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The bag: the bag is a huge bag like the ones scouts use to go on camp... it has many pockets to fit all your crap like wallets, cellphones... if you fold your kites well enough, you can fit around two/three big foils in them or six smaller ones... the kite entry is with a zipper, which is closed of by a big piece of fabric to prevent your kite from getting stuck in the zipper... Built quality: The build quality is ok, lines are solid enough, but don't expect no Ozone quality on a kite like this... the sail itself is solid and ours survived several crashes with no sign of damage The bar: The bar is well built, better than the first series of the acces IMO, but it sucks that they didn't attach the elastic ends on the bar, meaning that if you don't watch out, they'll end up lost... The total depower isn't total like on a Ozone Acces, but it has enough to stay safe... In the air I've flown the 10 in as low as 2 beauforts (6knots i think) and it still managed to make my riders move on the landboard... but in such winds, it isn't really fun... The fun just starts when you fly the kite in higher winds 4 - 7 beauforts (depending on your weight), then it pulls a lot and has good lift... we managed to get some good jumps (8 to 18 feet) with it. The 8 metres moves pretty fast, faster than the 10 but hasn't got the low end of the 10. Didn't had any wing tucks or kite collapsing unless in very crappy wind conditions... The kite is very usable for landboarding, but also for buggy use... you can get good speeds with them and still have the depower. What i disliked about the kite are two things: 1. The bar pressure Which bar pressure? There is NO bar pressure and you can't "feel" where you're kite is in the air, resulting sometimes in ankward and dangerous situations, especially while looping and jumping... 2. Riding unhooked Riding unhooked was possible with the 10, but it wasn't fun at all since the kite hardly moves or reacts... Comparison to other kites People compare it a lot to something inbetween the Ozone Acces and the Ozone Frenzy, which is pretty right, but to me it compares more to an HQ montana 2 ... I've compared both next to eachother and came to the conclusion that both kites seem almost identical... They are as wide and long, the fabric looks the same... Could it be a Montana clone refurbished under the Radsails name? To me its a good buy, just because of it price you can't go wrong... By : Gandulf

I have had my radsail pro 5 metre for nearly two years now and it is my first and to my disappointment only kite. I bought the kite because my friend had a 4m pro and I loved flying it with him, so took the jump and bought one as well, but slightly bigger .. of course. The kite quality seems great, the lines seem as good as new and the handles are simple but effective. The bag is pretty good, but the meshing in the mesh areas is not as strong as it could be, mine ripped quite quickly - however it still does the job of holding my kite, lines, handles and accessories. For comparison purposes I have only ever flown my friends 4m and his 17m Peter Lynn Bomba, so can't really compare. However I love it, the kite has been abused by friends and relatives 'having a go' it has also not really been looked after by me (not enough time), but it just keeps on going, true workhorse. I use it mainly for boarding with my scrub board and it pulls me along (11 1/2 stone) no problems in winds of 8mph and above, I prefer 10 and above for a bit more fun. I am still using the original lines and handles that came with the kite and they do just what they should - allow we to dash up and down the beach for 2 or 3 hours with no problems. I also use a harness and line to link the handles together to give my arms a rest when I am messing around without the board and I need it after about 20 minutes playing around in a 15 mph wind. I tend to fly it mostly without kite killers, but when the wind gets a bit scarey I use my flexifoil kite killers (JIC), I always use them when my son and his 15 year old friends have a go. My next step is to try and find the money to buy something a bit bigger and hopefully depowerable, but I can't see myself ever giving up my 5m radsail. I would say if you are looking for your first kite then you probably can't find a better starting place than the 4 or 5 m radsails, great value for money and fairly easy to learn - go for it. By : Kipper13

1st off this is not a kite for a beginner at all, it pulls like a train & yes i was shocked for the £170 price tag from ebay, thought it was going to be like another beach shelter with a few strings attached, but no it was not. This kite works well in winds from 4mph of what is a challenge to see how long you keep it in the air to a good 40mph, of when if lifts you up, drags you around & basically hurts you. Its a stable all round good kite, I have use it for jumping & have not boarded nor buggied with it, but I would say it would suit the buggy a lot more than a board. I have use the handles that came with it & I know people have moaned about them, but get a life, they are fantastic & some might say that they are better than felxi's version, as in strength. The lines seemed a bit plastic to me compared to other kites but they have NOT stretched at all & have had quite a good thrashing over these past few months down the beach. As for the kite material its really crisp & keeps shape when its laid on the floor, just needs a bit of wind & its stands upright waiting to pull you about. The bag is good that it came in, there is plenty of pockets to put all different things into & with a few holes on the bottom of it so sand can escape. Just a shame I put too much in the front pocket & broke the zip but for kite killers, gloves & steaks is a good place for that. As for the handling, its so easy & smooth to turn & the response time of it is a hell of a lot faster than a blade. Its never luffed on me while I have been jumping, it just re-inflates instance & the power just picks up again. I would say get a strop strap & a harness to use this kite, because after 5mins your arms are now aching & burning, but sense would tell you that. The speed of the kite is quite fast & good fun on a 7mph windy day, because you can do some good really good tricks, like a stunt kite & its not ragging your arms off either. You do have to go out in strong winds really to get some jump out of the monster, but they are worth it. wanna know any more because I can talk all day about this thing just mail me with your questions. my rating of this kite is... Power 7.5 / 10 Speed 6 / 10 Easy of use 8 / 10 Handling 8 / 10 Fun factor 10/10 Value 10 / 10 By : acey_666

Well what can i say.................................... New kite arrived in its bag upon inspection you can see that the ruck sack style bag is just an added little extra, DONT BE PUT OFF BY THE BAGS QUALITY!!! i was but remember people its not the bag that you are going to be flying!! In the bag you get a number of little goodies from Eolo that make it all the more like christmas when you open the bag, I for certain was like a man posessed, over the shoulder went the instructional dvd, car sticker and glossy poster type thingy that many people must look at in awe!!!! come on people get the kite in the air!! As for the kite itself.........Andy preston has certainly had a massive influence on these pro 2 series ktes, very good design, construction blah blah blah! The first flight of the kite was done on top of maiden castle just outside of dorchester in dorset (funnily enough) i messed about with my trainer for a bit just to get in the mood and to see if it was suitable to fly the 4m beastie up there. the kite goes together very well and the handle winder clips idea is a simple but effective and very useful if you are a novice, on to the handles , made very well and the black foamy stuff is very very tough (compared to some that i have seen) The sail is well constructed of rip-stop nylon very similar if not identical to many other top line kites, talking of lines; they are all present and correct and very well tied and attatched, you can see that care has been put into them . Attatching the kite to the lines is very well thought out for the begginer, colour coded and two thickness's of lines (control and brake) you would have the village looking for you if you got it wrong, get me on that one? lol Dead launch is easy with these kites and they dont require much wind to make them pull like a steam train!! jumps are easy and the kite does needed to be treated with respect as it can generate massive power very very quickly. All in all an extremely good kite that is well made and has had a more than comprehensive amount of R&D to make these kites well, really good value for money and an excellent choice for anyone that wants a 4m kite without the flexifoil budget!! i prefer flying my radsail to my other kites now its pretty docile but powerful, just like an English mastiff!! I really rate these kites and the extra few quid for the pro 2 series really does make the world of difference!!! all the best people , give one of these a try!! yogimoto By : YOGIMOTO

