Flexifoil Rage 4.M

So after 8 months with a 2.5m bullet and muchos overtime I finally get a Flexifoil Rage 4.7m. It was brought of ebay secondhand but virtually unused, but like all flexifoil products it held its value well and even though it was cheaper than a brand new one, the difference in price was not that great.

As that the overall package. The rucksack that kite is packed in is of a very high quality and robustly built. There are a number of good features including handles on the back straps for added ease carrying, and adjustable flaps on the front for stuffing bits in. It is however not overly large and care is needed when packing away so that any extra's such as drinks bottles can be fitted in.

The kite itself (mine is a rasta colour) is of the usual exceptional Flexifoil build quality. The seams are all perfectly stitched in neat double lines and the attachments for the bridle to kite are impressive with their sturdiness. The gauze at the vents is nice and heavyweight, so even in the event of a nosedive crash at high speed you have the confidence knowing that all should be well and although it was your fault you crashed it. The overall impression is of a virtually indestructible kite.

Flying the kite is a joy. On handles it will turn on it's own wingtip and is controllable in turn speed as well as speed through the wind window by balancing the brakes to power line force. This kite pulls well even in low winds and soaks up gusts easily never snatching like my Bullet 2.5m does, but smoothly increasing it's pull giving you time to get it all back under control. As the wind increases the kite really begins to show itself pulling like the proverbial train offering a large portion of the wind window for that power. When you need to rest it will park itself at the top of the window very nicely and need little input to keep it there allowing you to get your breath back. There is very little lift as this kite is designed to pull so sending it to the top of the window can be done without the fear of unexpected launches skywards. In low winds the edges of the kite fold in a little if you try and turn it too hard but as the wind increases this disappears. Even as novice flier this kite will make you look good. On a bar the turn rate decreases a bit but the overall control is unaffected and it really boils down to personal preference. For static flying I use handles for better turns and still end up laughing my socks off as I get dragged about, and a bar for when the landboard comes out, only because I am getting lazy in my old age and hooking in to harness eases the pull on my arms.

I would recommend anyone to this kite from near novices (it is 4.7m) to very experienced fliers. The kite has a good wind range, is easy to control and is built very well. It may be expensive compared to some of the other kites of this variety but the Rage is worth every penny.

By : david.brown1230