I just got it - only opened the box and blew some air in the struts and hung it from my drying line. Damn man, it looks a lot like an ole' S-ARC I used to fly!

Compared to my other's (Norte, Taki, Gaser, Cabby, etc) it's thick and blanketey like the old PLs and carries its cord waaaay out like the flying-futons. I'm excited at the prospect.

The only other thing I did was spray the hell out of it with 303 protectant. It's my first BLACK kite and black looks like s__t with the mud we get around here. I'll let you know if it works. ...and I'll post some pics and a report soon.

Jim

I did some early numbers..

The Rapture carries 94% of its cord* out halfway to the tip...and the tip is 68% of the center cord. (gimme a coupla %...)

By comparison, the North R2-16, a great classic puller, is 86% midway and 39% of the cord at the tip.

Mel over at the ARC group at Yahoo put me onto some PL numbers. My memory was faulty about the old S-ARC I had. The tip cord is only 57% of the center.....but - the new Phantom is 69%.

I'll also be able to compare it to a Torch - which is on the way.

Having had a few kites to look at, this Rapture is one of the more interesting. It's not perfect; it lacks the large air-dump new North's have to make it easy to roll up and some other piddly details, but appears pretty stout. I also don't think the color Gold looks good on ANYTHING except clothing on black people...eeech. Color is a very easy way to 'modernize' a product.

I might get a chance to fly it this weekend.

Jim


* cord is measured from leading edge (LE) to trailing edge (TE) Max cord i always at the center.

I haven't flown it yet - but got a bag knocked out.

More ineresting stuff: the struts are soooo huge that the big end of the bag* is nearly twice the size of the bag for the North 16...and 50% larger than the North 20. ...very interesting!

Can't wait to fly it.

Jim


* struts left inflated and then rolled up.

flown it yet wetstuff? definately one of the more interesting kites on the market huh!

Before flight - ground handling of this kite is different. I use a gauge and like to pump kites up to 8-10psi. My nose tells me; kites fly better harder than softer. Pumping...and more pumping (it's a very large main tube!) gets you a very stiff member at only about 7psi. I did the struts at about my usual 10psi.

The other thing a very wide cord get's you is a massive, stiff kite to flip over. It doesn't half-fold while flipping like the usual blimp with a smaller front tube. An expirenced lady kiter caught it for me and there was no way she was going to be able to flip it over on its nose and sand it - she had to wait 'till I got in. Compared to the usual, this is more like handling a solid wing. I'm a little concerned - as I kite alone 60% of the time - about self-launching/landing. No way will I hot launch alone no matter the raves about he depower...

I did not yet have WW lines, so I flew it this first time with a North line/bar set. My first impression was: 1) 'I can't feel this kite!?' 2) it's very stable.

I prefer a kite that gives a lot of feedback at the bar. Yet, I don't like flying-squirrels - those kites that dart around like they're on a single string you gotta keep your eye on every moment. Winds were from sub-10kts to about 18 and the only place this kite was comfortable was in the upper end. At this upper end I could out point other's on 16's but lost out when the wind came back to about 12.

But...I couldn't feel the tune. It was very hard to tell if I was choking it or under sheeting it. I got a proper WW lineset/bar and will see and I'll try different settings of the front pigtails.

In the zero holes when the kite would drop out - it was no easy relaunch. The stiff front tube would allow the kite to lay on its back very easily so you don't need a 5th line..but the kite would pivot around when you tried to use a back line to 'rudder' the end strut. The end strut stayed stiff and the kite would simply spin on the center strut rather than walk off to the side. Once the air came back soild I could get it to walk with more rudder effect. I also tried grabbing about a meter of center lines to do a reverse launch but the pull was too hard for me to be comfortable with the next phase where it rotates in the power zone with a bunch of loose back lines floating around. Maybe with the proper lines I will get a better result...

Given the name Rapture: I didn't meet jesus on my first flight but I hope to find nirvana soon.

jim

I flew them several times and never pumped it this hard. Try a little less pressure next time.


The hot launch is vey gentle, but the key is to have the extended depower and pushing the bar all the way out when it blasts through the power zone.



I felt the same way the first time I tested the Rapture. It takes some time to get used to the "feel." The next time I tested it I felt the zone although I think the critical point is much wider than normal kites.



Did you mear rean lines for a reverse launch?
I have tried this and found it to be easy as long as you can grip the pv tubing covering the rear lines.
I held the lines till the kite completely flipped over and the rear of the kite was in the water, let go and pushed the bar out. It was simple and easy.

Shreder: I had line-brain - the front lines were loose. ...and you're right; the WW lines have that PVC shielding that will make it nicer on bare hands - North had not. We're supposed to be wearing gloves...but I look like an extra in the movie GLADIATOR already...

We've got a crappy forecast, so it may be next week before I'm back on it.

Cheers.

jim

Try pulling in a single rear line to relaunch, I've been told that works very well.

Shreder: The WW lineset has nice, thick pvc over the rear leaders and - stiff as the kite is - it looks as if she'll back off the water 'jes fine. I'll have to see if there's a pattern to whether a little more tension on one rear line vs. another will allow me to pick a clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation.

The WW bar also appears to have a pretty large depower with its pulley system. I'm going to have my machinst make me something similar for my long North bars. I've got one 2002 bar I love - about 60cm (24") - that can nightstick the hell out of a kite.

Stinky weather week so far with only one 10-15mph day in the forecast out of the next five days...

jim

Sheet while turning on the Raps and you may be suprised how fast it goes... Great for loops too....