I'm considering adding a rugged high wind DP kite or two to my quiver. I remain a big fan of my SS RaceStars and RS+ kites but they make more sense in the big sizes than the smaller sizes. I find that even with being as careful as possible I'm still really beating on my kites in high wind sessions on the Ivanpah playa, an environment particularly unforgiving to kites.

One kite I'm thinking about is the Peter Lynn Lynx V5 in the 4 & 6m sizes. Does anyone here have any experience with the Lynx as a buggy engine or have other super small DP kites they would recommend for big wind days? I don't want a "lofty" sort of kite. I also want one without any internal structure so I can lay it flat for making tape repairs along all seams including the leading edge.

Thanks!

while i have zero experience with them, pansh has some smaller DP's. and from what i've read recently, the latest reviewers seem to be on the same page with remarks such as "pansh is finally getting it right."
the genesis is supposed to mimic an apex/access.
https://www.extremekites.org/topic/17187-pansh-genesis-2019/
https://www.pansh.com/index.php?gOo=goods_details.dwt&go...
i bring this up because A - they come in small sizes. and B - they're cheap. i think B matters here because you intend to fly them knowing full well that they'll be destroyed.
just a thought...
otherwise - small peak 4's would likely be the easiest to repair but i have no experience with the dinks of that line, either. i do like my peak2 6m, but i don't use it in any way similar that you would.
tom

Quote: Originally posted by tomdiving

while i have zero experience with them, pansh has some smaller DP's. and from what i've read recently, the latest reviewers seem to be on the same page with remarks such as "pansh is finally getting it right." the genesis is supposed to mimic an apex/access. https://www.extremekites.org/topic/17187-pansh-genesis-2019/ https://www.pansh.com/index.php?gOo=goods_details.dwt&go... i bring this up because A - they come in small sizes. and B - they're cheap. i think B matters here because you intend to fly them knowing full well that they'll be destroyed. just a thought... otherwise - small peak 4's would likely be the easiest to repair but i have no experience with the dinks of that line, either. i do like my peak2 6m, but i don't use it in any way similar that you would. tom

Thanks for your input and suggestions Tom. A good kiting friend of mine (iPaul; Jeepersjoey) is taking the plunge into FB Pansh right now. It would be nice if that company did start getting it together.

I've owned Peaks in various sizes and in P2, P3, and P4 configurations. Nice kites indeed. I am a H-U-G-E fan of large SS kites, but both Peaks and the RaceStars I'm flying now have flexible "underwires" sewn into their leading edges to form the ram shape necessary for their aerodynamics. The issue here is that these underwires are sewn in every few inches along the leading edge and it is exactly at these raised, semi rigid points that my kites get worn through. DIY repairs along these curved ribs are very challenging with tape, etc.

Another thing with SS vs two skin foils is that there is a whole lot of bridling to properly keep the SS shape. In high winds when you are using tiny kites all that bridling is just one more thing to tangle.

So... an ideal high wind DP kite for my needs would be rugged, structure-less and simply bridled. I don't care about it being light weight or small to pack down.

No dp experience here to speak of, but I feel your pain re the playa sanding job.
How about a prophylactic strip of tear aid or similar on the wear points before you fly your new kite. It would stick far better when new and dust free, and perhaps could be replaced when worn?
I also remember small LEIs being flown out there. Probably couldn't beat that hearty dacron tube cover for wearability.

Also, I look forward to hearing honest reviews of newer Pansh kites. Anything I have seen on the FB group suggests that they still do not come ready to fly. There are all sorts of fanboy posts about how to tune/mod the bridles which seem to make the owners happy, but very few seem flyable out of the post.
Colin

Hey Wiindstruck,

I share your concern about damaging kites on rough playa surfaces. Turns out I do have
some input on your question.

I had a PL Lynx before going over to the dark side od single skins.
The Lynx is a very friendly, strongly built kite. Not an UL by any means,
rather, the most damage resistant non SS I've flown. It's in the Access, Apex genre
if I may say those in the same sentence.

I also have a Pansch Genesis 6m. It's a big friendly pillow of a kite. It was not ready to fly
like the Fluxes I flew. It did need a bit of adjustment but had no bad habits after that. Most notably,
they are so inexpensive, you can have some backups. It's yours KO for a beer if you meet me at Alvord.

I've also added a 3m Peak4 to my playa quiver and I have to say, if you like SSs, you definitely should try the Peak4.
The cells on the tips make a world of difference and still not a blowout risk.

So add my 2 cents to your consideration.

Rick

Fine suggestions from two fine friends; thanks Colin and Rick! I absolutely love flying my 3m RS+ On "those" days at Ivanpah and I suspect the 3-4m P4s fit the bill nicely too. I truly enjoyed the Peaks.

Colin, your idea of putting some armor along the leading edge prophylactically is a good call if (read when) I get some new kites.