I have had my Eolo Evo 8sqm for a little over 6 months now and have flown it in a variety of different wind conditions and here is my honest opion on the kite to date. When the kite first arrived I was impressed by the build quality of the sail, for a 'budget' depowerable kite it is of good sturdy build quality with internal reinforcement to stabilise the shape of the kite. The bag is also of good quality and is large enough to store the kite, bar, harness and snacks without too much drama. Setting up the kite was easy using Eolo's/Radsails simple card system, although the kite I recieved had a twist in the pulley system at first but this was easily resolved. Instructions with the kite are clear, but brief. I was a little cautious at first with this kite so took it out in Force 3 winds, lets just say the kite didn't sparkle. Following a slightly disappointing first trip out with many frustrating walks back to the kite to untwist the sail where it kept collapsing on its self I packed up and waited for more wind. The second flight out the winds were a steady force 5-6 and the kite suddenly came to life and was a completley different kite, in these winds the kite really tugs (upwards as well as sideways) and is a joy to fly. Tight turns are possible in these winds (and really pull you off your feet) however there is some wing tuck as the kite spins (despite the sales literature which says that tey have eliminated this). In these winds the safety sytems worked well killing the power quickly and bringing the kite straight down without any twisting or tucking. Time for the negatives, well these are very minor and realy dont detract from the fun of flying the kites in high winds. 1) Depowerable set up - I do not think this is as effective as EOLO claim, there is noticeable drop in the power but not to the extent EOLO claim. Being a big chap this is not such a problem for me but could lead to smaller flyers being over powered in higher winds. 2) Bar lines - Eolo provide an octoplat type line trough the depower clam cleat system on the bar. After a couple of trips out this line began to fray on its edges where it had been pulled through the cleat, I found this disappointing considering this kite costs around the £400 mark new. I imagine by the end of the year this will need to be replaced by something slightly harder wearing. 3) Chicken loop retaining finger - I struggled to fit this properly to my harness bar (I purchased Eolo Evo's harness), however it is possible to make it work without too many problems. 4) Bar - On the ends of the bar EOLO provide securing straps for the lines when the kite is packed away. Make sure you remove these from the lines before flying as I lost both of them on the first flight. Straps fixed directly to the bar would have been a much better idea. My final toughts - A good around kite, the sail is very good but the cut backs made to enable this to be a budget depowerable kite can be found on the control bar which is really disappoint as this is a great kite when the wind blows. By : Drain1

I purchased a 5.0m Radsail Pro II from ebay.com about 10 months ago, and have been using it as my main mid-range kite to learn flying skills and get into Landboarding. I went for the Radsail purely on price, as comparable Flexifoils, Ozone or Peter Lynn kites are far more expensive here in New Zealand. The kite comes in a simple backpack that is plenty big enough to take the kite, my helmet, pads and a bunch other stuff. It also comes with a full set of dyneema lines and some aluminium handles which have got a bad reputation from most of the reviews I read before and since. As I fly my Radsail 100% on a bar and have never used the handles, I am not in a position to comment about their quality. The kite also comes with a virtually useless DVD, a sticker and some advertising details for other kites in the range, all of which were put in a box never to see the light of day again. The kite canopy is made from ripstop and comes in a fetching white/black/blue colour combination, with a full dyneema flying bridle. The leading edge vents are covered with a fine gauze to stop large objects getting into the cells of the kite, but this does nothing to stop the sand of my local flying spot. Radsails have a reputation for poor build quality, but I can honestly say that until I got my hands on it, the kite quality was very good, no problems with the bridle attachments or stitching quality. In fact I would have to give it 4 out of 5 for build quality straight out of the bag. [Note: a friend of mine also purchased a Radsail on my recommendation and also agrees that the quality is pretty good for such a cheap kite] Setting up the kite is simplicity itself, even if the dyneema flying and brake lines are not colour coded. I decided that I wanted to fly all my kites on a bar and purchased an Ozone 4-line foil bar, (the same one that comes with the Ozone Samurai), for use with the Radsail. The Ozone bar allows a small amount of brake line adjustment using the strap attached to the centre of the bar, which is extremely useful for small trim adjustments in flight to allow for differing wind conditions. I guess the most important thing about this kite is how it flies. Having been designed by Andy Preston of Flexifoil Blade fame, I knew the kite would perform pretty well, but I was a little worried about whether it would a bit too much 'lift'. I fly the kite in most wind conditions between 5 knots and about 20 knots, (I am sure that as I get more proficient as a flyer, I'll be able to use it in more demanding conditions). It will fly from 5 knots if used aggressively, but needs around 9-10 knots to provide the traction power for landboarding. In sub 9-knot wind conditions the kite does have a tendency to luff or have the wingtip collapse if the wind lulls suddenly, and then power up if the wind comes up again, but even this characteristic soon becomes predictable after a little use. The kite move through the window and turns pretty quickly even on the bar, although to get a faster response does require more aggressive bar input. Having never flown the Radsail on handle I am not sure how it compares, but it easily meets my requirements for landboarding. Once the wind gets over 15 knots things get exciting, maybe too exciting for me, but the kites continues to fly in a constant but powerful fashion. I have not noticed the Radsail over-flying at the Zenith, but this may be due to being able to adjust the brake lines on my bar which stop that happening. I'm not really into jumping with the kite yet, but it can on occasion surprise me with the level of lift, especially when flying it to the Zenith in stronger gusts. Overall I would say that it is more than capable to producing enough lift to get me (95kg) a good metre or so off the ground in most winds, and now that I have moved on to using a seat harness I am actively seeking more and more lift. Once the wind starts gusting above 22 knots, it's time to break out a smaller kite, or sit and watch the pro's show us how it's done. Overall I love my Radsail, and have no hesitation in recommending it to my friends as a great entry level beginner/intermediate traction kite. I use mine all the time for landboarding as it has a predictable flying characteristics, great pull and smooth power. The 5.0m is particularly good in the 9-12 knot range where some other kites can sometime struggle. I am in the process of moving to an Ozone Samurai, but I know that I will be keeping the trusty old Radsail in the quiver. My kite is 10 months old now and has taken a severe beating from both me and a few friends I have introduced to landboarding. I have given it a few home-made repairs on the way but none of the repairs were due to the kite construction quality, only my dumping it in the dunes/driftwood/beach. I have started using a different backpack as the one that comes with the kite is very basic and has stated to show signs of wear-and-tear, but at the end of the day I only really care about the kite. So if you are looking for a real 4-line kite after your first trainer kite, and want a good introduction to the power of traction kiting at an affordable price, get a demo on a Radsail. By : spiglord

Beginning : I'm Italian, so I apologize in advance for my english ; ) Last weekend I've tried my new Radsail EVO and I've foud it very interesting with a compromise price / quality really good! It cames in a well done back pack, at the same quality level of the Ozone's and P. Lynn, big enough to store all the components of the kite and some spare parts of the mountainboard ( as the pump to inflate the weels, for exemple ,plus the harness)with some useful holes to dry the kite . The package includes also some stickers and, if you're lucky an EVO baseball cap... but unluckily don't includes a safety leash...( I think more useful than a cap). The lines are in sleeved Dyneema & the bar is in steel covered with eva grip . The sail is weel refined with reinforced leading edge and a useful velcro strap on top to secure the lines when the kite is landed ( and helps when you've to pack the beast without making a chaotic spiderweb with the bridles) It's a little heavy as sail but turns really quick in few space. Of course the EVO is neither a Blade nor a Frenzy, so don't expect huge pulls that blown you in the stratosphere, But is a really interesting kite. As wrote in Radsail website, the EVO put itselfs in the middle of Ozone Access and O. Frenzy '07. The D-power and the safety systems are the same of the Ozone, with a different secundary relase of the chicken loop ( The ozone one separate your c.loop from the kite, the EVO simply "open it " permitting to slip it from the harness). This kite never collapse, I've flown it in a 4 kns. and in a 10 kns. wind and it has turned quick permitting me to have little airs . The reverse relaunch are easy and intuitive, quick enough to avoid to drag the kite on the ground for hours before praying a help to your friends. After all the EVO is a really good intermediate kite : flies well, never collapse, the sail is strong and well done. Don't permit huge airs, in the beginning, but after few hours of practice you can enjoy this Spanish beast and easy do something funny, expecially if you ( like me) prefer " cruising " through the valleys to " fly and be massive" ( Even if the Evo permits it). I recommend this Kite for Land / snow kite...and for buggyiing too. Well, Review finished! I hope this helps. Buon vento! ( good wind !) Filippo By : mitago

