Old video of me getting worked hot launching a 2m Hornet II
Yeah I hot launched it like a newbie. Found this old video on my hard drive from February 2011.
This must have been before I had my 1.7m Sting(for days like that). At the time I had a 2m Flow and was looking for a "tamer" 2m kite for those days
when the 2m Flow was too much. Got a Hornet.... Not tamer. Actually more grunty and seems to have more power; but not more speed.
Was the wind blowing 25mph? I don't remember now and I don't think it was. Maybe it was gusting to 30mph? Regardless; it was still in the wind
range... But I was still overpowered non the less. To the point I couldn't and wouldn't buggy with it that day. I'm pretty sure I bought the Sting
due to that day(and tired of sitting out the really windy days). I've had the 1.7 Sting out when it was gusting to 50mph and it can be flown static.
I use the Sting for 30mph+ days. It needs that power to get upwind. When it lulls into the 20's it's a struggle getting upwind.
Doing that day over these days; it would be with the 1.7 sting and I would have launched sitting in the buggy. I can deal with a hot launch in the
buggy(straight down wind).
I think somewhere I have a video flying the 2m Flow, 2m Beamer V, and 2m Hornet II back to back on a 20mph day.
From what I remember: The Flow was the most refined. The other kites will load up with max power and then it's as if they get shot with a shotgun
and deflate and wad up and blow in the wind like an empty trash bag(right into the power zone to hot launch!). The Flow never does that.
The Hornet II was very grunty and constant full power. Actually tiring to fly it.
I flew the Beamer V after it and it was a joy, a dream, and a relief to fly after flying the Hornet. I still think the Flow is a better kite. I fly
the other two when I feel like changing things up a bit and want something a little different.
I still want to get more flying time with the Beamer and Hornet.
Around here it seems we get 2m days and 5m and up days. It's hard to schedule in any 3m or 4m time.
I had the 6.9 Reactor II out today. I flew it at DBBB last year in really light but smooth constant wind. Flew well but I was underpowered and
couldn't keep up with everyone else(they had bigger kites out).
The wind here though is gusty. Big kites for me are hard to fly in light wind as they tend to fold up on the turns. Then so overpowered in a gust
that I'm sliding sideways down wind and can't go upwind during that. I almost got lifted out several times today. I finally put it away. Was
wishing I had brought my 5m Flow but I didn't bring it....
Have flown that Reactor about 3 other times with the exact same results(over/underpowered) and haven't had a successful session yet with it.
I bought that kite specifically from one time riding when the wind was just flat to light to get around with the 5m Flow(my biggest kite at the time).
I've always been on the fence about the two bigger size Reactors. Partly due to my experience with big kites and the gusty winds we have and the
kites small wind ranges. When our wind is light; it's usually really light and gusty to the point of being on/off. A gust of 4mph... Then
it lulls to 0mph... Or it might be a 5mph(on/off) day with gusts to 10mph.
What other viable light wind options are there other then the Reactor II?
The Reactor II is fast! The wind was blowing ~5mph or so and I was doing 20mph! Maybe it was blowing more then that; but not much.
What's the fastest anyone has ever gone with the larger Reactor sizes?
I have very little time on my 2.8 Reactor II; but that thing is a demon kite from what I remember from the two or so times I've had it out(briefly).
I also had the 2.7 Yak out today. I could move but not enough power to get upwind. Trying to find the low end usable range for that kite. At least
I got a lot of flying time in with it. Turns real nice.
Had the 2.3 Method out a while back. Seems like a stretched out version of the Flow and a faster kite. I still need more time with it.
I can completely relate to the "grunt" of the 2m Hornet.
This past spring, I let mine get behind my shoulder and it launched me up and out of my buggy backwards. :shocked2: (I blame it on a gust.)
No hang time - it then dropped me like a rock. (It's a good thing I was wearing a helmet!)
But a fun kite nonetheless.
Go ahead... tell me to "go fly a kite!" Please!
Howard - used to be KC67
Fly: A quiver of Lynx' and Cores (did someone say "Pansh"?), a couple o' Arcs, and a Rev to remind me about control
Ride: PL XR+
Where: 43.857899, -78.941661 and 38.970951, -74.828922
![[*]](images/perspective/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
