Kite Clique

Jorgen, the designer of the equisite “Seven”, has his Sportkitedesign website up and running. He’s working on a complete set of kites, SUL, UL, STD and VTD and has gotten Roy Reed to produce one of his excellent colorizers for the design.

Pricing is 250 euros for the STD - which seems very reasonable for a custom kite of this quality.

Designed by Chris Goff, Built by Kite Related Design

What’s it for?
(Other than flying manically around the sky in a ‘falling with style’ kind of way.)

For a good while, team CR and their sponsored fliers were all conquering within competitive kiting in the UK. There was however, a young Padawan learner lurking in the background.

Slowly but surely, most of the CR fliers stopped competing due to pairs splitting up and individuals getting proper jobs and going to college and such. This left the young Padawan to become a Master in his own right, and ‘Le Petit Phenomenon’ took control of the competition kite scene. There were a few freestyle fliers pushing just about hard enough to keep trick skills and style moving forward, without actually mounting a serious challenge, but essentially Chris was all conquering.

A slightly shorter while ago, a resurgence in freestyle flying saw a rise in prominence of ‘other’ fliers, and there was a redefinition in what was perceived as cool. More to the point, Chris had some competition.

Now throughout this time, the CR Fury 1.0 and later the CR Fury .85 were the competition kites of choice for team CR. The trickier .85 does have limitations in some of the more recently proclaimed en vogue tricks and freestyle combinations though, and hence Chris set about filling some gaps in the repertoire and it would seem the Element represents the culmination of this work.

What’s the design and build quality like?

The first thing that strikes the eye is the lack of depth in the sail in comparison to most of the more recent trick kites available. Old Skool has become in fashion again, and the flat aspect here certainly helps in that regard. There’s no other dramatically striking or new design features to be found. Yo-yo stops, leach line with variable tension options, long leader lines and a bit of weighting round and about, and that’s about it. Nothing fussy or overly complicated. There’s a funky shape to the trailing edge though, something to do with holding lines in place for turtle spin moves.

Taken from the info available via the Kite Related Design website…

• Wingspan: 220cm
• Height: 84cm
• Weight: 265 grms with 1 x 15 grm tail weight
• Sail: Icarex PC31
• Bridle: 3 point fully adjustable
• Frame: Aerostuff Blue-S / P200.

The Element is built to a similar standard to pretty much anything else that comes out of the CR studio. That’s as much as to say ‘pretty much as good as it gets’. Quite beautifully put together then.

There’s nothing particularly pretty in the construction, it’s all ever so – functional, industrial even, built for a purpose. There’s cable ties for yo-yo stops (4 of ‘em each side BTW), brass tubing for ballast and rock solid straight seams to accommodate the foldy over type joins. The whole thing is, in essence, Urban. It’s build in London, from girders and ‘Damn’ but it works.

So, how does it fly?

The simple answer is ‘Pretty much any way you want it to’.

The Element will track a pretty straight line, carve a steady curve and cut a sharp, accurate corner. All of this takes some pretty acute handling though, ‘cos over cook an input and all sorts of strange things happen. That’s alright though, because this wasn’t really designed for straight forward, regular flight. It was, as Chris said when I asked the other day, designed for freestylin’ and trick competitions. So…

…Ok, spin moves are really spinny and flat moves are extremely flat. Pitch action is, well, ever-so pitchy and the sharp, angular stuff is – you guessed it – sharp and angular.

There is, in built, pretty much every trick in the book, with the vast majority of currently en-vogue stuff reasonably straight forward to dial in to. Nice. In a light wind with gentle inputs this all happens in a smooth and slow fashion. Hit the thing a bit harder however, and it’s all lightning quick. It’ll comete, as an example, just as fast and sharp as you’re hands will go. Truth is, there’ll be not many able to keep up and the result will be a wildly spinning dervish of a thing. No problem though, ‘cos recovery from all sorts of positions is a given.

With a bit of pressure in the sail, the whole thing moves forward a pace, and without some serious footwork, everything is again a blur of whizzing sticks and ripstop. Big fun.