I bought this as an introduction to kiting having had a shot of a mates Flexifoil. I knew it was never going to be quite the same quality but I'm still very impressed. I picked mine up for just £70 on ebay (sorry, didn't mean to swear) brand new. The 3m kite comes in its own rucksack (function more than fashion, which is what you want really) with 25m lines (x4), two winders and handles. Note that there were no kitekillers supplied so definately a worthwhile purchase - given the price of this kite a few extra quid for the safety element has to be a good idea! Also, the instructions were pretty useless for a rank-amateur like myself so using websites with how-to's (like the excellent ones on here) are a much better idea. Construction seems good to me - I've not seen that many powerkites up close but the kite and lines are showing very little damage other than a few scuffs - despite my best (worst) efforst as a beginner. The handles leave something to be desired though - they're not a great design at best (poor positioning of the neoprene padding) but now after only a few hours flying the thick cords for power lines and brakes are already starting to look quite frayed and tatty. Not so much a problem for myself as I'm looking to buy a bar quite soon but still, a bit dissapointing as I've not been excessively rough with them. I'm 6'4" and about 200lbs so I knew this was going to be just an introductory kite for me (looking to get into boarding) which would then hopefully become a good high-wind arrow in my quiver once I make the inevitable move to something bigger. I've had the kite out in very light winds, mid range and up to about 25mph and I have to say the range has been pretty impressive so far. The kite seems very nimble, even in the lower winds although it is prone to folding (luffing?) on itself at the edges of the wind window - I know this is natural and, given my limited experience, I'm afraid I can't really comment on whether this is excessive or not...? When it is filled, the kite seems pretty smooth with decent feedback to the handles and a good level of control for a beginner like me - not too responsive and 'twitchy', but not sluggish so there's time to correct mistakes. In high winds the kite generates a LOT of pull but even in just about 8-10mph the kite has had me rolling (albeit sedately) on moderately packed sand on a mountainboard. I've not had enough experience with the kite in really good wind yet (such is the curse of summer) to comment on how lifty it is, but it does seem to be more geared towards pull than anything else as far as I can tell. At the prices these are going for (even in reputable shops!) I'd say this is an excellent kite for a beginner who's just wanting to try kiting, a bit of scudding or maybe get started with a board. At this price you really dont have a lot to lose - whether you shred it within 6 months or keep it as part of a growing bag of tricks. Verdict - but one! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. In this sport I'm sure you get what you pay for (as with anything) but I think this little Radsail is a nice example of a product that is punching above its weight. By : cameron

Well, introduction first, my name is Martin i am new to the site and to power kiting now that i have had my kite a week or so i thought it was about time to write a review. I learned of power kiting through a vid clip on you tube and thought, hmmmm..... that looks like fun il give it a go, so i went down my local skate/kite shop and started asking questions, the owners were very accomodating and asked if i would like to go out on a demo next time they went kiting, i jumped at the chance, i must say on the demo i instanly fell in love with kiting and couldn't wait to get one of my own.... But what kite to go for? not being the richest person in the world my finances were limited, on the demo i had a go on the Rad 2.4 and the 3.0, i plumbed for the 3.0, my theory on this was that if i bought the 2.4 it would only leave me wanting the power of the 3.0, so the 3 meter it was. After waiting a weekend for it to arrive (which seemed like an eternity) it finally did. The radsail 3.0 comes in its own little backpack and from what i have heard these arn't expected to last right long, but after checking the pack i could see no fault in it and am now believing that so long as your not kicking it or throwing it around there won't be any problems on that front, besides its the kite that is whats important. Unfortunately the monday it did arive it was raining cats and dogs so no flying on that day. I managed to get it out the day after though and trudged to my local field, the initial set up was easy enough all colour coded and the power and brake lines came on seperate winders, the instuctions were not really needed except for the art of making a slipnot, once you've grasped that its all straight forward. Thankfully there wasn't alot of wind, i have a strong feeling that it would of been alot harder to set up if there had. So ready to fly and waiting for a good gust to get going, managed it and had a really good time, the controls were responsive and there i was loopy loopy, swish to the left, swish to the right, all is well, even the wife had a go, it was just missing somthing though..... "where the hell is the power?!?" I decided on Para packing to go home, i read up on loadsa ways to pack and felt this was probably gonna be the least hassle, it was, took a while to pack but i was up and flying inside of five minutes the next time i took it out. Went out a couple of times like that, all good fun but i still had my craving for more power. So whilst at work today i noticed the wind had picked up quite nicely, maybe now i could get the power i craved, i deserved. Got home grabbed the pack and headed off, when i got to the field some lads were buzzin about on a mini moto, "Great" i thought, i called one over and warned them to stay away and to my suprise they were fine with it, so i set up as i had done before, it was a little harder this time as i said there was a strong wind (took 10 mins today). But finally i was ready, lines untangled... check, kite standing... check, kite killers on... check. WOOOOSSHHH up it goes there's the power i wanted, being dragged by this kite attracted the attention of the lads and a couple came over to watch, right i thought lets see what i can do, i mean i had to impress my audience, run and jump 4ft in the air made me feel good, i'll do that again, pulled some pretty good jumps off, so i thought, right il give this one my all ( had been out bout 40mins and i was cream crackered) Running top speed, jump and, uh-oh, a big gust of wind learched the kite forward.... Face plant! the lads all pissin themselves, but i did'nt have time to think bout that the kite was still up and god knows how, i still had a firm grip, wasn't out much longer than that, my thinking was to come home and write a review, now i had something to write about. So, in conclusion yes i am glad i plumbed for the 3.0, it is a very stable and reponsive kite and given the right conditions not only can be very fun also very nerve racking for a novice. When i got home and before i got on to writing this review i checked our local met office online, it rekons that wind speed is at 20mph, no wonder there was a hellish pull today, i will soon be investing in a helmet me thinks. By : lerz2000uk

This was my first kite and was bought for me as a birthday prezzie 4 months ago so thought it was about time I reviewed it. First the bag, cheap, chearfull, something to put the kite, stake & killers in. I've read that some peoples bags have self destructed within a few hours of use but no prob with mine on that score. The instructions are a waste of time. Throw them away and read the how to on this forum and/or get some knowledgable mates to help you set the kite up. The kite itself is not very high quality. material feels a bit cheap, stitching a bit wobbly but for £99 from Skymonster.com with a free 1.45 Radsail I'm not complaining. Sorted the lines out as they were all different lengths and off down the field I go. Surprising amount of pull for a little kite. the wind is only about 8-10mph that day so perfect for me to find my feet and learn. It turns nice and quick, the brakes are responsive giving me the confidence that I can get out of trouble if I need to. The Radsail is really easy to fly. Since then the strongest winds I have taken it out to date are I reckon 28mph+. Frit me to death, stacks of pull with some nice very long scuds and a very fast pull in my buggy, kite killers are a fantastic investment. This kite handled it very well. Several mates have used this kite to learn on before buying their own and as a result has taken more than it's fair share of crashes, tangles etc and it's still going strong. There is no fraying, burst stitching or broken lines. In fact it flies aswell as the day I got it. I still use this kite loads as a high wind buggy engine. I know that the Radsail will always do what I want and go where I want it to. The handles, lines, materials used are not the best quality but you're not paying a premium either. This is I believe a good, entry level kite, that still gives me a lot of fun. By : davehippey

new radsail pro II 3m with the superb design handle end winders, excellent starter kite for anyone who just wants to have a go or on a budget. im new myself and all i can say is this kite is brilliant, ok i have not really flown anything to compare it against apart from a 1.8 beamer, ( my daughters) but i was really surprised to how much pull a 3m kite can make. i am a very big lad of 22 stone and this kite has pulled me and my buggy across white horse westbury with ease at 15-20 mph, it even pulled me out of the buggy once with a gust. i have taken it to my local park on wet grass in 20-25mph winds and scudded about 6ft with ease. i was also very surprised at how it flew at low wind speeds too, ok you have to keep the kite moving and stay away from the edge of the window but it still flies really well which i did not think i could even get it off the ground at 5mph, ok you do need to be a bit more on your toes in a strong wind but the kite really does sing in these conditions and the lines must be strong to be able to drag me down a field. i love the newer colours of the radsail pro with the same pattern on tthe top and the bottom of the kite, also the gauze at the front of the inlet to stop any debris getting into the sail and those superb kite handle winder end caps (more people need to do these) for easy winding just like a bar. to finish off all i can say is good value for money, good strong kite, good quality, and lovely to fly, everyone should at least have a go just to see how easy they are to fly. keep up the good work mr preston and eolo. thanks for taking the time to read this review (my first) buggy review to come later. (after more play time lol). By : audiquattro

