hi
i fly stunt kite for about 3 yrs,i want to try powerkites ,i have looked round on youtube and asked guys at powerkite store, and i was going to buy a HQ beamer v 4 meter. My question is i really like the look and design of HQ toxic 5 meter i know this is a buggy kite ,would it be too powerful for static flying only ,i only want to buy one kite i dont want to upgrade in 6 months time .Any help would be much appreciated .
Mike

Well, it's a lot of kite to fly static, and like most big kites comes more alive in movement rather than static fly. If you are confident in your stunt knowledge, you could try it, as long as you are very cautious! The beamer V 4m is a great kite that will provide a lot of fun. The Toxic is a bit more aggressive so you're getting more power than just a 1m upgrade!

Have fun and be safe!

thanks for reply i thought that was the case , i fly a 2.7 meter stunt kite i would say i am about of intermediate skill , what i dont want is for the powerkite to be such hard work i would not use it ,i was just being shallow and really liked the look of it .

You may find there is a rather large difference between your 2.7m stunt kite and a 3m power kite. If you're a big guy and fly in light winds, the 5m may be ok. But I think you'd get a lot more use and have a far more versatile kite with a 3m. Which will easily give you a great workout in moderate winds. Keep in mind, the bigger the kite, the slower they are - personally, I think 2 - 3m kites are more fun to static fly than the larger ones.

John is correct . You will be amazed at the power a 3m kite will produce when the wind picks up. You can fly a 3m kite in very low winds and into very high winds.
A 5m kite will be too much power in moderate winds and too slow for fun static flying. Even a 4m slows down and limits the top wind you can fly in.

There is no such thing as a single kite that will do it all but a 3m kite will fly in the widest range of winds .

thanks to all who helped me out on this on ,i think i know your right i just had my heart set on toxic 5 ,i might compromise and get the beamer v 4 meter .like i said i dont want to have to buy another kite in a couple of weeks i have to hide my stunt kites i buy from my wife (ha ha)i dont think she would be happy me buying more than 1 powerkite this year

I think you'll find the Toxic 3m will pull nearly as hard and be a fair bit quicker than the Beamer 4m. I've had a Beamer IV 4m - certainly a good kite but not what I'd call 'thrilling' to fly. It was sold to buy something faster and more lively...... go for the Toxic 3m (or 4m - but I'm sure you'll get more use out of the 3m) Or a Peter Lynn twister 3 or 4.1m. They're kites you'll keep and use whereas the Beamer is more likely to be upgraded....

There's anoher "math" that needs to come into play as you consider your first kite.
Your 2.7m stunt kite is measured tip-to-tip - traction kites are measured in square meters and are designed to use their size differently. Unless you have an extremely aggressive stunt kite, I don't think it will develop as much pull as a 3meter foil in light winds. 5m will be quite a handful and won't give you the wind range to have fun as often as a smaller foil.

Look at the PKD Busters, great quality, nice design, and a great price! Then you can tell your wife how much $ you saved, what? It works for them

John is right again.

Small kites fly in light winds well because they are fast and create their own apparent wind. At the same time you can hold on to them in very high winds. around 3m kites have that perfect combination of speed and power. They act like a grown up kite. Smaller and they act like bumble bees. They give small spurts of power as the zip through the window. Larger and they start to fly slow reducing the usable bottom and top ends + overpowering you. Owning only 1 kite that is too large will encourage you to take it out in too much wind. We go to larger canopies because we are using our kites as engines. That is very different than static flying.

All kites are not created equal. The 4 Beamer is a introduction kite and exactly the type of kite people sell off if they are looking for higher performance. A 3m kite with a fast profile will deliver more power than a 4m Beamer. Speed equals power ! The trade off is that the higher performance 3m will be less forgiving of mistakes. Harder to fly at 1st + in gusty winds.

wow now i have to do some thinking ,decision day tomorrow

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner

The trade off is that the higher performance 3m will be less forgiving of mistakes. Harder to fly at 1st + in gusty winds.

The other down side is that most higher aspect ratio kites don't like the"edge of the window", unless it is a moving window,as when buggying. I second looking into the PKD Buster soulfly.
Here is some videos I made ,we are buggying with a 1.5m and a 2.2m PKD Buster soulfly !
welcome to the addiction!


http://vimeo.com/65980936

http://vimeo.com/53914152

Buy a 3m kite...if u can only have 1 kite...everybody .imo

Flexifoil Rage 3.5m! As everyone has said if you want one kite to fly static a 3-4m one will get you out in the widest variety of conditions. I just thought I would throw another option out there for you.