There’s a few quirks, anomalies, (some will call them annoyances – not me though ;-)) that will take some getting used to. A dead spot just past horizontal in the flare for example, that doesn’t come back to life again for a while, and quite fussy half axels and cascades. Gorgeous when you hit it, but different from most other modern designs. See through and persist a bit though, and the rewards are rich and fruitful. It’s well worth the effort.

Ok, enough already. There’s no way the Element will be to the taste of everyone, but the hardcore freestyler and trick artiste will grow to love it to bits. It is in summary, a grin inducing trick monsty that’s staying in the ‘A’ bag for a while. No question.

Bryan

Perhaps you have heard that Tim Benson was updating the Gemini ? What would it be ? Would it be a whole new kite or just the old one with rollbars ? Recently I got the privilege of finding out when Frazer loaned me his brand new, updated Gemini. It came with a price though I had to write about it. Being a big fan of Tim’s kites this was more of an honor than a task.

I remember the excitement the first Gemini produced, as Andy Wardley gave the kiting world tidbits of its development. This was going to be a radically new kite with a radically new bridle that in 1999 would change the kiting world. Though it didn’t bring world peace it did create a standard that all new kites after that were measured by. The Gemini was stable in flight yet a radical trickster as well. Reviews referred to it as ‘an instant classic’. The quality of construction, unique design, and excellence in performance made the Gemini one of those rare breed kites that kept its appeal for years to come. But time marches on.

New tricks were created; tricks that exposed the weaknesses of the Gemini. Though the Gemini really is a classic, it began to show its age. Almost everyone has one, yet we pull it out when we want to remember, not when we want to learn new tricks.

Thus, what would a new Gemini fly like ? Tim has already proven that he can keep up with the newest trends with his Deep Space. What would he do with making a new Gemini ? Over the years a few designers have had the pleasure of updating a popular design. Usually the result would be a new kite. I recall one that simply took the old name and tagged it onto a new completely different design.

What joy it was flying the new Gemini and discovering it still is a Gemini! It took me back nine years to that first day of flying the original. What Tim has done in his masterful way is to keep the strengths of the original and improve its weaknesses! And improve them he has! What a thrill it was in flight! Though it was a day that was way too cold to be outside flying, it was such a joy flying the Gemini that I forgot about the temperature; I forgot that I can’t do a taz machine. I was lost in popping effortless backspins (or rotofades as folks on this side of the pond use to call them back when the Gemini first came out). I was lost in popping one of my favorite tricks, a trick that few of the new kites do with ease - double axels. And like the original, beautiful flatspins. As I moved to the newer tricks I was amazed at the ease and speed which it does rolls up. The rollbars work perfectly catching the lines even when my execution was less than perfect. I soon was lost in the thrill of flying a kite that I remembered well, yet performed as if it was ten years younger and made to meet the demands of today’s standards.

There’s no need to write about quality, because it is a BENSON! Tim has and still builds masterpieces in regards to construction. BTW, as I compared this brand new gem with my original that is over eight years old, the only way to tell them apart was the dirt on the old one. There are no signs of construction breakdown, even in the bridle-with its ‘tangled crossover legs’ that many complained had premature wear, somehow mine shows no signs of wear!

Enough of that, what I’m sure you really want to know are the intricate details of how this Gemini is different. More to the point, does it warrant replacing your Gemini. I contacted Tim to get the full scoop from him. Tim shared that from the very beginning this modification was meant to do much more than add rollbars. The frame has changed from Structil to Skyshark rods.

“I wanted to keep the roll bar connector at the ferrule point (like on the Deep Space), it makes production much easier and allows easy access should the connector need replacing, I couldn’t find an effective method of achieving this using Structil but with Skyshark and the internal ferrule it solves the problem. It also helps solve the problem of leading edge breakage. The new set up still retains the core features of the old Gem like flat axels, backspins and general floaty laid back style, but the stiffer frame gives it a more responsive feel and gives an added durability, especially with ground work and hard tip stands.”