Radsail Pro II 4 Meter I've now had the thing for nearly a year now! So I've got over the fact that OOOW it's so powerful and all that sort of beginner new toy sort of stuff. (Mostly). I have also been lucky enough to fly alsorts of othere kites in that time, including things like Beamer's, Crossfire's and some of Flexifoils finest like the Bullet, and the new rage. I'm just telling you all that blurb for no othere reason apart from so you know what I have to compare the Radsail against. As with most things there are good points and bad. I think that most people think of Radsail as a cheap bottom end kite or for kiters on a bit of a budget, which would in most cases would mean it's not really up to much. Well yes some of it isn't so good. But the bite thought counts I feel is very good. Radsail has kept the price down by having a cheap budget bag after nearly a year of use most weekend and lots of evenings use through the summer the bag is looking tatty. The handle's are ok but the grips do move around abit and can course blisters quite easily when your really giving it rock all!! The line's don't look like the sort of thing of thing you'd get with a Flexifoil but they do work well and they haven't snapped, and I have given them some right abuse, swinging from the kite with board in winds that are maybe a little on the strong side (25-30+mph). Saying that I did get my backside kicked when the wind was getting to and above 30mph in the only way wind can when your playing in high wind. Right the kite it's self! This is where the money has gone! It fly's just lovely, the lightest of wind 4-10mph or so nice and easy, 10-15 just great you can get your board out and have a little play, 15-20mph you'll having a fantstic time on a board jumping, going up and down wind without a problem. 20-25mph it's getting a bit much, and 25mph+ it's you spend a lot of time thinking bugger that that hurts!! I find it flys all over the wind window without any problem fly, take it right to the top and it will stay there as long as you want with out folding it's self up like some other kites all the way to the edge and it will just stay there without folding up like some other kites. Just what you want from a kite I would say. I find it very easy ot jump with it seems quite high some times when I do it but that might just be the panic talking. Good for beginners, intermediates, and advanced alike. I think I've pretty much told you all there is to tell you about it that's worth knowing, Even though you may have to replace the bag and maybe the handles if you use it a lot. It's a great kite and I would recommend it. By : Brainjuice

This is the first traction kite I have bought. I have had experience with a Blade III 3m before this though. So bear this in mind when reading this review. I paid £149, price was definitely a deciding factor when buying this kite. First impressions of the kite: The bag is CRAP, the zips are about as cheap as they get, and doesn't feel like it will last more than a couple months. Although I guess if I hadn't been using a flexifoil blade with it's quality bag, and kit, then I would probably wouldn't be saying this about the bag! On opening the bag, my impression (thank goodness!) started to improve. It comes with a DVD, some basic instructions, the kite, handles, and line. The DVD is pretty cool, especially if you are new to kiting. It has instructions on how to set the kite up, how to launch and land it, how to buggy and board (basics), the wind window....and a cool little video just of some guys using the kite with a board and buggy. Of all the reviews I have seen about the radsails, two things were always talked about...which really worried me! Firstly, that the handles and lines are crap, and secondly that the build quality of the kite itself is crap. Both of these statements are false when talking about the Radsail Pro II. I was very impressed with the handles (remember I am comparing this to the blade II handles), and the kite itself I cannot really fault. Flying : - Recreational Wow...this thing pulls like a TRAIN! Bear in mind, I am 6'4" tall and weigh over 110kg (240lb's), and this thing was pulling me all over the place in 6-8mph winds. Once the wind picked up to about 11-15mph, this is when the fun began!!!!! With the kite just sitting at the top of the window above my head, little gusts made my arms feel like they were going to pop out of their socket! I decided to try jumping! (don't we all!??) I pulled the kite out to the side (for a big kite like this, it is pretty quick on the turns), swung it back and up through the powerzone. The first jump had me about 2 ft off the ground. What an awesome feeling...my first time in the air. So I carried on trying to get bigger jumps, but kept getting just 2-3ft. UNTIL the wind picked up! And picked me up! My sisters boyfriend who was with me at the time reckons I was picked up at leat 12 ft. The landing was not too hard because it had been raining and the field I was in was pretty rain soaked and soft. - ATB I don't think it is even worth writing anything here about atb'ing, because this was my first time on one! I suppose this might be helpful for beginners though...who also happen to be a bit larger than the average person! After a couple false starts (being pulled out of the foot holds and using my face as a plough!), I actually managed to get going pretty good! The kite is very stable, just don't try pushing it too far into the edge of the window as it does like to luff....and recovering can be a bit of work. Conclusion I think this is a great kite. And for the money you cannot go wrong! Needless to say though, the bug has bitten and I am already looking at what kite to get next...thinking of an Ozone or Flexifoil as a treat...although I must say I wouldn't hesitate getting another radsail. By : subby

One evening while trawling through Ebay i accidentally came across power kites and thought, looks like it could be a laugh, so with money burning a hole in my paypal account, i hit the buy it now button for a Radsail 1.8 for £54.99 (not the cheapest around now I've looked about a bit) the kite came the next day or should i say kites, it also comes with the smart little Radsail 1.45. So after taking the 1.8 out of it's packaging and having a look at all the gear, i knew this kit was a far cry from taking my 4 year old daughter out with our tiny stunt kite which had a pic of a eagle and a also had a bright yellow tale, although i was well pleased, i was quite freaked out by all the bits of string and stuff (only joking, i know their really called bridles or something). A few weeks passed with the kite up in the spare bedroom and everyday at work i thought i must try to get my new gear out. One Sunday afternoon when my other half had gone off to do her hobby, which is going to the local stables to throw hard earned cash at her horse (no bitterness there honest, apart from having the cheek to have a whinge at me for spending £55 on a kite which is the same as two weeks horse stabling) anyway i decided to give it a go, but when i went outside the wind was only blowing about 4-6 mph, but i thought lets still give it a chance. i grabbed a coat, car keys, kite, daughter, and off we went. I live in Wiltshire in the middle of Pewsey Vale so i thought the top of Pewsey downs sounded good. when we got up there the sky was blue and the wind was about 14-18 mph. first i got out the 1.45 which was easy to connect the lines and straps. my 4 year old daughter helped with the take off which was easy and after half an hour of flying the 1.45, i felt very confident where the area of power was and how far it could be taken in all directions. i took to slamming it into the ground a few times but not even a minute later it was up again. after an hour i landed it in my own fashion, i packed it away. the only problem with my 1.45 was one control line was longer than the other, easily rectified though. Out came the 1.8, i was excited, my daughter was bored and wanted to go home, but i had to be done. with both control lines and straps so easily connected, the kite looked great just laided out on the ground. I held the controls as squirt (my daughter) held the kite up, i pulled on the lines and the kite just flipped 180 degrees. this happened about 5 times so being a bit short fused and slightly stupid, i got squirt to hold the lines and i held the kite, up it went as i stared at this spectacular site and all i heard was daddy daddy daddy!!! as my daughter shot across the top of the hill at about 7 knots. i just got to her just as the straps were leaving her finger tips. i complemented squirt on her excellent technique and control. i flew the 1.8 for about 25 mins and totally got the Radsail bug, with the smooth and responsive control, but mostly the power of the pull for such a small area, it felt great to lean back and feel the power. Bearing in mind i've only ventured out once, i think the 1.45 great value for money and would be excellent fun in high wind. The 1.8 is brilliant fun and can't wait for the weekend. Maybe i'm trying to run before i can walk but with mountain biking, sailing single handed Olympic class yachts and windsurfing as past hobbies i like a challenge so in a few months i want to buy a bigger 4 line Radsail, i want to experience scudding or even getting some air and may get a board later on what size shall i get 3m or pro 2 4m cosidering i'm 30 years old and about 11 stone Any suggestions on a size would be great ?? P.S i only brought the kite for recreation but want to experience what powerkiting can do. Cheers Matt (squirty4124) By : squirty4124

