Another fun kite. I've got 2 sessions and 10 miles total on this kite so far.

Here's my strategy for winds when I need a 3m kite:

The worst gusty wind of all(10mph gusting to 30) - 3.3m Flexifoil Sting
A little better gusty wind(wind not quite all over the place) - 3m Quattro
Decent or good wind(steadier wind) - 3m Octane

The Octane has yanked me out of the buggy at least twice and almost quite a few more times. Don't underestimate it if you're out in some wind with it.

This Quattro is much faster than the Sting. I struggle to break 20mph with the Sting. I did 25mph easy with the Quattro. I feel this kite has 30mph or more in it. It will be interesting to see what the upper wind range is with this kite.

For the ultimate bad wind kite; the Sting can't be beat. It has an amazing ability to stay inflated and the bridle is very good at absorbing gusts.

The Quattro is very nimble in the air. It spins and turns so nicely. It also has an absolutely unique and different feel through the handles. The pull feels completely different from the Sting.

With the Quattro laying on top of the Octane; the Quattro is 3" less wide(<-->) and 4" taller(^).

3m wind has always been the most challenging and demanding for me. 2m is our main buggy wind. 4m and up; is usually light.

nice write up

Easy 30mph on a gust. I'm sure it could do 35 or 40 with some real wind:



Smooth flying kite. Cruises at 20mph all day long. Highly underrated and unknown kite.

Unreal gusty conditions today:



I had the 2.4m Flux out earlier in the day. The 3m Quattro later.

How would the Quattro compare to the Flow?

I'd say less power size for size. I can really throw the Quattro around and it never tries to take me out of the buggy. Flying the same size Flow around like that(in equal wind) and it would.

I don't know how well the smaller sizes would be for buggy use though. I use the 3m powered up. It does 25mph easy. I know it would do more with more space. It seems like the smaller sizes would need even more wind to feel like they have decent power.

If they made one a size bigger; I might be tempted to get it.

The next one smaller; I just don't think I could get enough power out of it considering the winds I was flying the 3m in and I still haven't found the upper wind limit to it yet.

Be careful with the smaller sizes; they advertise and sell them listed measured by their "span" and that for some reason doesn't equal square meters in the smaller sizes:

SPAN SQUARE METRES
1.6m 1.0m2
2.0m 1.5m2
2.5m 2.5m2
3.0m 2.9m2


I have the older 1m Imp and it needs quite a bit of wind to fly easy and it still has pretty much zero power. Though I did see a guy manage to buggy with it... (on flat ground, short grass, slow, struggled to get back upwind, extremely experienced kiter).

I use the 1.5m Imp Q in 25 knots and above usually on the claypan at Kingston. It's a hoot and there's plenty of speed but it will definitely test your reflexes. - particularly if your silly enough to put it on a turbo bar :D

Do you fly the Quattro on stock lines or longer? How does it handle lulls in the wind? Does it hold it's shape long enough to keep it in the air most of the time?

Thanks,
Iain

I use the stock lines. Since the kite doesn't fly far forward in the window; the lulls don't surprise it.

Does that also mean that it doesn't have much upwind ability?

I haven't found it to be lacking; but I have also not flown it in lighter winds yet to see how it would do. Powered up it goes anywhere I want.

Thanks rtz