D-Alien1600949552

This is a review of the Flexifoil Sting 1.7m I suppose the first thing anybody will notice about the Sting is the packaging, out with the old flimsy drawstring bag, and in with a much tougher canvas bag with a reasonable sized pocket on the side. On packing the kite away, you need to be careful about how you fold and pack as the top of the bag is a bit tight, as I found out one day packing away in a hurry, but if you fold the kite properly it all fits nice and snug in the bag In the bag we get – Kite, Handles, Killers, Lines, Instructions, Stickers, Registration card and Free repair card. Construction Well what else would you expect from Flexifoil, as usual top quality components and construction of the canopy, handles, lines, good easy to follow instructions. This is a personal thing but I’m not sure about the new Flexifoil designs, the Sting, Blade, Rage all having the same designs, I much preferred it when I could look into the sky and instantly say 6.6 Blade III just by looking at the design on the kite and the colours used (whinge over)… Set-up Kite set-up couldn’t be simpler, even if you are a novice follow the instructions in the book and the nice card they have attached to the bridle leaders (how could anyone get it wrong), unless your me, who always fly’s with the red handle on my right….. Flying the Sting Here we have to bear in mind that my site is inland, with most often Westerly or South Westerly wind, which can be very lumpy and is prone to quick changes of direction. First session took place in 5 to 9mph nice and gentle to work the kite in the power zone (making this an excellent beginners kite), if you push the kite to close to the edge of the window, it will luff, but then again what kite wouldn’t, recovery is very easy and soon the Sting is fully inflated and sailing around in the power zone again. Taking the kite to the zenith, I have found that it can over fly, but with some brake application can be made to sit comfortably above your head. This 1.7m Sting is not as quick as the 2005 1.2m but then again bigger kites are always that much slower moving them around. This next session took place with winds averaging 15 gusting 30+ mph with the wind coming from the SW & Very lumpy indeed. What a mover – From Launch in the centre of the window steady power all the way to the zenith. Left to right just above the ground, and very quick it is to, ok so it luffs but that’s my fault flying it so close to the edge of the window and the wind is swinging in direction by 45 degrees, but recovery is very easy, at the top of the window I get the kite to over fly my head, with the predictable result, down it comes like a sack of s**t, ok I asked for it but unless you try these things how are we going to find out what we can do with them. Up it goes again to the zenith, a little brake, and the odd bit of input, lovely, the Sting sits there, gently pulling on the arms, so we have some lift as well (not enough to lift me, unless I were flying in a hurricane). In the power zone this kite is very predictable, positive and fast, whizzing from left to right, nice gentle wide turns on the handles and fast turns on the brakes and pulls very well. Outcome For the beginner this would be a good first kite, the instructions and set-up of the kite makes this so easy and it is not a kite that will give you a good spanking unless your flying in insane winds. The Sting 1.7 would also make a good high wind traction machine for those more advanced, stable and predictable, a very nice kite indeed Well let’s face it, what else would we expect from Flexifoil Author : D-Alien

Here we go again with another nice shiny silver bag with a kite inside Initial Thoughts The kite is well packed into a small bag, as with the Blaze the bag could be a bit bigger but I have put the kite back in it’s bag in without any trouble. I suppose it's nice and compact. The kite in question is a 3m Legend Handles, Similar to the Blaze handles, could be finished off better – the foam padding on the handles has been replaced with a more robust foam, should be much more resistant to abrasion, it will probably help to reduce the amount of water that could be soaked up when they get wet. Lines, The same as those supplied with the Blaze 25m Dyneema, again not pre-stretched, so they will stretch, more maintenance required checking for stretch, and adjusting them as required. Canopy, Softer Ripstop than that used on the Blaze, stitched bridle lines, general construction is again good, all well stitched, and double stitched round the edges. Does it fly? Yes very well, a bit of alteration to the brake line lengths, (another knot in the brake bridle, knot a problem) 🙂 This session took place using 10m Hydro lines. (as usual for me) Ok , step back pull on handles and up it goes pull left then to the top, nice and smooth, working the kite from left to right without much brake application flies nice and smoothly. WOW – brakes, braking effort is easy and will turn on a dime. The legend is bridled the same as the Blaze, with no lines to the center of the kite. Reverse launch is not a problem, it’s easy to get the kite back up and flip it around. At the top of the window it can be held in place with some brake application, and seems very happy to sit there. The kite did luff a few times but was easily recovered, (this is my own fault as I tend to try and fly the kite so close to the edges of the window). Regarding Pull and Lift, the way I fly yes it has plenty of pull, I tend to work the kite from side to side quite low in the window, so yes they pull, as far as lift goes, it does have some lift but not a lot. A good session with a good kite, This kite would do for just about anybody from beginner to advanced kiters on those higher wind days. Pictures and video of the 3m Pansh Legend can be found on my web site at http://www.dc-computers.org.uk Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Author : D-Alien