Not so long ago I decided that I liked the look of kite surfing(I love water based extreme sports), however it occurred to me there was no way I was going to be able to do it with no previous experience kiting and it would be a waste of money to go on a course and spend the time learning to kite rather than kite surfing so with this in myn I decided to get myself a kite to learn with. After reading much advice I finally decided on the Radsail 4m with kite killers brand new for a mere £149, bargain me thinks as I order it off eBay. The kite arrived the next day(excellent service) and I was straight out to fly it:-P! Now enough of the story and more of what the kite is like..... The kite itself is of quite a good quality, I have never flown anything other than a Radsail so I could not compare it. People slate the Radsails material and build quality however on its maiden voyage it went straight into a thorn bush, it took some untangling but it came out without a single rip or damage to the stitching so it cant be all bad! The kite material is pretty light which makes it good for the low wind days. The bridle system is of a good quality although all the separate bits of lines that lead to the kites four main lines get all twisted round the point where they meet when they are in the bag which is a tad annoying but to resolve it I simply detach the five lines from the point where they meet and lie them flat before reconnecting them. I suspect this is probably a problem with most kites and not just the Radsail though. The lines come on two separate winders which is excellent as it helps prevent any tangles when detaching the lines and packing them away, I can have all the lines packed away in under five minutes and the unpack just as easy. The winders are colour coded for the top and bottom lines. The handles at first didn't bother me but now they do. The foam has come unglued at the top and the plastic sleeves on the rope slide out of the place they are fixed. There are also no back loops for easy stacking down however there is a easy way of getting round this(putting the handles together, pulling the brake lines taught and then placing in a peg). The plastic bits at the top on the handle keep coming unhinged aswell. While the handles aren't uncomfortable and they are tolerable I intend to replace myn soon. The bag is OK, not of the highest quality however perfectly suitable with lots of room for any additional things you wish to carry. The bag has a meshed bottom, when you have been kiting on the beech sand comes out of this and when your kites wet this helps to air the kite and dry it. There are also mesh pockets on the side of the bag which are a perfect place to put your kite killers. Unfortunately the kite manual leaves a lot to be desired, most of it is in German and what English there is, is rather hard to understand so really you have to work out how to set your kite up on your own accord which is hard the first time but after that it is dead easy to set up and represents no problem. Launching the kite is easy enough, in stronger conditions it fly's straight up into the zenith and there it quite comfortably sits without luffing. In lighter winds (5mph and below) you need to work it to get it up into the zenith. The kite fly's leisurely in the lightest of winds and pulls like a train in the stronger ones. I find the kite to be very stable and in 10mph winds I can easily achieve nice long scuds along the beach although jumping and lift is limited. In stronger winds of 20mph+ scuds are simply huge, you fly off leaving huge scud marks in your trail. Jumping in these stronger winds you can easily go four foot up and six foot forward simply by pumping the kite up the zenith, I haven't yet flown it in a arch or with a pit in these conditions however I should imagen you could easily double the four foot you achieve by simply pumping the kites up into the zenith. This kite truly is a machine in stronger winds. The kite generates one hell of a lot of traction when you bring it low in the wind window and fly it across, this would suggest to me it would be pretty good for both buggying and boarding, however im yet to try either of these. As I previously said this was my first kite having no previous experience with four line kites and whilst some suggested it would be to much for me found this not to be a problem. I started in lighter winds and worked my way up, this allowed me to learn the techniques nicely for the stronger winds. Not to sound big headed or anything but I already had quite a bit of upper body strength(freestyle canoeing being my other favourite sport) so I may have found it easier to fly this kite initially compared to someone who has little strength in their upper body. Landing the kite is simply enough although you have to properly tug the brake line to prevent the kite zooming back up into the wind window again and taking you with it! Here I would say that the handles could benefit from being slightly more angular. Kite killers work on the kite fine and I wouldn't fly without them. In the stronger winds the other day the kite was literally snatched from my left hand. My experience from this is if you let go of one handle let go of the other one cause then the kite falls straight to the ground like sheet of paper rather than gloriously spinning round and round and round and round before hitting the ground quite hard. Overall I would say the kite is a pretty good all-rounder, flying quite leisurely in the lightest of winds and pulling like a train in the strongest. The kite build is average although will take one hell of a beating. The handles are crap, the lines are pretty good so is the bag and the kite is amazing. The new model of Radsail will be coming out next year so some of the minor problems of this model should have been rectified, this also means the older models like this one will become very cheap next year:-P. Anyways I would have to say the Radsail is a wonderful kite and shouldn't be written off just cause it isn't a flexi foil! By : extremedd

That is my very first kite, and I live in windy Aberdeen, so bear that in mind while reading my review. After reading articles online (mostly on racekites.com), I decided to go for the Radsail PRO. One should be aware that the Radsail comes in two series: Radsail and Radsail Pro, the PRO being, well, more expensive. Also, there's been a few releases of the Pro since its first inception; I believe the 2006 is the Pro3 but I might be wrong. On top of this, it's sometimes confusing to shop for these because the 'Pro' bit of the name is sometimes followed by 3.0, which is not necessarily the version but might be the size. Phew! Bear with me. I got my kite online, through SkyMonster.com. Thumbs up for this great little company; my kite was delivered overnight and when I called in for a bit of reassurance, they were helpful and courteous. I bought the 3.0m (I was originally considering the 2.0) in the Pro3 version as it was offered for £99 (instead of £149) as an ex-demo. That's what made me nervous and made me call in. But at the end of the day, it had the advantage of arriving assembled and ready to fly, without any scratch or stain or tear. Brilliant! The kite itself: hum hum. That's the problem you face when reviewing a kite as a first user; is it behaving like this because I am a clumsy beginner or because it's not such a great kite after all? What about the wind conditions? Is this extreme, or just regular wind and I am a sissy? Let's agree I am average, and that the conditions (Aberdeen in a scary winter, on the beach, by the North Sea) were rather extreme (4-5 Beaufort) to toy with a 3meter sail. The kite is lovely. The fabric is crisp and quite sturdy, with good-quality net between the top and bottom layer of the sail. The stitches are regular and straight, and the lines are made of two different weight of nylon, stronger for the lead, lighter for the break, quite a convenient feature when it comes to untangle the little baby. The lines are tied primarily along the edge of the sail, as opposed to the body of the sail itself (like on a CrossFire, for example). The handles are good quality aluminum, with a layer of neoprene for strong grip. It comes with some funny plastic caps that are to be put at the top and bottom of the handles, and turn them into a spindle. Not bad. The bag it comes in, of course, is super low quality but, as they say, you don't fly the bag but the kite... Which takes us to the flight of the kite. Tough. To start with, the kite lifts straign into the air and climbs to the zenith, instead of going astray and crashing (I experienced this with the PKD Buster on my first time, maybe a line problem). Once in the air, the sail stays up, and is responsive, whether you decide to make some eights or pull the breaks. Even in extremely low maneuvres, it's possible to pull it up and bring it back in the air. The kite does have a tendency to luff and fold when the wind drops, although I was impressed with how it could be rescued, even once it had fallen on the ground and had gotten twisted. You can feel that the sail is begging to go up, and up again. If anything, that's what I didn't like at first: the sheer power this little 3meter slice of fabric could deploy. Put it in the window and you immediately skid as it pulls you like a mere piece of rag. I would fall on my back and roll and swear. And my forearms were going numb after 5 minutes of this. Not exactly an enjoyable beginner's first kiss. I was there with an experienced kiter who loved it, although he couldn't manage to bring the kite back aground on the side of the window. Everytime, the kite would twist and fold at the last minute, whereas I could land the kite if I simply remained smack in the window, with the breaks full on. Both the experienced and the beginner got a little scared from time to time, and this is what made me hesitate to register the kite as a 'beginner' when starting this review. As far as safety is concerned, the engineering and the breadth of the sail requires good understanding of the wind and maneuvering, a sturdy built (definitely not a kite to put in the hands of your 13 year old son) and good fitness. The frustrating thing, however, is that the kite folds when the wind falls. So it's almost as if it can only be enjoyed safely in a wind bracket of 4MPH to 15MPH. Also, on the promotional DVD, no one actually uses the kite for sea traction, so it seems like it's only for buggy or wheel board. It probably performs poorly when wet. So I say it is safe if you are a smart kiter, but it's probably disappointing if you are intermediate and are looking for versatility and technical brio. So yes, it's a good, well-designed, if demanding, kite. Not one to learn with (although I am a complete beginner, I am not really 'enjoying' the struggle). Not one to go on the ocean with either. Of course, it's only £99 in its 2.0m version, and it's probably quite fun during the summer months, when the wind is a bit friendlier. Generally, I felt like Mickey Mouse in the apprentice sorcerer, summoning forces I could not control. Hope all this helps you to make a good choice! Nico Aberdeen, Scotland By : bzz_bzz

