The mini 5th line was all about reride capability. At the time everyone had huge long bridles this is about 2005-2006 so a mini-5th line made sense. But if you look at more modern kites, like the ozone catalyst, the wainman boss, the 2009 and later slingshot fuel (4-line kite), slingshot rally, a lot of the great characteristics of these kites come from the smaller bridle -- or no bridle. It's really an evolution of the kite.Kamikuza wrote:So mini-5ths are a fashion statement? Seems single lines are the same - driven by the "no bridles, more responsive" crowd And the other problem is the requirement for the line to be stoppered at the V, but still be able to feed through the bar. Which means you can really run it through a QR and you lose the ability to untangle rotations . . . don't you? I'm guessing that's why Cab went for the mini-5th - no need to alter the ID of the QR body.
I think the ozone catalyst is incredible so responsive, agile, just a wonderful kite and it does it without a pulley and a bridle that doesn't reach past the kite. It's impossible to get a wingtip deathloop.
When the fuels were redesigned to launch on 4 lines instead of 5, they needed a safe way to flag out, the only possible way is a single center line. let's face it from about 2005-2009 kite manufacturers had no idea what the hell was going on with bridled kites. But then they started to figure it out and one of the things they figured out is that there is a design constraint with long pulley bridles.
This is why cabrinha and best are moving to a single center line flag out.
As for the safety factor . . . I think most kites are really safe now. I'm comparing the bars, quick release systems, and kites from 5 or 10 years ago. We are just making incremental improvements in safety so I don't think I will quibble if you think the cabrinha is as safe as a single line flagging system.
But there is a whole world of kites you can't fly when you have a mini-5th control bar.
Actually you can fly them on a mini5th bar but you should be prepared to never throw the safety because it won't flag out. Be prepared to dump the kite if things get hairy.
One thing I saw today that was pretty funny is the Ruben Lenton designed bar for best.
No safety! That's right. No oh shit. No flag out line. Nothing. A single chicken line running thru the bar and nothing else. Just leash in suicide and ride it out. Not for me lol. I don't think they will sell many of those bars.
All the new bars have spinning center lines, you have to realize the safety line doesn't go outside the spinner it goes inside the bearing ring.
definitely not a fashion statement. If you have never demoed a short bridle kite, try it, these new kites feel so responsive. Long bridled kites feel indecisive and soggy by comparison.