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Kitech FRS

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tomtom
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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby tomtom » Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:02 pm

Imo wind range is very personal and not very indicative from person to person. 9 has for me range on ONDA from 6 to 15 knts. It has cca 12 LEI equivalent power.
Guy with FRS 12 was riding at same time and location on multiple ocassion had ca. same low end but was able to hold it in much stronger wind than me 9. Different style and foil setup.
For me FRS 9 is replacement for 12-9. FRS 9 have more depower than any foil kite which i rode. Much more than Soul 8. My estimate is that 12 FRS have slightly less power than 12 Soul/11 Sonic2 and more hi-end. All this with much faster turning. I will buy 12 soon - just waiting for Peters thought about UL version.

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby airsurfer » Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:55 am

TomW wrote:
Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:01 pm
Anyone tried the FRS 12m on Hydrofoil? what's the wind range?

I had the Kitech 12m and 9m FRS with the Onda 633 and 683. The 12M low end for me was 5-6 knots has good manageable depower and high end but I prefer to switch to LEI ASAP unless boosting. The 9M FRS is way more fun and faster turning low end from 8knots high end very good and still fun.

Here are a couple of short videos showing how they flew for me

https://youtu.be/iS2sSs7ensg

https://youtu.be/AQgsBV2bTVA

and 9m FRS https://youtu.be/LpEXRRbwrbo

I've also owned all the Ozone foil kites since the Chrono v1 including the Hyperlink UL and all the Flysurfer kites since Silverarrow II including the Soul and I can say the Kitech is the most fun simple and user friendly foil with closest feel to LEI.

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby pmaggie » Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:31 am

Any comparison with the Soul?

tomtom
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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby tomtom » Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:48 am

My review which start this thread is also "vs Soul". Do you have any specific question?

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby pmaggie » Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:24 pm

i Tomtom, I read the review. If I'm not wrong, you wrote only that the FRS is faster and has only a little less power than the Soul, so you preferred the Kitech. I was asking if someone tested the two head to head more deeply (relaunch, upwind, downwind etc.) or maybe with a TT.
Very nice review anyway, thanks a lot!

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby airsurfer » Mon Jul 23, 2018 5:38 pm

pmaggie wrote:
Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:24 pm
i Tomtom, I read the review. If I'm not wrong, you wrote only that the FRS is faster and has only a little less power than the Soul, so you preferred the Kitech. I was asking if someone tested the two head to head more deeply (relaunch, upwind, downwind etc.) or maybe with a TT.
Very nice review anyway, thanks a lot!
I've owned both the Soul is more powerful more lift and hangtime for boosts and easier relaunch BUT way slower turning less depower doesn't drift as well not as responsive on the bar flies more like a regular foilkite. The soul construction is very impressive but it's heavier and has way more complicated bridle. The kitech is simple and fun with good performance. Both are a big step up from the Hyperlink UL

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby tomtom » Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:52 pm

I fly them head to head on multiple occasion - 9 vs 8 i was switching between them
I rode them foil, strapless SB, and TT


My estimate
Power Soul - has 5% more power
Depower FRS has 30% more depower - It was very hard to jibe and and not be pulled from strapless SB on Soul - no problem on FRS
Upwind Soul sits little maybe 5 degree higher in wind window
Downwind - similar drift - but better control on FRS due faster turning and bar feedback
Relaunch - both very good best of all kites overal
Jumping on TT very good boost both - better than my LEI - Soul more hang.

Overal I did not like Soul - because lack of depower for strapless - whoever design this kite did not ride strapless. And I did not like bar feedback. Even Sonic 2 is nicer kite on bar.
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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby foilholio » Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:20 am

Wow worse depower on the Flysurfer Soul! That is not something normally flysurfer is bad at.

Your comments on drift and depower make me more interested in the FRS.

UL fabric is a must for kites as or bigger than 10-12m. The benefits surfing are noticeable up to 15knots, but are very needed below 10knots.

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby tomtom » Tue Jul 24, 2018 9:55 pm

Just to better illustrate my POV on depower.

Everybody is raving about FS depower. Well they obviously did not use wave LEI...
FS kites cannot be depowered on demand while they are flying through window. If you depower they just fly faster and pull harder. AOA changes works as depower only when kite is "Static" in relation to wind window.

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Re: Kitech FRS

Postby foilholio » Wed Jul 25, 2018 1:50 am

Um no plenty of foils depower through the window, even my A15 does that though not fantastically but it does not have the best depower. The Psycho 4 (Flysurfer) has very good depower, including in the window. Of course flysurfer kites can depower through the window, some better than others. Their race kites are perhaps the worse at this but still do it.

If kite flys with slack on BCZ it will always have less power. Maybe you have been struck with the common Flysurfer ( and other foil) problem that they lose depower with bridle and mixer shrink. A fixable problem but not something well known. I think on flysurfers it is even possible to increase through window depower, by adjusting BCZ to slack B more. Through window B still holds tension on most flysurfers.

Maybe also coming from wave LEI you might not be familiar with the amount of sheeting to fully depower foils. Which given your comments about the LEI feel of the FRS seems likely. Maybe the FRS has a very forward B(and maybe C and Z) placement to reduce bar stroke. The shorter stroke on the Psycho 4 does give it more of this feel, also now on my modified A15.
Last edited by foilholio on Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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