A guy I work with has a 2013 4 meter hornet that I've flown and I was very impressed with it. It turned quickly and had good power. It was not as powerful as my 4m twister that I flew side by side but it was fun to fly. He only used it twice so I was thinking about buying it from him to replace my twister as a buggy engine for the 4 meter size. It's a little less lifty and more forgiving in the gusts. Although I do have a 4m nasa star coming so I might be overdoing it if I had 3 4m kites.

Sean. Have the Nasa Stars shipped yet?

Should be here anytime. International shipping is a test of patience.

Sweet!

Quote:

Although I do have a 4m nasa star coming so I might be overdoing it if I had 3 4m kites.

Yep, there'd be a bit of crossover there for sure. I spent a morning running side by side with Clive at Sandy Point a while back - him on a 4m Octane (I think, unless it was a Flow) and me on the 4m NS2. Under 14 knots or so, I had the advantage, over 16 knots, he had the advantage but there was never more than a couple of mph between us. Flow's probably just a tad faster with a little less grunt than the Hornet.

How can you tell if a dealer has the new Hornet or the Old Hornet ? Is the new Hornet called the Hornet II or the Hornet 2013? Are the color schemes different for both the kite and bag ?

I found an online site that even lists the Hornet III 2014.

It gets real confusing when the pictures of the kites all look the same and the logo doesn't reflect any sort of name change.

The previous model was the Hornet II as seen here: http://www.awindofchange.com/product/plhornetII.html

The current model is just the Hornet: http://www.powerkiteshop.com/peter_lynn_hornet_kite.htm


Some sites refer to it as the III or 2013 or 2014 model. http://www.peterlynn.com/buggying/hornet/

Old bag:



New bag:

Quote: Originally posted by hiaguy

I can't believe that bladerunner hasn't chimed in on this yet! :dunno:

I haven't flown fixed bridle much so can't say too much that hasn't been said. Except that if you are looking at new kites I suggest you look at the 3.3m PKD Buster Soulfly. It is a very good price. Good for beginners but it will work as an engine as well.

Vancouver is all about location. ANY inland park will have messy wind. Garry Point is best. Vanier if you are in Van. and Sunset Beach over the winter.

Does the quality of the sail differ much from one brand to another ? I've read some threads that remark on Ozone being on the high end of quality , whle others are mentioned as being good - but leaves me with the impression that Ozone is higher. I guess I'm asking because I had my PL Vibe 2.3 out last week ( approx. 4th flight ) and the sail colors have faded due to salt water from the low tide. I'm guessing salt water will be caustic to any sail, but was wondering if some sails might have better durability over others ?

On a side note would the Ozone Octane being equal or better than the Hornet ? Some have mentioned to stay clear of Ozone because they are getting out of FB foils.

Yes, Ozone is TOP quality, their construction is top notch and their stuff is pretty awesome. I had an Octane and liked it a lot. It is one of the most stable kites I've ever flown. I only sold it (traded it actually) because I never flew it.

Buuuuuuut.... You PAY for Ozone quality. While the quality of HQ, Peter Lynn, Flexifoil and PKD, does not necessarily match Ozone, it is only because Ozone goes above and beyond. I am 100% convinced of the high quality of any of those brands. I own a majority of PL kites, and have owned several HQ, and have flown both PKD and Flexi's, I can tell you from experience that they are all awesome quality. That being said, for the money, the BEST value is PKD Buster Soulfly. For under $200, you get a 3m kite matching the quality of any of those other brands. Speaking quality wise, if you say PL, HQ etc. are at 100%, then Ozone is at 115% (but you pay for 130%).

I personally am a big fan of Peter Lynn stuff, I only wish they hadn't stopped producing Vipers and Cores.

Probably the best two constructed kites I've ever looked really closely at would be the Century II and the Zebra Z1. Meticulously put together with no corners cut that I could see. I remember being impressed with the quality (if not the performance and bar setup) of the Gin Inuit too. But then Gin, like Ozone, manufacture paragliders too so you'd expect that they'd know their business. PL, Ozone, HQ, Flexifoil all seem well put together and I've never had any issues with any of them. Born-kite too, are beautifully stitched.

Some of the single skin manufacturers like Spirit of Air and Premier kites are of much lower quality with some samples I've had to unpick errant lines of stitching and re sew. And spar pockets not stitched well enough.... not sure if they make power kites, but I'd steer clear of em if they did.

Hi Cbs 2010, Ive a new Exit 6.0m for $130 CAD, for sale. 4 line power kite complete with handles, lines and bag. Also used PKD Buster 3.0m $100, kite and drawstring sac. Can meet at Garry Point Park sometime.
Jeremy