Besides the change in rods the kite also got a ‘tummy tuck’. I didn’t notice it at first. It wasn’t until I pulled out the old and switched back and forth between the kites. This new one seemed slightly smaller ? Tim kept the sail the same size and shape but trimmed the spines, top spreader and leading edges. The leading edges are now about 5 cm shorter than the original. With these changes the kite will easily roll up without adding any weights. Of course there are now the usual improvements to the sail’s leading edges, a neat trim nose, with glides over each edge connector.

I asked Tim to describe what changes were made to the wing tips; here is what he said,

“Yes the wing tips are the same style as the Deep Space, the leach line is stitched secure inside the tip, the internal stiffener is to prevent buckling or scrunching from the pull of the leach line, it also provides extra reinforcing for the wing tip tensioning cord. There is also internal reinforcement on all the leading edge covers, not sure how best to describe those BTW, they’re more of a “glide” than a cover I suppose, they have the same effect of course. I am now also machining down the lower connector to give a smoother tension on the sail around the lower cut out.”

One other change from the original is the lower spreader. It is now a three piece spreader with a center section with long internal solid rods for support. All these little changes have a very positive effect on the kite. Though it still feels and flies like a Gemini, it’s a little quicker. Turns have a touch more snap to them. There’s just a touch of over-steer, so that it does not have the rail like tracking of the original, but who flies a Gemini just for precision? I didn’t notice this until I was switching back and forth between the old and the new.

As mentioned in the beginning, it excels at rotational tricks: backspins, axels, double axels, flatspins and slotmachines. Oh, and course flic-flacs, and cascades. Now the rollup tricks are added to its repertoire. Though it still doesn’t sit deep in a turtle, and the Jacob ladders still requires a light touch. I doubt there’s a trick that the kite will not do. But it’s not what the kite will do that makes it special, its HOW it does them. What this kite has that makes it stand out is that intangible - personality! I’ve flown a few kites that were easer to trick but were boring to fly. Tim’s new creation has that trademark he puts in all his kites, that when one flies it the way it was meant to be flown it captures the flyer. This is not a kite to just use to learn a new trick, it’s a kite to enjoy, to experience, to forget about what you can’t do and let it flow from one move to the next and even to those moves that have no name that you can’t repeat. It’s far more than just a pair of rollbars on an old classic. To anyone that enjoyed flying the original Gemini, you will love how Tim has updated it. I can’t wait to be able to get my own.

For the last 6 months I’ve been toying with the idea of building my own sport kite. Not knowing anything about using a sewing machine or about constructing a kite had kept me from it. Then I came across Tom’s Kite Building Site. This site is very clear and concise. Everything is laid out in a simple, easy to follow, step by step sequence. A complete materials list is provided. The panel layout used didn’t look too hard for a first time builder to tackle. And the kite Tom chose to use (A Christian Derefat design) was very intriguing to me.

So I decided to have a go at it. I asked around and found an older sewing machine that wasn’t being used. (I was surprised at how many people have an extra sewing machine they’re willing to give away.) I did a few internet searches and learned how to tune and use my machine. Then I spent a little time at KiteBuilder.com gleaning info about materials, techniques, and suppliers.

With that done I ordered my materials and downloaded the plan from Tom’s site. (He even has all the molds printed out which makes the whole process a lot easier.) After getting the plan taped to the soft side of a sheet of hardboard, I taped the molds to heavy poster board and using scissors carefully cut out the molds.

Since I had never sewn anything before, I practiced on lined paper while I waited for my materials to be delivered. With no thread in the machine, I did straight stitches following the lines. Then I sewed between the lines using a zig-zag stitch. It really helped me get some control of the machine. But it wasn’t really sewing. So after my materials arrived and I got all my panels cut out, I used the scraps to practice on. After I went through a couple of bobbins of thread on the scraps I had the machine tuned and felt fairly comfortable sewing.

Cutting out the panels was rather easy. I laid out the material on the hard side of the hardboard and laid the molds on the material. I aligned the bias of the material so it ran with the spine, the leading edge, and the trailing edge as much as possible. Added a little weight to the molds and, using a razor knife, cut out the panels. To be honest I thought this part would be a lot harder than it was.

