Ozone Little Devil 1.5M

As a relative newbie to the hobby I had yet to experience the full 'joys' of winter flying. However one thing I have realised is that if I didn't want long enforced periods staring out of the window and sulking because I couldn't fly I needed to get something that (i) would not tear my arms off in gale force winds (ii) was affordable and fun. The last requirement was essential, after all, winter is pretty depressing to start with so it needs to be something that would encourage me to leave that comfy armchair in front of that roaring log fire on a cold blustery grey miserable day.

There are several small (1.5 or thereabouts) reasonably priced kites and in the end I narrowed my choice down to the Bullet 1.5 or the Little Devil Stunt 1.5. Much as I love my Bullet 2.5 I was tempted by the review on the Ozone website plus numerous favourable reviews of the Little Devil range on this site. So of I went to my friendly kite shop (the ever-helpful Up 4 Kiting in Southend), handed over my pile of hard-earned pennies and waited expectantly.

Sure enough a neat drawstring bag arrived in due course which I opened to find a beautiful red and white work of art. The quality of Ozone products does not need repeating here, the name is synonymous with the best in kiting and this was confirmed by my examination of my new plaything. The lines are colour coded and numbered to ensure that connecting up is idiot proof. Ozone suggest that this kite will be 'ready to fly' in minutes and they are right. Ozone also give the option of flying this particular model in two or four-line configuration, I chose four. I really wanted to get this beautiful little kite up and running but was there any wind? Absolutely typical, b****r all in the way of wind for the first day or so.

Eventually over to my local country park on a moderately breezy day, peg down the handles through the ground loops provided, then feed the lines out (I always parapack and have found no problems packing using this method with the L.D). Kite popped out of the bag and clearly raring to go. Lift off is clean and easy, moderate winds so no great pulling power but Oh Boy! is this little beauty manoeuvrable! The tiniest twitch on the handles and she knows it. Just 'tickle' the brakes and she turns on a five-penny piece. She flies well to the edge of the window and is totally forgiving. On more than one occasion, when the wind died completely, I find a tangled jumble falling out of the sky only to see it recover effortlessly. If I didn't know better I would say that this little kite was having as much fun as I was but, Hey, that's just plain crazy, isn't it?

As mentioned earlier I had no problems flying this kite in moderate winds with no evidence of serious pulling power. So two days ago I'm down at the same country park with a seriously stiff breeze blowing. She lifts off as usual and then shows me what she is capable of. No pulling power, who am I kidding! She pulls solidly and cleanly and lets me know it. I realise that I have made the perfect choice for winter recreational flying.

This is, without a doubt, a pure joy to fly. Ozone are fully justified in adding the name tag 'Stunt' to this model and I expect to spend many a happy hour in the company of this fabulous little kite which was born to fly.

By : Gumdrops