Rick, glad to hear you have positive experience with the Lynx in the buggy and can vouch first hand on its relative ruggedness. I actually owned one about six years ago (bought it from Big Mike when he was still in business) and remember it was very well made. It was a big one (10m I think) and I was wanting to fly it as a low wind kite on Park City soccer fields. I had a hard time getting it off the ground in light winds and keeping it up in the lulls. I sold it (I think to Serge) and bought my first Peak2, the venerable 12m "Session Saver". That big gentle green giant opened up a whole world of riding to me and was the kite I really learned on.

I think in the end that the small P4s are just too similar to what I already own or have owned (3.0m RS or 3.5m LS2) and all of our beloved SS kites have tons of bridling so I think I may get a 4m Lynx V5 and play with it a bit. I had both the 4 and 6m Access kites when I still snow kited and honestly they were perfect for what I'm talking about.

hey!!!...
4m Ikon dp...doesnt come out unless its blowing 30 here
on playa it could produce earlier and the damn thing is Black!
you could be the envy of all in the desert

is that boat still on the east coast?
we could work something out buddy

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

hey!!!... 4m Ikon dp...doesnt come out unless its blowing 30 here on playa it could produce earlier and the damn thing is Black! you could be the envy of all in the desert is that boat still on the east coast? we could work something out buddy

Well played. :karate:

That boat is still out your way, and yes, it's still mine.

I pulled the trigger today and ordered a 4m Lynx V5. I'm looking forward to re-familiarizing myself with its second skin. Still thinking I want something DP with two skins in a 6m size for strong, but not crazy strong winds.

My 3.0m RS+ is pretty beat up after my trip to Ivanpah earlier this month so this Lynx will fill in that slot in my quiver. Thing is, a 6:1 AR 3.0m DP race kite is pretty "twitchy" and I'm sort of looking forward to my highest wind kite having more relaxed geometry. My 5.0 and 7.0m RS+ kites are ar easier to manage and I can relax more when flying them.

yea...thought i might have an angle
no offense...but i get a little ill thinking about that boat in the Wasatch
instead of coastal long island...

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

yea...thought i might have an angle no offense...but i get a little ill thinking about that boat in the Wasatch instead of coastal long island...

No offense taken, none in the least!

I too would be ill pondering such a fine craft wasting away its days in the Wasatch. Rest in gastric comfort my Coastal friend, we move last year to Southern Utah. We are building a house about two miles from Ivins Reservoir:


Ivins Reservoir

BTW - there was another PL Monohull in Northern MN that was for sale, a while ago for a very reasonable price. The owner is (or was) a guy named Aaron, I think. I think Markite might know how to get in touch so you might check into that. I don't know if he still has it, though.

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=36360#pid33...

about two miles from Ivins Reservoir:


Ivins Reservoir[/rquote]

3 hours from ivanpah... no wonder you're fleshing out the quiver. You lucky dog!

Quote: Originally posted by ColinW

3 hours from Ivanpah... no wonder you're fleshing out the quiver. You lucky dog!

Yet one more upside to living in SoUT! It took me but 2.5 hours to drive there and back earlier this month. Barely made a dent in my books-on-tape backlog! :karate:

oh well...
you miss a 100% of the times you don't swing
still crushing...

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

oh well... you miss a 100% of the times you don't swing still crushing...

Chicks dig the long ball.

Kiteboat news

Quote: Originally posted by abkayak

hey!!!... 4m Ikon dp...doesnt come out unless its blowing 30 here on playa it could produce earlier and the damn thing is Black! you could be the envy of all in the desert is that boat still on the east coast? we could work something out buddy

Yes the boat is now available for sale again. Check you U2U's if still interested.

On the old part of the thread, the 5m HQ LEI was my go to kite when the winds got above 30 mph. I never found it's limit, only mine. It was my PB kite and I never pulled the safety on it even with dozens of runs over 60 mph with it. Letting the bar out till it fluttered allowed a drama free turn every time. I was never overpowered with it. And it was all black.

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

On the old part of the thread, the 5m HQ LEI was my go to kite when the winds got above 30 mph. I never found it's limit, only mine. It was my PB kite and I never pulled the safety on it even with dozens of runs over 60 mph with it. Letting the bar out till it fluttered allowed a drama free turn every time. I was never overpowered with it. And it was all black.

That sounds awesome Bob! My 3.0 RaceStar DP still had room in its range when the Brown Out conditions kick in on Ivanpah. What I found, sadly, was that my small RaceStars were getting really beat up on the playa in small kite/high wind conditions. These SS kites have flexible ribbing up in the leading edge to give the kite some structure and I was getting a lot of wear and tear along these ribs.

i understand that conditions on Ivanpah are hostile, but what makes a DP
more durable/stronger dan a normal fixed kite?
is the material so different?