard model.

1.5 SLE - SLE rod which is super strong and near break proof, Ripstop Polyester sail, more panels in the sail so it holds its shape better over the years with less sail stretch. Available in Standard and Vented models.

B-Sereis - 2 interchangeable framesets included, advanced flying DVD, Icarex / Ripstop Poly sail, more panels then the 1.5 SLE. Available in Standard, Mid Vent and Full Vented models. Also available as a special edition "Pro" Series.

Hope that helps. :)

***These three Rev's are all "basically" the exact same size and shape with only minimal differences in the cuts and stitching.

Rev 1 - Ripstop Poly sail, 9 foot leading edge, available with standard or SLE rods, larger than the three listed above. Available in standard, SUL and vented models.

Rev II - smallest of the above, very quick with almost zero pull / power. Harder to master than the above but works well in the higher wind ranges.

All of these kites are available as full complete packages including Laser Pro Spectra Lineset, 13" Handles, training DVD, Manual, kite and bag (except the B-Series). B-Series comes with two complete framesets, advanced DVD, adjustable handles, weight kit, manual, kite and bag - lines are sold separately.

Maven454 - 6-11-2009 at 05:59 PM

Thanks Kent.