This review has been a long time coming mainly because the wind has been crappy and I wanted to actually have some air time before I made comment. This is my first power kite purchase although I have had access to a 2.5 Beamer for the last year. The product: This is a 2005 version Pro2 5.0. It comes in nice looking, funtional , but not very heavy duty backpack. The pack has a mesh bottom to let sand out and air in and two mesh side pockets which I have found to be pefect for bottles of water. The main section easily holds the kite and handles and the smaller front pocket is great for the lines on winders, a ground stake (if it's not too big), a wind meter, or anything else you want to throw in. The zips are small and light duty but if you're gentle with them they should last a while. The kite itself is a good looking unit. I'm not quite sure what type of material it is but it's soft not crunchy and does not seem to have as much of a coating on it as some other kites I've seen. All the stiching on this kite is straight and looks good. There is dacron reinforcement on the trailing edge and mesh covering the air inlets. I like this because it keeps junk out of the cells and helps hold them open so they inflate easier. All bridle attachments are reinforced with the reinforcement running the full height of the rib. Nice. Bridle lines are sleeved dyneema and look strong. Flying lines are also dyneema, are pre streached,have sleeved end loops, and were all of equal length right off the winders. This is a nice beefy line set with 250kg main and 110kg brake lines. This is the same line set used on the 6.0 and I don't expect to have any trouble with them. Although I'm sure the kite would have flown right out of the bag being the fuss pot that I am I spent an hour or so going over all the knots in the bridle making sure they were tight and that the larksheads at the bridle attachments were tight and the correct shape,most of which were not. I also disassembled the bridle lines at the connector knots and reordered the lines so they all ran straight down to their respective attachment points without having to twist around another line. Excessive? Probably. Now, I have heard a lot of complaining about the handles that come with these kites and I have to admit I didn't like them either. So, I popped the top cap, removed the main line leader and pulled the foam off the handle. Then, I redrilled the leader mounting hole about 1cm lower on the handle and reinstalled the foam with double sided tape and solvent like a golf club grip so that it came all the way to the top of the handle. I then poked holes in the foam at the new mounting spot, reinstalled the leader line, a little glue on the end cap, and presto new handles. This little mod makes them much nicer to fly with. At least I think so. They may not be flexi handles but at least they're not made of plastic. Flying: The first time I took this kite out the wind was 6-7 mph with occasional gusts of 12-13 mph. Being the dumb rookie that I am with this size of kite I thought, no problem. Anyway, I staked out the kite and connected the lines and I must say it looks nice sitting on the ground fully inflated. I went back, grabbed the handles, gave a tug and up she went. It flew straight to the top of the window, kept going behind me until the wing stalled and came down in a lump on my head. Yes, this kite will over fly badly at the top of the window if you let it. Ok lets try again. I shortened the brake lines a bit and gave'er another go. Once again straight up to the zenith but this time I tapped the brakes to stop it and it worked. Cool. I started making some turns and was very surprised at the amount of pull but it was quite flyable. After a few minutes I went back to the top to give my arms a rest. There I sat feeling a little cocky when suddenly the wind gusted to,,,, who knows what!. Up shot my arms shortly followed by the rest of my body and I spent the next 15 seconds or so careening down the field totally out of control legs flying in all directions in a valiant attempt to stay on my feet. When I finally got it under control I looked back at my cousin who was flying his 2.5 Beamer beside me. He was laughing so hard he nose- dived his Beamer straight into the dirt. I was not amused. Does this kite have lift? Oh yeah. It's not 10.5 Blade carry you into the next county type of lift but it's there. Did I mention I weigh almost 104kg? 'Nuff said. The next time I took it out I made sure there were no gusts. Since then I have flown this kite in in lots of different conditions and after gaining some confidence and tweaking the lines to my preferance I must say that it is a joy to fly. I found that it flys best with the trailing edge just slightly curled but thats just me. Wind range is great. This thing will fly in the breeze from a gnat fart. It's slow and luffy but it stays airborne. It really needs about 5 mph to firm up the pull and be able to spin it on a wing tip. 5-10 mph just dig in your heels lean back and keep swinging it through the zone until your arms scream for mercy.Over 10 mph you have to abandon this flying style because you are going wherever this kite wants to take you. End of discussion. This is great fun if you are on a beach with nice soft sand as all you will do is make long trenches with your heels. If you try this on a hard bumpy field however you are more likely to end up with a mouth full of dirt. There is plenty of power here to pull a buggy or board but I don't know how fast. Over 15 mph this thing becomes a serious traction engine. How serious you ask. Well, if somehow I managed to get my Jeep stuck in a ditch this winter I'm pretty sure that all I'd have to do is attach this sucker up to the tow hooks and I'm OUTTA THERE!. But seriously, at 15+ you had better know exactly what you're doing or it can bite you big time. I am still a long way from that skill level. Conclusions: The Radsail Pro 2 5.0 meter is a smooth and stable flier that can be friendly and gentle in low winds or a down right beast in high ones. If you are flying a 3 to 4 meter kite now and want more power, go for it!. If you are just starting out you would probably be better served with a 3.0 until you gain some experience. Do not under estimate this kite like I did. Although as I have stated this kite has loads of power all the time and can produce a fair amount of lift in stronger winds if you are an experienced flier and are into jumping I'd go for the 6.0. Who knows, I may even join you soon. Are the materials and construction up to high end standards? Probably not. Is the performance per square meter up to high end standards? Nope. But this does not mean that my Radsail isn't worth every penny that I paid for it. And speaking of pennies, I can have a 1.8m, a 3.0m, and a 5.0m Radsail (all three) in the back of my Jeep for about the same coin as a 4.0m Blade. To me that spells VALUE. By : kitehopper

