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Airush Varial X

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windtzu
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby windtzu » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:42 pm

Mike Birt that was pleasantly informative - fascinating. I'm sure I can speak on behalf of others that there's no need to apologize for the length of your post(s), to the contrary, we're all here to share information and learn as much as we can from kiter's with experience or different experiences. You have a real-world way of explaining something, without the reader needing a degree in aeronautics.

Eppo and others, your input is equally informative, if not entertaining as well ;)

Mike, I like your "depower is a privilege" and the lack of it in the old days. My hats off to you brave souls. This is what kept me windsurfing longer. I didn't fully understand what is really meant by a kite's top end and after listening to my friends, I don't think they know either. This is good info. Top end is reached when you no longer can effectively / safely control the kite in a given wind speed.

So different type of kite designs / kite models, perform differently at certain sizes and wind strengths. This makes sense. Pardon the windsurfing analogy but it's how I can relate in terms of your explanations' > we would change to different sails-models in relation to size depending on our weight, and our purpose - waves, racing, etc. Some sails performed brilliantly in size "a" but were a dog in size "b" or at least not as well.

Good stuff guys! I look forward to trying a Varial 6 m.

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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby Westozzy » Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:40 pm

I told ya Mike knows his stuff and is always willing to share his knowledge. I have been riding not a whole lot less than mike but I was like a first year primary school kid reading his emails!! Good luck windtzu and report back what you find. Make sure you try and get as much water time as possible on the VX its not the obvious plug and play of the lithium it takes a little while to dial the higher aspect and overall feel in.

windtzu
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby windtzu » Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:36 am

Thanks Eppo as well. I'll be checking back in any case. This is a fine forum you guys have going here.

MikeBirt
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby MikeBirt » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:49 am

..pleasure..
windtzu wrote:Top end is reached when you no longer can effectively / safely control the kite in a given wind speed.
It's more like their top end is reached when the next kite size below will do a better job. These days this can mean 12//9/6 increments, but in the old days the naish guys had a quiver of kites at 1m increments from 15 downover to 5.
windtzu wrote:Pardon the windsurfing analogy > we would change to different sails-models in relation to size depending on our weight, and our purpose - waves, racing, etc. Some sails performed brilliantly in size "a" but were a dog in size "b" or at least not as well.
That's true, you can get sweet sizes in a range, but while we talk windsurfing - if you think about the way the opposite ends of the Airush range work, ie the Lithium vs the VX, it's almost exactly the same way that you change a sail's feel by applying downhaul from minimum to maximum.
A heavy rider needs more grunt and so will typically use minimal downhaul as they need power.
A light rider needs control and so typically use maximum downhaul to give control at higher speeds.
It's almost exactly the same principle when an advanced rider chooses a kite according to their weight...

windtzu
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby windtzu » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:57 pm

I get your analogy. :) So generally speaking, in stronger winds, higher aspect designs are better for smaller riders than lower aspect kites, again all things equal. I assume there's other variables that go into design.

In windsurfing some companies would make two wave sail lines > one with more power for heavier riders, and one with less draft for lightweights, while being pretty much the same sail. I wonder if this is something that's practical in terms of design - ie. a normal lithium and a less grunty lithium. It would of course come down to economics. Is there enough demand to justify it. Your answer may be, they already do > the varial and the lithium.

MikeBirt
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby MikeBirt » Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:55 am

windtzu wrote:I get your analogy. :) So generally speaking, in stronger winds, higher aspect designs are better for smaller riders than lower aspect kites, again all things equal. I assume there's other variables that go into design.
Actually aspect has little to do with it - it's the foil and general efficiency - aspect has a small part to play in that but it's not the last word by any means..
windtzu wrote:In windsurfing some companies would make two wave sail lines > one with more power for heavier riders, and one with less draft for lightweights, while being pretty much the same sail. I wonder if this is something that's practical in terms of design - ie. a normal lithium and a less grunty lithium. It would of course come down to economics. Is there enough demand to justify it. Your answer may be, they already do > the varial and the lithium.
exactly..
they appeal to other riding styles other than weight of course, but many will find the weight issue leans them to one or the other all things being equal.

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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby gwechall » Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:19 am

Hi guys :D
can some one tell me what will be the wind range and the sweet spot for freestyle of the 9m?
i weight 75kg and ride a 136 clash.
Many thanks in advance :thumb:

MikeBirt
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby MikeBirt » Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:32 am

Hi Chap,
that is a hard one to answer, as it depends on a lot of things - I don;t know your board's efficiency - also temp and humidity of where you ride. If you want a freestyle kite I do suggest you look at the Razor - it's one of the best in the world, and is a very easy kite to use in the grand scheme of things. That said the VX is a kite that does do well for your weight, but you'll not be eeking out super light wind performance from it, you need some windspeed. 75kilo in the UK's 12 degrees and damp I'd say 15knots min, more like 20 to be comfortable. You can put another 8 knots on that if you ride in Egypt..
I would say the Razor may have a slightly better bottom end, though it doesn't share the same depower obviously...

gwechall
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby gwechall » Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:40 pm

Thx man!!

i know pretty well the razor, a really good friend ride it and i rode it many time! but i don't want any 5th line kite, already had some broken in half kite trouble after crashing the kite in shore break :angryfire:

That's why i'm looking for a 4 lines hybrid, open C ... what ever they call it :lol:
and i had a very good offer for a 9m Vx but i don't really know the range comparing to other "4 lines freestyle kite" like RPM...

gwechall
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Re: Airush Varial X

Postby gwechall » Wed May 01, 2013 5:19 pm

well i had some new offers with other sizes!
which quiver will be the best for 75kg from 14-15 to around 35 knots? with a 136 clash riding in tarifa (so gusty high wind).
10-6 or 12-8 or even 10-8 if the 10 y mainly made for light and and 8 for strong...
And for the 10m i have the choice between 2012 and 13 for 100€ dif, so wich one is better in the lower range?

Many thanks for this boring questions :oops:


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