Two things are so predictable on here:

1. New Naish kite will prompt instant pimp story from tautologies.
2. New cab chick learning to kite will prompt instant pimp comments from Ricki trying to send her off to become playmate of the month.

It makes it an invertebrate? .. like a snail, or a slug.... or an octopus.
A spinless wimp that runs at the sight of danger?
Something that ain't got no backbone to stand up for what's right???
A kite that ain't gonna sire no kitelets 'cause it's as flacid as a wet noodle??

That's what's unnatural about a kite that doesn't have a center strut!

Don't know.. .never tried one... yet

Ha ha ha! I'm sure it's got to do with the face that most kite companies have tried hard to sell us the advantages of center less strut kites, only to remove them the next season. North did it, Airush did it and I'm sure there are others.

It's like Naish touting the benefits of their sigma design. (ok let's not go down the sigma rules/is crap conversation) but after telling us how great it is, slowly removing it from their lineup.

I don't think it is a bad thing really. I didn't mind last years lithium. Just hope they don't try and sell it as 'superior design'

first of all i think Naish pretty much answers your question by placing the battens in the center of the kite.

i said it in the other topic earlier and i say it here. it is unnatural because there are no successful aero(or hydro)dynamic creature analogy in the nature without the single support structure in the center of that creature, whether it is bird, bat, fish or insect. and those things evolved for the hundreds of thousands if not millions years. even the leaves have single shaft.

as you said "The kite has a wide center area...exactly where you want to create lift". and to create the lift you have to have the right wing profile. with this kite Naish put profile supporters (struts) far too close to the wing tips, i.e. areas which does not create lift. instead they use short battens in the center area.

even numbers struts works only if two closest to the center are situated pretty close to each other, like on Takoons and some Cabs. but then weight saving quality is close to none compared to odd numbered. so it is just for the sake of using even numbers.
central strut also divide the canopy on two halves with different AoA while you turning the kite. without the central strut kite most probably is slower on turns.

and once again look at those Genetrix Origin pictures. when i was copying them from their web site they were official photos. now they've deleted them.



you can see the wing profile distortion close to LE and you can imagine the flutter of that canopy.

and to be honest for example kite with only one center strut Airush One in bigger sizes are impaired too, again because of too large unsupported area of the canopy without the proper aerodynamic wing profile.

so, not for me!

3. ..and having a thread with any product in someone is claiming someone else is pimping.

Thanks for answering on point. I am not out to get you, just curious.



How about these new airplane shapes:


http://www.digitaltrends.com/internatio ... -for-2025/

I think it is entirely possible, but the thing about animals is that they have to solve an entirely different problem than an inanimate object. There is no need to contain, use and diffuse energy and warm organs in a kite.


I'm guessing the struts are there to provide structure for the canopy when the kite is turning(?). I am really no expert in this, I just find it interesting


Not quite sure what you mean here.



This I can understand. Obviously I have not tried the kite with three struts, but I am thinking that most kites don't actually divide the canopy, it is sewn together, so there would be no or very little to gain from having a center strut for that reason. I would think that the center strut is there mainly to to keep the shape of the kite when depowered and right above when the effort and lift is created above you?



I did not notice any significant fluttering when I tried the kite. I was kind of curious about that, but it looked pretty solid. It would interesting to try it in higher winds and super unstable winds to see if that changed anything.

To me tho I think the curreent designers have made so many advances that I find it entirely possible that they will make stabler kites with one and two struts...maybe even strutless kites.

Did you try the Ride or the Fly? If both, what are the differences as you seem to describe the Ride in your post above. Or is the Fly a dedicated lightwind kite/

Ride and Fly kites at the 2012 SPI Kite Round-Up

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www.airpadre.com

Well the reviews on the beach from the Naish Nation tour were very positive on the FLY. It has a ton of low end, pretty light feel for a big kite, extremely light in the air, quicker than most in its category and relaunches easily in light winds. I hope that some of you that tested the kite on the tour will let people know your reviews directly.

Cheers!

anyone know any more details about this kite?!

looking at picking up a sub 10 to 16ish knot kite (@ 140lb) to take up the slack where the old 10 doesn't do any justice. Needs to be decent unhooked, preferably enough bang for basic wakestyle tricks under 10.

also any ideas on release?! coming in with the usual seasonal release im guessing.