Got this kite as my first quad kite, with a view towards getting into buggying. the price was attractive and, once I 'd done some research I realised the radsail range has had some input from andy preston, which apparently is not a bad thing... Bought from marionville models in edinburgh, delivery was an impressive 2 days (we just don't get next day in aviemore!) Packaging consisted of an adequate "day sac" sized pack with kite neatly folded and lines supplied, colour coded, on separate plastic winders complete with line strengths. there was an illustrated instruction leaflet and two dvds. handles were basic, but neat enough. The DVDs were: 1. A short but inspirational promo film. the long-haired lunatic hoofing his buggy through the dunes is a joy. 2. Allegedly an instructional cd. this wasn't recognised by any dvd player or pc I 've yet tried it in. and I 've tried quite a few. however, I thought it all added to the sense of adventure! The kite itself appeared to be good quality, with no loose ends, flappy seams etc. I was suprised by the fact that the two power bridles share a common link in the exact centre of the kite. I 'd never seen an arrangement like this, but then my experience had only been with paragliders and parachutes. I decided it must be part of the design and left it as supplied Flying proved difficult. quite aside from the least windy period in two years (must've been something to do with my purchases), I just couldn't get the kite off the deck. it would inflate nicely, but refuse to lift off, even when assisted. Checking the line lengths showed no difference (25m all round). I tried inflating the kite while just holding the bridles near the kite... better. SO... We eventually solved the problem by adding a whopping 30cm to the brake lines at the handle end. as I work in the outdoor trade, high strength kernmantel rope of the correct diameter is not a problem, so I just took the end plugs off the handles and inserted a suitable length of 6mm static rope. Ii suppose I could have reduced the length of the power lines to achieve the same result, but I 'm new to this game. Was this a design flaw, or just some friday afternoon workmanship by eolo? Whatever, the kite now flies very well right across the window and with steady pull and lift. brake line turns are very rapid, with a hint of collapse if you're too aggressive, but that may be just inexperience. It is certainly capable of pulling you off your feet (i weigh 76kg-ish) if you're not careful and has a very powerful climb up the power zone Use with the buggy on the local football field has been hampered more by the wind than the kite. however, first impressions are that it's powerful enough but needs to be kept pulling, otherwise it's easy to "get ahead" of the kite resulting in a collapse. once again, I 'm no buggy pilot (yet!) so don't consider myself experienced enough to comment Overall, this kite has already proved excellent value for money, great fun to fly and a superb learning tool for a newbie kiter. sorting out the initial problems, through just common sense, was certainly a useful (and ultimately very satisfying) experience Once I get onto a decent beach with a steady off-shore wind, I 'll report further!! By : Corsican Dave

I recently took the plunge and purchased my first Traction Kite, although I have been following the Power Kite scene for a good while. There are a large range of Kites out there, each with their own characteristics. I wanted my first kite to be a great all-rounder, that I can use for recreational flying to start, then advance with the aim of moving onto a Mountain Board or Buggy. I also decided to budget myself, being my first Power Kite, and went for a new, revised, 2006 RADSAIL PRO II (4 metre). OK, there are more highly rated Kites, that get alot more "hype" such as the Bullet or Blade - but upon further research, these are alot more expensive, even for tidy second hand examples! The Kite: I purchased the RadSail Pro (brand new), for less than £130 (add P&P on top) from an established Seller on EBay. In the Kit came the Kite, newly revised Aluminium Quad Handles with Dyneema Cocntrol/Brake lines connected, Embroidered rucksack, Window Sticker, and educational DVD. Unpacking the Kite, and spreading it on the floor, all of the stitching is very neat, with no 'sloppy' stitching, and the Kite looks very well built. Each panel in the sail is covered with a mesh, to keep sand and other debrih out of the Sail. The Kite material is made from Ripstop 42g Nylon - which I later was to find to be very resistant to wear and tear. The RucSac is a nice size and easily accomodates the Kite, Handles and Lines in the main section. It also has a couple of front pocket that will contain all your other Kiting accessories. Comes colour co-ordinated, matching the colours of the Kite. The DVD is quite basic, with a number of tutorials accessed through the menu - Setting up & Packing your RadSail + Pro / First Flight / Intro to Buggying... also a neat video of the RadSails in action (for extra inspiration). There is no 'talking' just recorded video scenes, with subtitles at the bottom. Basic, but I did find it easy to follow and covered the main techniques - enough to get you flying. Along with the Kite, the Quad Handles are revised in the 2006 model, 3/4 covered with an easy to hold foam for better grip and comfort. Another neat feature, they come with Two Red 'caps', top/bottom, to secure the handles together during storage, also allowing you to wind your lines in a figure of 8 along the handles - for neater storage and quicker setup, with no tangled lines to worry about. Virgin Flight : To give you some technical details (for comparison?) - wind speed on the day was stated on internet websites as being around 12mph / gusting upto 20mph. I am 6'2" , around 12 stone in weight. OK, onto the flight... The Kite comes with everything you need to fly - only having to connect the lines to the bridle. The Kite launches from the ground with ease (even on my first flight, flying solo, with no extra help) - it launches from the floor with no problems, heading straight for the zenith. Not sure how 'high' it should sit in the sky? but I did find it occasional heading 'over' the zenith, and I had to bring it back a few times otherwise it would lose power (going right over the top!) - perhaps a simple adjustment on the brake lines is necessary? I cannot doubt the power/traction of this 4 metre kite, through the wind window I had no chance of just leaning back and holding on - and was being pulled forwards VERY quickly indeed - most of the time. In stronger winds, handling the power of this Kite I think would prove very challenging! (After my experiences, it does make me wonder how someone lighter than me, states they take their 5m Blade out in 20mph+ winds)?? It is quite a predictable Kite, never really caught me offguard, although does require full concentration (as when it pulls you have to be ready for it). It is fast within the wind window especially when the wind picked up - thats also when the traction becomes extreme ...in my case ..."here we go again"... as i begin to get pulled along the field! Even at the edge of the wind window, the Kite will hover with ease, and wont just drop out of the sky. On occasions the wing edge would try to fold over, so a little pull on the opposite power line, bringing it back into the wind corrects this. The Kite is very responsive, and can be flown with precision. In addition to just sweeping it across the wind window, its easily as happy as a stunt kite, performing 360 degree spins, diving etc etc - The Kite keeps its form and maintains a solid wing shape, without trying to collapse... Being my maiden flight, first experience with quad lines, i did crash once! On the odd occasion i brought the Kite a little low during turns, causing one side of the wing to clip the grass. Upon inspection of the Kite on the ground, it showed no signs of wear or tear, proving just how strong the Kite material really is. Recommend it ? Very much so - As mentioned the power is amazing, and would be easily capable for Board sports too. I am very pleased with this first Kite, and I would recommend the 2006 RadSail Pro to others..... By : Screaming_Lines

I bought this kite for my son, well sort of. I don’t have a traction kite yet and thought this would be a good way to introduce us both, and get an idea of the pulling power of these kites without breaking any bones. We fly kites quite often, he had a few inexpensive stunt kites (the ones you can often fined in garden centres) but they loose their appeal. He's been flying these for a while but was rapidly growing out of them. We were always accompanied by other kite flyers with para foils, trouble is they were too big for him, so, I did a little digging and found the Radsail 1.45 for 20 quid, which I thought was an excellent price for a start into power kiting for a 12 year old. I'm trying to convince him that kiting is cool…which it is – till you see somebody else go scudding on their elbows in front of an amused crowd of onlookers... Anyway – review. The kite comes in a small bag with both lines on a single winder, I set the lines out, not the same length, adjusted them and off we went. The nylon material of the kite looks quite flimsy but after countless erm – high speed landings, seems to be holding up very well. I can't really comment on how it compares to other but for the money it's just fine. The kite launches easily and gets to the zenith really quickly. It turns easily and generates a surprising amount of pull in a strong wind. We found that the best way for my son to control it was for him to be kneeling; he has a habit of walking forward when it starts to pull. He was pulled over a number of times, something he finds hilarious – and now wants a bigger kite. Since we’ve been flying it the lines have stretched a tad so a little more adjustment was needed. I think this is a great kite as an introduction for a junior; they are inexpensive and give you a good idea of the potentials of the larger kites. If your offspring decides it’s not for him/her, then it’s only cost you a small amount. I’ve yet to invest in a traction kite for myself but the next few months will see me the proud owner of a 2.4 or 3.0 something or other! Cant wait! Suggestions anybody?

