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Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2002 1:29 pm
by shunter
Hi

I have had a few sessions on the RRD supper types and just thought I would share my impressions of them with you guys. I have got the 12, 16 and 19.

The 12 ST I wrote a review a few months ago on this kite. I really enjoy this kites speed and agility in the air. It has the potential to reward with great jumps but it also likes to bite the over enthusiastic bar steerer. But I am getting to grips with fast kites and don’t know if I could go back to a slugger. Still haven’t found the upper wind range and wasn’t to keen on going out this weekend with wild conditions and gusts well over 40 knots. I would guess that it will be around a consistent (if that exists) 35 knots.

Lately I have been flying the 16 supper type the most and initially I wasn’t to keen on it. But after a couple of sessions I have got the thing tuned right and every thing is starting to click and it is fast becoming my most luved kite. Insane lift and hang, excellent up wind (when tuned right) and this thing is real stable in the air. At times when the old 14.9 RRD would have gone nose down and luffed out this thing will just sit there. As with most kites that have large tips it will fly backwards in light wind or when not tuned right but a quick sheet out or pull on the front lines and she recovers no problems. The backwards flying is not really and issue because if this happening then it usually means I shouldn’t be out on the water anyway (to light).

Deep water relaunch is possible with the 16 nowhere near as easy as the lower aspect 14.9 just a different technique and patience to give the kite its head.

Wind range for me (115kgs and 160 tray) is 12 (absolute minimum) to I don’t know yet been out in gusts to 22-15 knots. A thing that I have noticed with the Supper Types is that with the large wing tips you do not get the same amount of sheeting out as you got with the type 4’s or other small wing tip kites. What I have found is that I use the adjustment strap more and have also got a few knots on the centre leader so I shorten the fronts depending on wind conditions.

On the 19 super type juries out as I have only had two marginal condition flies. Sub 10 knot water relaunch will be difficult (easy fix with 5th line) but the thing flys fast on a 60cm (24â€