Kiteforum.com

gambolero wrote:For the life of me I cannot figure this kite out!

I am a heavier rider, ~230lbs, and my home kiting spot is the mid-atlantic, Chesapeake Bay beaches. The wind is light and variable which is one of the reasons why I chose the 21m.

HOWEVER - have yet to even launch and fly the kite at Zenith. I can't even keep it in the air and it's brand new!

So, two questions:

1) Anyone have any recommendations?

2) If I can't figure this out, I am ready to sell it.

Thanks,

Hi Gambo. Ram airs, like Flysurfer kites, are aerodynamically inferior compared to large light wind inflatables. It is unlikely you'll ever be able to really "figure this kite out". You'll find it will only fly in about 8 knots of wind and is prone to collapsing and folding etc. I'd strongly suggest option 2: SELL IT. Let me know if you'd like details re the aerodynamic inferiority of this kite.

Cheers,

Pumpy ....................

Once I have more time on the FS S3 21M, I will do an unbiased comparison to the Ozone Edge 17M.

Hawaiis wrote:I just got a 21M Deluxe, flied it two days in a roll. it will stay up @5-6Knots but not enough power to go out on the water. every time I lower the kite, it would not go up. The tail will jellyfish If I push the bar up.
Flies so different than a LEI.
Guess need more wind to learn this new toy.

I am happy to go over the kite with you, via skype or something.

In 5-6 knots you should feel quite a lot of power in the kite.

Let me know.

Tony

There is NOT enough wind to Pre-inflate the kite in a 3 to 5mph, (2.60693 to 4.34488 Knots)
so i use a
Boat Bilge Blower with a 15 inch flexible extension, and rechargeable 3-S Lipo battery,
12v or 10 cell ni-cad will also work.

A speed 21, in smooth wind, should fly in 3 to 5mph wind , (IF it's FULL of air).
That's Not enough wind to pull you, but enough to fly it once the cells are
full of air. You will Need to Always keep the kite moving in that little wind, or
it will fall out of the sky.

My , (10M, 16M and 19M) PL Venom's will all fly in that Same wind ; that is why i
use it to teach basic-kiting to friends ; i do it in a park, at night & under lights. There
is no thermals present at night, because thermals need Sun to build them.

Once the kite is inflated, your speed 21 will "Fly" in WAY less wind than an LEI ; &
i got a 12pk of Beer that says i'm ready to take on Anyone that says different ,
(just come to Vegas) and i'll prove it.

I recommend you learn to use that kite at night, in the smooth stuff, or Ya
might destroy it before you learn to even use it. Like you say, a Ram-Air is a bit
different !

I was brought up on the Chesapeake Bay, near the Pax-river navel air station
in Maryland. Learned to sail there and was an instructor at the merchant marine
academy ; there's Plenty of wind on the Chesapeake Bay !!!

Bille

Dr. Light Wind:
Are those -1 units in cm ?

Tone:
To set up for 5-6 knot wind do I leave the mixer in neutral or
Lengthen or Shorten B and C line?

Billie:
I find pre-inflation not a problem
It was easy to hot launch in light winds.
And I find it amazing to force the kite back up by pulling on the front lines.
I was expecting more power from the 21M than my Ozone Edge 17M.
But I guess when there is not enough wind, size does't matter.


Mahalo

Hawaiis wrote: I was expecting more power from the 21M than my Ozone Edge 17M.
But I guess when there is not enough wind, size does't matter.
Mahalo

I will share what i learned while i had a Sp3 21 for over 1 year and 100++ days on it
I concluded that there was an ideal line length for that kite...and it is not the standard ones
21 meter lines are too short for such a long high aspect kite for multitude of reasons
Adding the inclusive extensions lines of 6 meters makes it way too slow and boring to flying

I ordered from Flysurfer 3 meter extensions to make the lines total 24 meters
That is the sweet spot line length for that kite
Give it a try and it will then beat your Ozone 17
The power stroke is a bit longer and the high aspect kite sits a bit lower in the widow with more power

My 2 cents
Supa

Sounds like it wasn't inflated enough. Very lights wind requires some patients and working the kite to inflate.

If you did get it inflated and it back stalled. LET THE BAR OUT. you can back stall speed very easily in light wind with too much bar pulled it. More so than a lei. Leave the bar out to start with.

Next Idea. loop it and keep it flying. dont park the kite in altra light wind. They prefer to be flying. You can infact actively fly a speed in winds that are so light that it wont even fly to the zenith.

PS thats how you get going in ultra light wind too. throw a loop build some speed then feel the aparent wind kick in. then you are away laughing.

pss. Allow some time to build experience. A big slow foil required a different technique than a faster flying lei.

Hawaiis wrote:Dr. Light Wind:
Are those -1 units in cm ?

Mahalo

Yes they are in cm

Good luck with it

DrLW

Supa:
I will look for those extension lines.

Plummet:
When I power stroke down, the board will move forward, but when I push the bar away to let the kite back up, the lower wing tip will fold and the kite stays low and the board stalls. On the LEI I can feel the power both ways going up or down.

Dr.LW:
I will give the mixers settings a try

Mahalo

Hawaiis wrote:
When I power stroke down, the board will move forward, but when I push the bar away to let the kite back up, the lower wing tip will fold and the kite stays low and the board stalls.
Mahalo

The wing tip does not fold with 3 meter extensions and the kite will be in cleaner higher wind

It folds because the kite goes a bit too high into the wind window and the wind is less near the water

My 4 cents
Supa