Postby matthepp » Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:20 am
I just flew an 11m 2012 Peter Lynn Escape today, for the first time, just out of the bag. There doesn't seem to be a lot of reviews so I thought I'd add a few comments. Winds were forecasted 15-20 gusting to 30, and I'd guess that's just about what we got. 5" powder well bonded to ice below.
The kite seemed to behave well with plenty of depower in the gusts. Good power for it's size. Looks fairly flat in the mid-section. 4 strut mid-low aspect. Standard one pump inflation. The Escape turns very quickly, even at the middle of three tip settings. This kite feels real similar to my old 2010 Kahoona back when it was new, maybe more stable and responsive. The bar is well-built with a mini-5th safety through the center of the swiveled chickenloop and above-the bar trim cleat. The chickenloop pull safety SUCKS, similar to the old style Ozone megatron. I doubt I could find it and pull it with gloves on while getting rag-dolled. I guess they changed to a standard center push-away style for 2013.
I saw a little bit of canopy flutter while depowered. The kite didn't do anything freaky, even at 40+ mph apparent. I guess, like most lower aspect kites, this Escape had good but not massive rip off the water, and will quickly get to where you need it for when you've botched your timing or the wind gets weird. I traded off with a friend's Best TS 12m. The TS turned way slower, but had higher boost and longer hangtime.
I think the Escape will be great for our junky Colorado winds, especially on snow and upslope terrain.
Cheers,
Matt