bingism

OK, I've had the 4.0m Crossfire a good few weeks now and have been able to get it out in a variety of winds over that time. Since I'm not the World's most experienced kiter, you'll have to forgive anything you think is simply duff technique. For comparison, the oter kites I've played with are Beamer's 1.8 & 3.6, a 3.5 & 4.9 Bulletts and a 3.5 Kinnell Katana. All static flying and scudding around. BACK TO BASICS: The bag quality is not too hot. I've already managed to break one of the clips and the top-flap is a bit "flappy". The kite is the usual good quality HQ work, not the best, but well assembled and more than you expect for the money. The velcro openings on the tips are a useful addition, although I haven't had too much cause to use them. Standard HQ handles are fit for the job (again not the most comfortable, but probably not the worst either). As with all the HQ's, the Crossfire is easy to hook up and probably only took 15-minutes tops. Overall, a bit disappointed with the bag, but otherwise all good. FIRST FLIGHT: 15-17mph on Jaywick Sands (nice soft beach in case of unintentional face plant). There's something about this kite that makes you just a little bit nervous of it. Still can't put my finger on it, but it's definitely there. Decided to sit down to avoid accidental air-time and this was a good choice!!! The Crossfire has an extraordinary amount of power and soon had me uplifted and unceremoniously dumped again! Seemed stable at the edges although the tips were a little "flappy" and it had a tendency to fold in on itself. At the zenith the kite generates a reasonable amount of lift and you really don't get much of a rest. It's more difficult to land in a controlled manner compared with the 3.6 Beamer as it tries hard to re-power at any given opportunity. Unless you're pretty confident, the ideal wind speed I've found for a maiden flight with the Crossfire is no more than 10-12mph and that it should be a constant wind. FIRST AIR: 12-15mph at Braintree Discovery Centre. All in all it's quite easy to jump the Crossfire, but watch those break lines! Because the kite is quite responsive, it's very important to avoid a change of direction as the kite approaches zenith. This was my 3rd time out with the Crossfire and I started to realise that a) this is very much a power-on / power-off type of kite, this kite is not so stable "brakes on", and c) it's quite tricky to control in gusty conditions. Eventually all three of these points came together to create a sudden and unexpected surge in power and lift that sent me hurtling downwind.... 1st kiting related injury! SCUDDING: Steady 15mph at Old Hunstanton. This was my second visit to Hunstanton but only my first opportunity to spend some real time scudding the Crossfire. By now I'd loosened the brake lines one knot (onto the 3rd one in) and the Crossfire was completely different. Much more stable at the edges with no more folding in on itself, and a bit smoother through the window. Since the wind was nice and constant, with no major gusts, the Crossfire was in its element. Very predictable power-on / power-off throughout and quick around the sky, turning sharply and doing pretty much exactly what it's told to. After scudding off 25m down the beach, the easiest way to walk back upwind is to hold it vertically at the edge. Don't bother putting it at the zenith - all that happens is you end up with tired arms, plus you'll sometime over-shoot vertical. This will result in the Crossfire hunting for wind and quite often dropping back into the window a bit further than I would like. OVERALL FLYING EXPERIENCE: I'm in two minds about the Crossfire as a static kite and I probably need to try it out with a buggy or board before really understanding it. Many people have recommended the 4.0m as a suitable kite for someone's first "bigger" kite experience. I'm not so sure... Once I'd sorted out the brakes, the little annoyances disappeared and the kite was much smoother. Flying the kite "brakes-on" made it a bit too unpredictable for my liking, especially at the edges. In this configuration, the power surge through the window was very... erm.... "positive"! Even with the brakes loosened, the 4.0m Crossfire is still more of an on/off traction engine than a comparably sized Bullet and much less smooth through transition than a Katana. For this reason, the Crossfire may be better suited to buggies or boards than for static flying since the surges are more easily absorbed. The biggest single issue that I have with the Crossfire 4.0m is its ability to deliver such extreme power when the wind gusts to 17-20mph, compared with the easily controllable power it produces at a steady 15mph! Because of this, plus my relative lack of experience, I've been bitten twice by this kite - the first resulted in a nasty sprain and the second in a dislocated shoulder... you should also bear in mind that I'm 14 stone! RECOMMENDATION????? For the money, the Crossfire 4.0m is a good buy. You get a well built kite that is going to last and will keep you keen for a long time to come. Being totally honest, I would discourage a total beginner from buying this kite because of its slight unpredictability when the wind picks up a little. For safe day-to-day static flying / scudding I'd go for a fair sized Bullet or a Katana if you can get hold of one and like long, fast scuds. However, if you want something with a bit of bite that IS definitely going to throw you around every now and then, get a Crossfire 4.0m By : bingism