Fuel how is it possible?

[Kehler]

Hi
Howcome The Fuel can fly without the 5th line?

All Other C kites need the 5th line to be stabel and hold the arc. What is different on fuel and What is the disadvantage beside relaunch and maybe the upwind performce.

Thanks

[edt]

The leading edge is twice the size of other c kites. disadvantage is worse upwind and less depower

[Kehler]

Thanks edt
So by adding the 5th line, upwind abillity will be as good as Other C kites and get a more predictable slack?

[kas911]

No. The LE is still super fat. And it needs to be pumped hard so it doesnt deform. IMO a 5th on a Fuel is only needed if you ride it overpowered, to help preventing deformation

[kiterocky]

With the 5th the kite works better ...slingshot did big mystake to remove in 2009...worst error..hope they change idea soon

[LorenzoS]

The pros add a 5th line to the Fuel. It increases its wind range a little and make it a little more docile in its upper range.

[kiterocky]

Exactly

[edt]

Fuels will never go upwind as much or jump as high as a torch because that leading edge is so big but adding a fifth line defnitely improves upwind because it stops the kite from jellyfishing in gusty conditions. fuel is a great kite and I have a full quiver but its not the highest performance upwind or jumping.

all c kites generate the good slack and pop that's what is great about them all c kites are very predictable unhooked. adding a fifth line to the fuel doesn't do that much for unhooked tricks its all about making better upwind so you don't spend all day riding back and forth after each trick

if you don't care about upwind on a fuel and want to throw unhooked tricks just ride it 4 line mode

if you are in a competition you want to ride your fuel with a 5th line because heats are timed and better upwind means you can throw one or two more tricks than without the 5th line. that's the main reason pros have to ride the fuel 5 lines they can't afford to throw so few tricks in a timed heat

[dylan*]

i don't know, i had a quiver of 13/9/7 fuels that i rode for about a year and a half and found them to go upwind well and were amazing for jumping as long as you were powered. pros seem to be able to go massive on them as well, dunno why you would say they're "not the highest performance". they actually seem to me to go upwind better than some of the bow kites i've ridden but it takes a bit of skill to get the most out of them

[edt]

The 7 and 9 fuels are really nice because their leading edge isn't that much bigger than a regular kite but you should have noticed the 13m was not as good upwind as a bow kite. the smaller the fuel the less the fact it has a bigger leading edge matters.