I'm obviously an fb guy, but I would never do freestyle buggy or board sports of any kind with an fb. When it comes to jumping and such, depower is the way to go, imho. I would use them in the buggy, I just don't care for the feel of the bar when I'm seated. I tend to sit pretty deep in the frame and it just doesn't feel right. Again, just a personal preference thing. My comments about speed and drag were really not aimed at putting down depowers and I should have kept my keyboard shut. You'd have to be a wayyyyyy better rider than I am for that to make any difference at all.:D

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

Josh, I think you would've been flying the kite bag if you were properly planning for a high 40s gust. That has to be up at the limit of my 6m PII.

No kidding, lol. I would have even been able to ride it out, break loose and slide, whatever. I just caught it at a very inopportune moment in preparing/slowing down for a turn.

I just can't imagine a de-power small enough and nimble enough to suit my purposes in the open desert. When picking my way through the bush, I need the instantaneous acceleration and precise control of a FB. and just don't see de-power giving me that... yet.

That said, watching the Flexi riders, Dave on a Blade and Craig on a Force, the similarities and differences were beyond obvious, a real education. The conditions were very punchy and both were able to accelerate to speed quickly. From there forward, Dave was exhibiting his supreme skill in holding a straight course while the power of the Blade came on in evil, instantaneous bursts while Craig was concentrating on working the wing to gain more speed. Granted, two completely different planforms with respect to aspect ratio and profile but, two totally different disciplines in terms of requisite rider skill set as well.

I firmly believe de-power IS the way forward in nearly every discipline of the sport but the gear still has a long way to go to. The real challenge is going to be teaching old dogs new tricks. Once someone builds a high aspect de-power that can win races and set speed records, the forum will be inundated with FB's for sale. Just a matter of time.

Well, the crowd has spoken! I counted the FB crowd and the depower crowd and its almost even. Great points brought up by all and I hope all fly safe no matter what they fly.

Didn't know it was a pole. Count me as a FB guy then

Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf

FBs are always going to be the gateway drug. I expect the thought of dropping $750-$1500+ on a kite would have scared off a lot of prospective buyers, where a couple of whiskers shy of $200 for a Sting 2.4 or 3.3 is a little bit easier to swallow.

Exactly. That's pretty much the main reason most FB's exist. There would likely be a much smaller (if not nonexistent) kite community here if there wasn't for 'gateway drugs'-- the more affordable power kites that make us justify ourselves to drop over $1000 on a flying bag of nylon with pulleys in the near future. Big hobbies like power kiting need some sort of 'bridge' of affordability for them to gain new members and keep themselves alive.

Just look at me, currently riding a single fixed-bridle 'bridge' that's pushing me to de-power-dom. Most of everyone here may have also started by doing just that.

Quote: Originally posted by beachrights

Well, the crowd has spoken! I counted the FB crowd and the depower crowd and its almost even. Great points brought up by all and I hope all fly safe no matter what they fly.

What about the commitment-phobic that still include both in their quiver

ATB,
Sam

Quote: Originally posted by indigo_wolf

Quote: Originally posted by beachrights   Well, the crowd has spoken! I counted the FB crowd and the depower crowd and its almost even. Great points brought up by all and I hope all fly safe no matter what they fly. What about the commitment-phobic that still include both in their quiver ATB, Sam

I'm with you Sam. Full setup of arcs, Montanas and fixed bridles. I have to be ready for most wind conditions for 3 buggiers, so I have to have overlap and redundancy.

Not a pole but thought it would be interesting to see how it was divided-

Different kites for different uses for me, while I tend to think of FBs as more dangerous (i have only been seriously hurt by little fbs- very fast) When riding a board or in a standing position i really prefer the depower and large sizes but when in a bug i would much rather be on a fb just seems that i have a lot more fine touch control with handles. Maybe we need a depowered kite that would fly on handles for the control but have the safety of being able to "dump" power

Quote: Originally posted by flyguy0101

Different kites for different uses for me, while I tend to think of FBs as more dangerous (i have only been seriously hurt by little fbs- very fast) When riding a board or in a standing position i really prefer the depower and large sizes but when in a bug i would much rather be on a fb just seems that i have a lot more fine touch control with handles. Maybe we need a depowered kite that would fly on handles for the control but have the safety of being able to "dump" power

How about simply attaching large quad handles to a depower kite and adding kite killers? I've thought of that for a while but haven't seen anyone else try it.

When FS launched the Cool they launched it with a handles option. Handles should work with any depower but unlike normal handle use, anytime you pull the brakes hard you will power a depower up as opposed to kill a FB.

I don't understand why no one has made a big floaty FB like it was a DP yet. For instance, bridle a FB like a 10m DP at 50% depower so some static flyer can get huge jumps in moderate winds and not have to fly a 4m.

Quote: Originally posted by B-Roc

I don't understand why no one has made a big floaty FB like it was a DP yet. For instance, bridle a FB like a 10m DP at 50% depower so some static flyer can get huge jumps in moderate winds and not have to fly a 4m.

To some extent, isn't this the effect that you get with some of the FBs with built in AOA or with vanilla FBs that you add the Flexifoil AOA kit to.

It would be interesting to see the effects of the AOA kit to something like the PL Twister II or Radsails Savage.

ATB,
Sam