OK, I’ve got some panels cut out and its time to flip the hardboard, get the panels taped to the plan, and seam taped together. Note: Take your time here. Close isn’t close enough. Get them right before you seam tape them together.

So far I’m rather surprised at how well things are going. But now it’s time to face the sewing machine.

The first seam went alright. But I forgot to reset the machine back to 3 step zig-zag and sewed the second seam with a straight stitch.So after a little cussing, it was back to the cutting board. (Glad I ordered a little extra material.)

After the first blunder, sewing the panels together was, thankfully, uneventful and it was lot easier to do than I had anticipated. The rest of the build just kept getting easier to do and before I knew it I had a complete sail.

I must say it’s a rewarding experience to look at a kite you made.  And even more so to fly one you made.

A couple of things that weren’t mentioned on Tom’s site that I thought were worth noting here; Use Schmetz 80/12 sharp denim needles and V30 bonded polyester thread. Use double sided seam tape in place of the glue Tom uses. And lastly, a little liquid soap really helps those tight fitting LE connectors slide when you put the frame in the sail.

This is an easy kite to build and a really fun kite to fly. And if I (with no perceivable talents) can do it, anyone can. But be forewarned, you probably won’t stop after building your first. I’m currently working on my fourth.

The Saber in two words, competition ready. This kite is designed as a precision/TP tool. The kite is set pretty heavy and tracks very well. That heavy set, wide bridle means large inputs. Flight is slow and pull is moderate with very good drive for what I would consider a somewhat heavy standard. I’d realistically rate the wind range in the 3-4mph zone up into the 20’s on the top end. I’ve personally flown it up to around 15-16mph without issue. Pull is still manageable but you know there’s something on the end of those lines.

Looking at construction. Overall the kite show’s no issues and I personally find the sail pattern fairly attractive if only a little subdued. All the good stuff is present for materials/framing/fittings. An interesting construction method uses a single piece of heavy dacron stretches from tip to tip and is integrated into the nose for crash protection. No additional webbing is added nor do I feel it’s needed. This demo has a fair amount of flying time and the nose is showing no signs of wear/issue. The sail consists of icarex and the TE is heavily reinforced with DAC/Mylar. There is no leech line to adjust and as the wind speed increases, so does the noise. The Saber can get pretty loud in flight but the loose TE does a great job with controlling forward speed even with increasing wind speeds. Stiching is solid with no real issues (few stray stitches). All panels appear to be DS taped prior to sewing and there is plenty or reinforcement throughout the kite.

Framing is an interesting mix of SkyShark and Avia. P200 ULE’s and spine. Avia G-Force SUL’s for the LLE’s. LS’s consist of 5pt’s and the upper spreader is pultruded Avia .220″.

So how’s it fly? Pretty good I feel. That stiff framing and wide, heavy bridling makes for great response. Nice sharp corners with zero oversteer. Very solid, firm feel on the lines. Great drive and speed control. Foward flight speed is slow and well controlled. Wind range is very good even flying down into some UL territory. Trick wise, most everything I can do is there. The Saber is pretty heavily turtle biased but without some of the issues present in other kites where the turtle locks in and you can’t out (ala; my TC’s). The kite does great backspins and backspin cascades. It’s also very stable in a fade. The fun starts once you get it into a turtle. Lazy’s and multi’s are really good. Lewis’s and yoyo - multi’s are also solid. I’m not a yo-fade or crazy copter guy (yet) but the Saber pitches nose down like nothing I’ve flown. Very quick. I personally love the smooth transitions from trick to trick allowing great combo’s and some of the smoothest JL’s I’ve seen.

There are a few oddities with the Saber. This kite is capable of pitching very fast but one must manage the inputs required to make this work. Explaination: If one initiates a single pop yoyo from a stall, the Saber will roll up so fast, the kite can surprise you. With a two pop or half backspin initiation where you pitch the nose forward, the kite takes a much longer/slower looping roll up (somewhat more controlled as well) requiring significantly more slack. I’ve spoken with young master Will and he’s given me some instruction as to how to adjust my inputs for the roll up so I’ll be reporting back once I get it back out for a flight. In practical use, I don’t have much issues yoyo’ing the kite though I do need to try in higher wind to see how it manages.

