Just got 3 Vipers from Heliboy

3.9-5.3 and 6.8

Any tips or don't do's with these guys? Gusty winds- heard good and bad and still looking for info

I play with Viper only once .... not sure what engine ..... 5.3 ... or 6.8..... definitely over 500hp ..... Gusty winds did not make any difference ... you press acceleration pedal and it goes ...... very powerful on straights and a bit slow on corners ..... lol ...

Great kites there! Don't under estimate the power. Don't hot launch them in gusty winds. Other than that, great kite, very predictable in smooth winds. Actually don't do that bad with small gust, but like all other FB kites, it will kick you in the but if you are not paying attention. Very responsive, will turn on a dime with little brake input!

Play with them a while, get used to them in their respective wind ranges, then move into the buggy! You will have a blast. Pretty decent up wind!

Not a bad starter quiver! great snag!

I fly them in gusty, inland conditions all the time and they do great. As SHMH's said, very predictable in smooth winds.

I found them to be much more responsive with Flexifoil Prolink handles. The Flexi's use amsteel for the leads and amsteel doesn't stretch at all, nylon does. Same principle as using braid instead of monofilament line for fishing, if there's no stretch all the force from setting the hook transfers to the fish instead of having to make up for all the stretch. Same deal with the kite. I'm not making it up, either! lol. My friend and I both noticed it when I switched handles.

Hopefully that makes sense! lol

Based on my personal experience; on your first time out with the 3.9; I wouldn't recommend using it near it's upper wind range or if it's gusting over it. A surprisingly and deceptively powerful kite it is. Take a look at it's wind range(~5-17mph?). It's powerful with not a lot of wind. I still haven't found it's ideal wind range yet. Because typically if it's blowing 10-15mph here, it's gusting to 20mph or more. I think I took it out on a day when it was blowing ~8mph gusting 12-15mph. Not to mention the first couple times I took it out when it was blowing 15 gusting 20...

I have a 2.6m Viper S, and should be picking up a 6.8m soon...

What I can say about the 2.6m is that that little guy is the zippy-est and most powerful little truck ever. They are super responsive to brake input and will easily do "helicopter" style spins with brake input.

Mine is super stable and goes upwind great. I have been able to go from the far right side of the wind window all the way around 180 degrees to the opposite end of the window no problem.

The only thing I have run into with it is over doing it with the brakes and it turning past where I want it, which can make it spin out and crash,... but that has only happened a couple of times when I was still getting used to it.

Quote:

Originally posted by soliver I have a 2.6m Viper S, and should be picking up a 6.8m soon...

Who has stock anymore? I wouldn't mind picking up another myself, but I'm not sure what dealers have remaining inventory. I bought the last 6.8 from Dakitez so Dino is pretty much sold out.

I got mine from Mike: http://www.bigmikeskites.com/PeterLynn/ViperS/Viper-S.htm

Thanks

My Vipers are the best kites in my quiver at eating up gusty winds which are a part of life for me when I do have wind. My 6.8 is by far my favorite kite in my quiver and I am most comfortable flying this kite in some gusts even close to it's upper wind range. Even though the Vipers are considered mid range performance kites, I actually believe they are under billed in the the performance department. The Vipers do turn on a dime with minimal brake line input. Very responsive kites. Really wish I had a whole quiver of these. The 6.8 is extremely confidence inspiring and I say this because I'm 125 lbs and have no problem handling this kite even in some gusty conditions. Not a scary kite.

I had purchased a Viper 5.3 before I went to WW and I loved the kite...AnnieO actually wrote a great review and it was spot on...Gusty wind did not do anything to this kite...pulled hard and was good upwind too....The turning was a bit slow but then again I only had it in my hands for a couple hours so.....

Rich @ shehatesmyhobbies....East Coast Kite Sports said he had some in stock when I talked with him at the event....I would pick one up if you still can...GREAT KITE!

I can vouch for these kites as well. WAY good kites for the money. Easy to start someone out on and something for the experienced flier as well. All these raves makes you wonder why the Viper line got dropped.

Well this is strange- I just posted about selling/trade my 6.8m!!!!!

What little flying time I have had on these I can say they handle very nicely- great pull and the 3.9 is a sleeper when it comes to power!