Ok here we go again, (I'm not the best at writing reviews) everybody was talking about the Pansh Blaze, and a few people owned up to getting one, but reviews and comments seemed to be very slow coming through, so I thought I would get one and see what they are like for myself. The ordering process is not without trouble, although they are working to get this sorted apparently, my order worked second time around, with the same card as I used in the first attempt. As soon as my order was placed I received a confirmation email, and the day after I received another email giving me a TNT tracking number, this proved quite handy and interesting to see where it was. Details:- 13 Apr 2006, 10:44, London Heathrow Depot, DELIVERED Details:- 13 Apr 2006, 08:47, London Heathrow Depot, OUT FOR DELIVERY Details:- 13 Apr 2006, 06:40, London Heathrow Depot, IMPORT RECEIVED Finally, it arrived, actually quite quick, it was ordered on the 9th and arrived here on the 13th. So what do we get, a nice shiny silver bag and inside a kite well packed into a small bag, the bag could be a bit bigger but I have put the kite back in without any trouble. The kite in question is a 5m Blaze, colour black Handles, urm, well the handles could be finished off far better, there is swarf and rough edges around the hole where the leader line passes through the handles, this will chew up the leader lines in no time, the top and bottom have just been cut off with a plastic bung inserted, again rough and rather untidy Lines, sold as 25m Dyneema, what it doesn't say is that they aren't pre-stretched, so they have plenty of stretch in them, more like a rubber band, ok maybe I am being a bit unfair, but to use these would require more maintenance checking the line lengths regularly for stretch, and adjusting them as required. Kite, nice crispy ripstop polyester, very loud and noisy indeed, not as soft as that lovely material Ozone use, but then again you get what you pay for, and stitched bridle lines, general construction is rather good, all well stitched and double stitched round the edges. All in all neat and tidy, looks good. Does it fly? Yes and rather well, after a bit of faffing around with the brake lengths, 1st attempt was rather late so I used the knots that Pansh had put on the lines, up she went, nicely to the top of the window and opps, no brakes, brake lines far to long to be usefull, this session was in rather gusty conditions and I was without kite killers, a gust came through and I had to ditch a handle. 2nd attempt was tried after adding some extra knots in the brake leaders on the kite, this time I took someone to witness the attempt and to video the session. This session took place using 10m Hydro lines. Wind was 14 gusting 23 according to Accuweather from the SW With the kite staked out it sits there on the floor bouncing somewhat, as if trying to say 'let me get up there', this I put down to the fact that only two thirds of the back edge of kite has brakes applied, the centre section is sitting there twitching, and several times I thought it was going to generate enough lift to flip the kite over. Ok here we go, killers on and take up handles, step back pull on handles and up she goes (why do we always call these things she?) pull left then to the top, nice, working the kite from left to right without much brake application flies quite smoothly, Trying to use the brakes to turn is actually hard work, when flying the likes of the Blade, braking effort is easy and will turn on a dime using the brakes. The Blaze on the other hand requires much more effort to get the brakes to turn the kite, but the brakes do work quite well, reverse launch and flying backward is not to much of a problem. There was one occasion during this session where I was flying the kite round to my right across the window and applied the brakes, it seemed to increase in power much more than I anticipated, although it was probably a gust coming through, it made me take notice. At the top of the window it can be held in place with some brake application, and seems quite happy. The kite did luff a few times but was easily recovered. Regarding Pull and Lift, the way I fly yes it has plenty of pull, I tend to work the kite from side to side quite low in the window, so yes they pull, as far as lift goes, I wouldn't say so, when I had the kite at the zenith I felt virtually no lift even in these gusty conditions. A good session I think with a pretty good kite, although I would like to see the brakes removed and re-bridled to include the centre third of the kite. The way things are bridled now wouldn't make life so easy for those thinking of fitting power rings, as the brake lines sit well toward the outside edges of the kite. Pictures and video of my 5m Pansh Blaze can be found on my web site at http://www.dc-computers.org.uk Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Dave By : D-Alien

First Impressions of the Parastorm My first buggy (Oh dear what am i letting myself in for). 3 wheels that won’t all fit in the wheel bag supplied, they are made for standard wheels, n I had to go for the wide ones – ok so 2 will go in the bag. Buggy bag full of bits, rails, axle, tools etc, but no instructions – Ah what the hell cant be that difficult (Wrong). At this point I will say that when I got the bug and kite, they had run out of safety gear post Streatham, so I opted to leave the bug packed away till I had it. Then got an invite from Ian A-R to join him for some buggying – Ok Ian I goes, ill ring the shop see if the safety gear is in (not yet came the reply). Sod it – ok if all else fails I will static fly n watch Ian (see how buggying is supposed to be done). Drive to Milton Keynes n meet up with Ian You got helmet Ian says – Nope – I got one you can use, get the buggy out he says as he goes off to get a skid lid for me. So out comes the bag n the wheels, take all the bits out of the bag and get the packing foam off (cool all nice and black and shiny) Ian also owns a Parastorm so it was rather handy having it there for reference, we put the head stock together and fitted the front wheel, easy enough, then we come to the side and bottom rails which fit into the back axle. Sit in Ian’s bug n check it for size, - now the fun bit bottom rails just drop into the back axle and so do the side rails (no bolts here) – Here the front of the seat must be fitted otherwise you will have start Pulling it apart again, the seat hooks in between the side and bottom rails, where they meet at the front, once this is in place the head unit can be fitted, bit of a fiddle to fit but not to bad (2 pairs of hands come in handy here) drop the 2 bolts through and tighten them up. Fit the back wheels and we are nearly there (now this is where having Ian’s buggy beside mine came in really handy) just copy the strapping on Ian’s seat, replicate it on mine and we are done. Very comfy, beer and remote control and I would be laughing – First run – Very stable and very easy to control, it feels very solid indeed, (till I fall out or get dragged out). Impressions – Money very well spent on my first bug, looks good and handles well (not so sure about the person in the seat though)