While at XtraWildwood buggy bash ,I had the chance to fly a PKD Combat 4.2m demo that Todd had w/ him. The winds were pretty blastin that day at times ,I had just been buggyin hotwired w/ my 5.5 century and was able to hold it down. Then I went and got the Combat and hot launched!!:wee::wee::wee::wee::wee::wee::wee::wee::wee: WOW, it easily had more grunt than it's bigger cousin,and handled like a dream(Once I figured out that it wasn't set up Quite right and compensated for it. I liked it so much , I BOUGHT IT! I think that is about the best review you can give a kite

Was it green?

black and silver

Big thanks to Jeff at BigKid Kites for sending out a set for us to demo. I know you'll enjoy the Combat Donnie, thank you.

Glad to hear of the BLAST everyone had, wish I was able to make it. Next year
WG, your right about dropping down one size with the Combat compared to the other kite, good rule of thumb

I found the same thing with my 4.2. I bought it because I had a small gap in the 4m range in my quiver. Figuring when my 5.5 was too much the 4.2 would be perfect. Nope, it seemed to like the same winds my 5.5 liked and became overpowered at about the same time. The combats are certainly very nice kites that are a joy to fly and have an unbeatable predatory look in the sky.

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob and have an unbeatable predatory look in the sky.

The Combat definitely prefers smoother/cleaner winds. Makes a disconcerting amount of power for it's size. Looks soooo warbird purty in the sky.

Now if PKD would just release the Black/Red Soulfly to the general public.

ATB,
Sam

Quote:

Originally posted by indigo_wolfNow if PKD would just release the Black/Red Soulfly to the general public. ATB, Sam

You can custom order those colors and be the only one in the US who has them, but hurry I think mine might be in that color

Quote:

Originally posted by bigkid You can custom order those colors and be the only one in the US who has them, but hurry I think mine might be in that color

<* Perk *> Hmmm.... thought it was TR only.

Perhaps a discussion "of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax" will be warranted after the final tally on how overboard I went on things for my GF's birthday (with Christmas just around the corner :sniff: ).

Expect I will be calling you about other things first.

ATB,
Sam

I got to demo the 4.2m combat at Wildwood also. This is not the first time I few one, I once flew flew Sam's 4.2 black combat staticly at an inland field. I could tell from then that combats were powerful race kites and that flight left me wanting to try one out in a buggy. I got that chance at Wildwood.

Todd offered me a chance to fly it, quite brave of him since I had already broken two kites the day before, and I jumped on the offer. He asked me if I wanted the small, medium, or large handles; I chose the "Goldilocks" medium handles. The first thing that I noticed when I rigged the kite was that the strop was incredibly short. It was about 4-6" long and made out of single piece of rope that went threw both handles. It could not be lengthened without cutting and that was not an option since it wasn't my gear. The kite itself is high a high aspect ratio perhaps 6:1 and has a thin profile. It is built well and has unusually shaped air inlets ( they look hard and labor intensive to build). It has a minimal bridle that should make it fast and must have some internal structure like good race kites do.

I flew it static a bit and found it to be efficient (powerful for its size), quick turning (somewhat unstable), and able to produce large amounts of power once you get it moving. These are all qualities that I look for in a kite. I jumped in a buggy to see what it could do and struggled with it. The extremely short strop kept me from 2 line turning it much and the handles kept hitting the buggy so I could not brake turn it sharply or smoothly enough. I could tell that the kite gave great acceleration when looped and went up wind well. Saturday, the day I tried it, the wind was blowing straight down the beach and I didn't have the opportunity to see how it would behave on long runs. I only got a few seconds on the hard pack then I would hit the soft sand and have to tack. I had difficulty turning the kite quickly, if you were not careful and turned it too fast it would collapse. It is a twitchy kite that requires precision to fly well, if I played with it longer and especially if had a longer strop I think I would of had a better experience. Mike if this is the strop length you usually fly with, I think it may have been contributing factor in you accident.