Let us know what you got

The 5M Toxic is a lot of kite but it sure is a load of fun lmao!

what would everyone's opinion on a 4.0 hq toxic for static flying only ,mainly inland on fields in flat lincolnshire UK

I would suggest a 3m over a 4m because in the future you may decide you want a kite to pull you on some wheels. The 4m kites are a strange size because it is so close to more common sizes that when you want to get a larger or smaller kite, you have to either make a tiny change, or a huge jump in sizes. I have the 8m Toxic and frequently fly it static in up to 15mph of wind. Flying a power kite static is all about personal preference. I would not be having fun with a kite if it did not drag me all over the place, but some people like to just zoom around while just leaning back a bit and staying anchored in the sand. If you want to scud all over the place, get the 5m. If you want to lean and only scud in 15+mph of wind, get the 3m. Either way, the Toxic is an amazing kite that you are sure to have a blast flying.

3m kite...

Quote: Originally posted by zapper

what would everyone's opinion on a 4.0 hq toxic for static flying only ,mainly inland on fields in flat lincolnshire UK

About 1 meter bigger than I would by / bought as a 1st kite.
It will be too much kite in 20 kph and higher winds.
It will tempt you to fly it when the wind is too strong.
It will be a little slow turning for fun static flying.

For static flying, I think the 4m is a little big. It's gonna drag you around a little too much and if you're flying it in a field, it's gonna be real hard on the ankles. If you were always on the beach, then you can scud through the sand quite easily without fear of damaging ankles. Most of us have said get the 3m. - It will have plenty of power!!! Get the 3m!!

My fav kite of mine for static flying would be my 3m Method. The right combinations of speed and agility and power with a nice, wide window.

thanks all for help .i might regret from what you said ,but before i read alll replys i have bought the 4.0 toxic , maybe ask the wife for a 3.0 kite for xmas , i am a bit scared of the power you all tell me about ,light winds only for a start ,to be honnest we only have mainly light winds around here ,i thought it would make a change from my fast stunt kites ,i saw the guy on youtube with the 5.0 toxic on the park doing some cool low wind flying thats what inspired me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwEUyXLYARU

i cant stop watching it ,the music the wind WOW!

Looked like very light wind and did you notice he never flew the kite through the power zone? (meaning the kite would have a lot of power even in light winds (not knocking the pilot) Still, you should have a blast with it - particularly if you can get an onshore seabreeze with some sand under foot. Let us know how it goes.

thanks john hope I've not made big mistake with toxic ,if you are interested I have a very bad quality video of me flying my stunt kite its one of many kites but the largest and slowest about 2.7 meters , this is about the sort of flying I want to do but with the ability to do some hovering and ground level
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49D0CKEqJwE

Nice looking stunt kite! I have one not completely dissimilar....makes just as much noise!! But it has nothing like the power of a power kite....heh heh heh! While a power kite is a four line kite, the trailing edge lines are more for brakes/stalling the wing - not like a rev where you really can do the hovering and tricks properly. Wait till you get it in a buggy :D

In the first minute of this video: Too much fun on 13th Beach I'm flying a 2m Beamer in 15 knots or so - it easily pulls me through the sand. (although I ended up needing the 3m for the buggy)

thanks john ,ive not looked yet but do you do your own music .I also use guitar and do a bit of singing and record with Cubase and sonar,its just I saw link to music i'll have a look now. Hopefully kite coming for the weekend ,one last question I know I should have gone for a Beamer or the like for first kite and the toxic is a high aspect fly,is there a way to tame the angle of the toxic bridle I do a bit of messing with stunt kite to get sweet spot with power. just thought to make it a bit easier going for static flys.
Mike

just answered my own question ,i'll look at your stuff at lunch time 11.34 am in uk

You won't regret the 4 meter. You have experience with stunt kites and you have respect for the kite so you will be fine.

The I've been told the toxic has similar characteristics to the twister with the exception of a little less lift. I fly my twister every chance I can.

wow thank you a bit of good news for the toxic ,I was on the edge of ringing kite shop to cancel order

No problem. The 4 meter size is quite versatile. Your can fly it in a fairly wide range of wind. 5 - 8 mph will give me a decent pull but very manageable and fun to fly. 8 - 12 mph will be a hard workout and will be able to do scuds on grass / sand. 12 - 15+ mph is a blast once you've managed all of the fundamentals of flying. I don't know how the toxic comes as far as the lines are concerned but I had to tune my kite a fair amount by adjusting the knots on the handle leaders before it flew properly. So it is best to have fairly calm winds on the first flight to get it dialed in.