Seth

This is a sweet little delta stunt kite that costs only £10 (got this one from Woolworths). It's a 'baby' with a wing span of 135cms, but for £10, the build quality is good, as is the packaging you get with it. I've drilled this poor little thing into the ground more times than is good for it, and whilst some of the spars 'break out' when you do so, it has never 'broken'. It is responsive for a beginner's stunt kite, but would not suit pro use. It comes with spools, and maybe that's not the best idea for a 2-line stunt kite, especially for the children, who have a tendancy to release their grip. I took this little stunt kite to the crest of the Chiltern Hills, and flew it in outrageously high and gusty winds. It screamed as it struggled through the air, but held it's shape, and provided major 'bang for bucks'. At £10, you can't knock it. It did exactly what it said on the tin, and I still fly it now in certain conditions. It's excellent for getting the kids into this sport, and a good stepping stone. There are many similar available like this, and in fairness, I haven't tried the others, but for a tenner, I was happy with my purchase. For me, it lead to bigger and better things! By : Seth

The decently styled and well made red and silver rucksack containing the Beamer III 7.0 had been sitting in my room for a week since I bought it, and I had been looking at it constantly! I'd read the concise, but clear instruction manual again and again, just to make sure I knew how to rig it up from memory when the time came, and watched the DVD included with all the Beamer III's (although this went in the bin straight afterwards, because it's pants! If anybody from HQ ever gets to read this, do a better DVD!). The urge to take it flying immediately was almost overwhelming, but I knew that I had to be patient and wait. I knew that the conditions had to be right, and that everything had to be perfect the first time I took it out of the bag and put it in the air. I wanted, no, needed it to be perfect. I kept logging on to www.metcheck.com and looking at the weather forecasts, and picked my day.........Thursday 4th October 07, today (as I write). Sunshine with a light/gentle breeze forecast, and I knew exactly where I would go (but we'll get to that later). I booked the day off work, threw the Beamer in the Merc (!), and set off. I arrived at my destination after a short drive and a walk, and started to unpack. The Beamer III's come with everything you need as standard, including; a ground stake, pre-stretched power and brake lines, kite killers, and 4-line handles. I ran my lines out, checked that everything was as it should be, and it was. A few larks head knots later, and I was ready to take the 7.0 out of it's cage! The set up was remarkably simple, and exactly as described in the manual. As the assembled golden yellow foil lay before me, I was impressed at the quality throughout, and I thought to myself "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair"! As to my location, I was on the lower slopes of the Chiltern Hills, on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border, near Aston Rowant. A grassy valley about a quarter of a mile wide, with the Northerly wind rolling in from the plains of Oxfordshire. The sun was shining brightly, red kites (the feathered kind) were circling high above, the grass was rippling in the light breeze, and I was standing at the business end of this potential monster. There was not another soul in sight, and the iPod was playing Breathe by Progidy. Perfect, and so I pulled on the 4-line handles. The kite rose majestically in the air, did a 180, and slammed back to the ground! Bollocks! Where had I left my ground stake? Crap! It's over there, and I've got to drag my shiny new kite across the ground to reach it, so I can right the Beamer. I bend over to stake the handles in, and in the process, accidently turn up the volume on the iPod in my pocket, to the point where my ears start to bleed! Not Perfect! Start again. This time, it rose up through the power zone to the zenith. It felt like the power lines were hard wired to my shoulder blades, and I felt alive. I started to move it all over the window, and after about an hour of flying in nothing more than a 7 or 8 mph breeze, I was starting to get the hang of it. Even in a light breeze, the pull is phenomenal in the power zone (it's got more pulling power than Lucy Pinder on Viagra!). It's like being being sucked into a black hole. The handling is truly interesting, and it will take me a while to master it. As you can imagine, this is no stunt kite, and you have to plan ahead with your movements to get the best out of it. It is a bit like steering a a vessel on water, if that makes any sense? There were also times were the kite did it's own thing. Not luffing, but it would just stall on one side mid air even though the wind was there? Maybe someone more experienced could suggest what was going on. Notwithstanding, the flying experience was cracking. The kite killers work excellently. Very reassuring! The brake lines are very effective to both turn and land, and I found landing the 7.0 through the middle of the power zone especially easy. The wind picked up a bit after that, and I was getting pulled all over the place. Fantastic. In control but out of control. I loved it. I loved every single minute of it, and I flew it until I could fly it no more. The blood had drained from my fingers to the point of numbness. My body ached in ways it had never done before. I was dripping with sweat, and covered in mud. FANTASTIC! In summary, I think the whole package is quality from start to finish, and worth the £190 it cost me (and many thanks to the guy from Sky High Kites who gave me his time and advice when purchasing - and yes, I still promise not to take it out in anything over 4 Bft!). It has phenomenal pull through the power zone, but not so much lift. Additionally, I'd respectfully suggest that you need to be buying it for the right reason. I bought it because I'm 6'4" and 20 stone, and I wanted to be pulled about like a rag doll after spending 36 years firmly planted to the floor. When I master the flying technique on the Beamer III 7.0, I'm getting a board. I'm hooked, and having gone through loads of the threads on this site, I've signed up, and want to join your community. See you in the forums. Seth By : Seth