Saturday night a few of us that tried the kite had a discussion. A few thought that the handles were a bit short and everyone thought that the short strop was getting in the way of controlling the kite properly. We decided to give it a go on Sunday with a set of our handles and a proper length strop. The wind did not come on Sunday and we did not get to try it with a proper control system. I was left with a question mark on the kite. I believe that the kite has great potential, and I saw some of it when I tried it, but I could not control it well enough to see what it really could do. I would like to one again some day.

WG was quite impressed with it, so much so that he bought one. He is an iron man and does not fly hooked into a harness, something I just can't do for more than a few minutes, and the short strop would be less of a problem for him. WG could you please let us know how you get along with the kite when you get to fly it in some sweet onshore winds?

Dan, you know I will post a review from my "spot". But I gotta tell ya ,when I want to get crazy in nukin winds , I fly "hotwired"w/ a QR. I was doin it Saturday after the pansh lofted me out of the #@%$#!pit, I landed on my feet pretty as you please. (I think that is when I logged a max speed of 35.2 mph). I decided if I was gonna play w/ race kites that day ,I wanted the buggy to carry the load.(sore from nukin wind Friday.) I have helmet cam vids of the day Sat.,I just need to edit and such. And you're right about the handles and strop, I just flew by brakes. This kite gets a :bigok:

BD, glad you got to try the 4.2. The strop length has been an issue that has been dealt with, sorry, I must have sent an older set. They have added about 6" to the strop lines as per my request,(the difference of US buggyers and Euro buggyers).
I use the small handles up to the 6m and then use the med handles up to 10m, and I use a QR system which adds about 6" to the distance between me and the handles.
As for the unstable bit you have to keep up the speed of the kite, mostly in the turns. I will sometimes loop the kite in a 360 as I exit a turn or as I begin the turn to aid in keeping up the speed.
As WG said, I fly with the kite full blast and turn with the brakes.

Bigkid

I felt comfortable with the medium handles on the 4.2, in hind site the smalls may have been a better choice for me. I do not use a QR and was flying the kite right off the spreader bar on my harness, that extra 6" would have made control a lot easier for me. I am use to race kites and often loop the kite on a tact to keep the kite speed up and tension on the lines, but the handles kept hitting the buggy side rail and my arm were in unnatural positions, as a result I could not control the kite smoothly as I would have liked.

I would really like another go on a combat, WG do you think that I could take it for a spin at the next bash?

had I owned a buggy at the time I might have kept that Combat but I say that about all my kites.........................:duh::duh:

seriously I found it on Fleabay new and was able to purchase and pass it along at a "nice nice" discount...................the static pulll and power was incredible..........I flew that kite 2 maybe three times so BBob got her in MINT condition...................

BD, Todd still has the kites, and will for a while if that works for you.
No body races the Combat on this side of the Atlantic so the set up of the kite-handles is a bit off for us. Just one of those things, you are either happy with the kite or you are not, but you got to try it to say one or the other.
Hope WG lets you try it out next time.

Dan , you know you can dude.

Thanks Don

I would love to give it a try in the right conditions.

Of course you are always welcome to try whatever is in my kite bag if you want.

here is my first flight at WBB
http://www.vimeo.com/16353903

Wow what a big beach. Great vid!
Not sure, looks like the brakes may be a bit tight WG. Welcome to the PKD side

Yes, great vid. I've only been there a few times, but I also was thinking that the beach looked bigger than I've ever seen it. Must have been extra low due to the full moon? I so wish I had been there!

bigkid,that wasn't my set up,I just put it on myQR/pulley /hotwire rig. I have a custom adjustable set of handles that I normally fly with. But it still flew good nonetheless. It has found a good home,where it will be a great asset.

Jeff and Jimmy let me fly a 5.? at the beach for a few minutes. First impression was good. Power delivery is hard hitting but very predictable. Meaty power through the window for it's size yet easily finds the edge when you want it to. Stability on the edge was notable as well. Immediately comfortable overhead at speed making smooth and fast tacks. Good kite.
Frank

Welcome back Frank, hoping things will only get better. See ya this weekend.
And it was a 5.0m