Another issue I’ve had is with Cascades. The kite seems to prefer a 3-pop method with very firm inputs. This makes for a more aggressive looking Cascade but has taken this pilot some time to work out. I simply haven’t been able to make a 2-pop method work.

Lastly, some flat spin moves are tough. I believe it may have something to do with the extremely deep sail. Slots are good but 540’s suffer some. I can manage them OK but it’s certainly not the strong point of this kite. Seemingly, it struggles with the last part of the rotation where it loses momentum and starts to stall, falling tail first. Odd but I think workable.

Otherwise, I feel this is a very good first iteration. Contruction is solid with only some minor fit and finish details needing refinement. I don’t see anything that will be an issue in terms of durability. Flight is very good and I’ve had a lot of fun with this kite. It took me a little time to learn where it’s happy and what inputs it requires but once you dial in the larger inputs and your timing, you get a feel for what the kite wants. Once you dial those in, endless strings of combo’s are present. It’s really a fun kite to fly.

Eric…

Vented kites don’t work they’re not fit for purpose!

‘Tis only an opinion, but an opinion shared by many. So let’s have a look, and try to define what that purpose may be.

Light weight kites are designed to fly in light winds, and standard weight kites for flying in erm standard winds. So a vent then, is supposed to perform in stronger winds right ?

Well yes, obviously, but there comes a point where (for the purposes of slack line freestyle) it doesn’t make much difference just how big, or how many vents there are, or how heavy the framing for that matter. Pressure in the sail caused by too much wind simply takes away the slack in the lines before the flier has had any chance what-so-ever to do anything with it.

Slow, floaty Taz Machine Cascades in the middle of a 25mph wind window! forget it, unless you can run forward at 15mph throughout the duration of the move.

The purpose then, so far as I can see, is to relieve some sail pressure at the point where a STD sail starts to become uncomfortable to continue Freestylie. Straight lines and carved turns are worthy of a different conversation, but we’re talking Trick Style here, so let’s have a look and see if the new Jest of Eve creation for the Talon family is fit for that purpose.

First and foremost, this is a Jest of Eve kite. They are built; beautifully, and this is no exception. Second, it’s a “Talon”; which makes it designed for free flowing, smooth and unadulterated freestyle. Turn off “competition mode”, engage “informality” and let’s go.

The styling is sublime. End of paragraph.

This is one gorgeous piece of flying sculpture. The positioning and shape of the vents complement the already dreamy sail design really nicely, and the continued option to design your own colour schemes leaves open seemingly endless variations to suit.

Icarex PC31 sail with plenty of reinforcements, Skyshark P200 and Black Diamond Nitro (Strong) leading edges and 7PT lower spreaders all add up to make a pretty solid structure. There’s some weighting round and about to help the overall balance, and all of the usual “Talon” features are built in; “Roll Bars” with “Slip Catches” included.

So then, is it - in fact any good ?

Well, yes. Yes it is!

The UL Talon is a dreamlike experience with all its silky delicacies, yet it handles some serious inputs with allure. This’ll get you up to around 7mph winds, much more and you’re into serious footwork to stay comfortable. The STD has a sharper, more concise feel and freestyle flow transition is superb. Anything much over 12mph winds though and again, work is required. Sure it’ll fly in stronger winds, just less fluid.

What the new Vent does, is it makes that 12mph feel like 6mph pressure on the end of the lines, 20mph feel like 14 without losing the feel and responsiveness the Talon has. It’s quite simply, in the context of the Jest of Eve flying style, brilliant.

At this point, I could start to whittle on a bit about what the Talon can, and can’t do. I could reel off a great list of moves and combos that come built in (Crazy Copters are awesome btw. ), and some that are less accessible, but let’s cut it short. This ain’t no TP or precision flight tool, but it is freestyle Avalon. The Vent will allow you to stay there just a bit longer.

Sweet.

Bryan Beasley