Like a few other people, this is my first quad line kite, although not the first one I fly By the time I got my Rad I had tried various quad line kites like Ozone’s Frenzy (3m, 5m and 10m), New Tech’s “Burner Ballistic” 3.6m, so I knew what quad lines are supposed to be like... Having said this, and with my limited experience, I think that somebody at Eolo should redefine the terms “Ready to Fly” and “pre-stretched Dyneema lines”(starting the wrong way round, i.e from the conclusion) The conclusion: Definitely a value for money choice, for beginner to intermediate pilots The kite is nice to fly, pulls well and turns quickly for its span. If you apply a bit of brake it turns on its axis like a propeller! Too much pull on one brake and it might fold and become a tangled mass of ripstop fabric and lines falling out of the sky. Reverse launching by pulling on the brakes is easy if the foil is still standing. Parking the kite using a ground stake, it sits where it is put and behaves well. .. all these of course if some “childhood diseases” that might come up, are treated and cured! Kite Killers are not really necessary for this size but better be safe than sorry, I recommend them as well as other protection gear (elbow / knee pads – helmet) Well built, well stitched! Had some serious crashes but shows no signs of wear. Hint: Check the length of the brake and the flying lines before your first time out and make sure that flying lines have no more stretch to give. “Pre-stretched lines” are not always what their name suggests. Now the Long Story (and less important details)! The kite arrived in a nice, “cheep-ish but does the job“ rucksack. It was neatly folded, the lines are colour coded on plastic winders and inside a plastic sachet with a piece of paper stating line strengths and “Pre-stretched”. The handles do the job, although there’s much room for improvement. There was also a DVD, nicely put together and gives basic but necessary instructions if one’s clueless, plus shows some fun moments with jumps and buggies. Unfolded the kite on the living room floor: Thick bridles and crispy ripstop nylon! I also noticed the little piece of paper with the coding of left-right flying / brake lines. Helpful as a guide only if it were put the right way round! Measured the lines and found them of equal length. (but didn’t compare the flying to brake line lengths – big mistake!) First flight: A complete disaster! My "Ready to Fly" pride refused to take off, although the cell swere fully inflated. After spending some time, (“Ready to fly, so what’s wrong with it?” ) I discovered that the flying lines were about 2 metres longer than the brake lines. Went home to shorten the flying lines, (should have done that as soon as I unpacked the kite in the house) The kite refused to fly with the lines included in the pack, no matter what length adjustments I made on the flying lines... A bit too short and the breaks were useless, a bit too long and soon as it was in the middle of the wind window it would fold and suck the air out. I tried flying using a mate’s quad bar and the Rad was flying exceptionally well and pulled nicely, I even made small jumps with 15mph winds! (I’m round 64kg) So, what was wrong with my flying kit? I pegged the lines on the ground and pulled them tight. The brake lines were firm. The flying lines stretched for another 1.5metre! I don’t know how can somebody call these lines “pre-stretched” – or am I expecting too much at that price? I swapped the flying lines with some older ones and the Rad flies beautifully ever since!! Hally flights! Author : Mountaineer

I have had the Rad pro 4m scince I started kiteing aprox 2 years ago and felt the need to keep it in my quiver, even when selling on kites that I have grown tired of or am sick of , kites like the Bullets, Busters and a 4.9 BladeIII. Yes I have owned all of these kites at one stage, and then sold them on for one reason or other. But the Rad pro 4m has always stayed. This kite isn't a particularly impresive kite in any one way but in my opinion it dose everything reasonably well whilst being a realy mellow kite to fly. The build quality is actually very good . My kite has certainly withstood the test of time with the sail still being as new even after 2 years use. Sure the lines have initialy streatched and been adjusted , but so do flexis and ozones. The bridle would also seem excessivley thick but it dosn't cause any problems whilst flying the kite. The only thing I did change was the handles the radsail supplied ones were a tad basic although 100% functional. I changed mine for Flexi handles, more down to personel preferance than anything else. The whole package comes in a pretty well made , functional and good looking rucksack. Now how does it perform. Desighned by Andy Preston creator of the flexi blade, a lot of people have compared the Radsail pro to the blade. Having owned both kites at the same time I would disagree. The closest I would say the Rad pro comes to a flexi kite is a kind of cross between a bullet and a blade , in that it has good pull and the power comes on fairly steadily, and the Rad pro does have lift , but no where near the lift of the blade , and the lift the rad does have is a bit more predictable. In saying that it has lofted me out of a buggy a few times whilst turning. In general though mellow would be the word that somes up the rad pro to me , it isn't the fastest kite through the air but certainly not the slowest . It is just really nice to fly, being very stable with no major surprises. I mainly fly with a de-powerable Flysurfer these days and because of the wind range my de-powerable covers my radsail is pretty much obsolete, but I still use the Rad pro for boarding now and then and although my partner isn,t that an experienced flyer the Rad pro 4m is always the kite she want's to fly when we are out . And to be fair I doubt I ever will get shot of it. In my opinion the Radsail pro range of kite dosn't deserve the bad press they have had in the past . Mine has certainly withstood the test of time and is as fun and exciting to fly as it was when I first started flying power kites. The Radsail pro series 2 is now out and is probably an improvement on the model I have just reviewed (series 1) . I have never flown a series 2 so cant coment . But if you want an excellent all round power kite that wont break the bank the Rad pro wont disapoint By : paulanimal

My first impression of this kite as i have only had it a week are: The bag, nice to have the mesh bit in the bottom, just dont leave your mobile in this bit,as i did on the beach, then realise your mobile is full of sand (Doh). The zip could do with bigger teeth as sand gets in, it can make it a bit rough to close after. The lines are weak and wont last, they are nasty compared to my pkd lines. and the brake lines were too tight, so i ended up having to extend these to get the kite to fly and not tie its self in knots every 5 seconds. The handles are just bits of alloy and a couple of bike grips over them, the holes for the cords to go through have a bit of plastic sleeving in, 2 off which have fallen out already, and its only been flown for 3 hours. the kite lines attach to knotted cord, these were unequal length to start with. The Kite itself is nicely put together, the stitching is good and tidy, the kite flies good and straight, although i will use kitekillers with it as i dont trust it just yet. Power ring mod will be tried as the brake lines drag and you can hear the drag when its 15mph+, so i will see if this makes it fly even quicker. Compared to the pkd this size, this is a very cheap feeling kite,but at 1/2 the price, it is a excellent begginner kite to scud or learn boarding. By : Beanie

I just recieved my third Eolo Radsail and the first 2006 Pro II. (My others are 145 two line kite and a 2005 Pro II 4.0m2.) The 2.0 is one of two new sizes for the 2006 line up. The 7.0 is the other new size. Things that are the same: The backpack that the Pro models comes in seems to be identical to the 2005 models. Not super fancy but definitely functional and fairly roomy. Certainly adequate for the kite, any accessories, a jacket and lunch. Zippers look like they might give out if abused. Don't expect to be able to do extreme backpacking with this bag, but then this is really about the kite not the bag. 😄 Same brochures/flyers/stickers as last year. New DVD with flight school, step by step instructions for set up and take down, and the video from last year's DVD. And finally despite Eolo marketing claims to the contrary the stitching looks like the same style, thread weight etc as the 2005 model, not that there's anything wrong with my 2005. Reinforcing on the ribs at the bridle points also appears to be the same. Quality seems good lines are straight, stitches even etc. No complaints, but no discernable gain either. Lines are good dyneema (spectra) with well matched lengths left and right, although the brake lines seem too long for me. Just like on my 4.0 and the 5.0 I test flew straight out of the bag. They'll need to be shortened a couple inches to give comfortable braking for me. Things that are new: The size. The fact that the graphics are repeated on the top of the canopy as well as on the bottom, no more white top skin. Gives a nice look to the kite. The new sizes have, of course, new colours. The 2.0 being the usual white, black, grey of the Radsails Pro II but the accent is a nice blue colour with a greenish/teal tint. Very sharp. The new handles are a welcome and significant improvement over the previous ones, with firm rubber covers with a good "no slip" surface that extends right over the power line end of the handles. Makes for nice holding. Weight is a little heavier, lines much more securely presented. These new handles look and feel "serious". Hook up has been simplified a great deal. No need to guess for newbies which line goes where, they are both labelled and colour co-ordinated. Simply join the lines as labelled and laid out on the cardboard cards then rip out the holes to the edge of the card to remove once joined. Another note here, there's none of this Red-Right nonsense here, good boating practice has been followed with red on the port (left) lines. Something I noticed was carried through the whole Flight School DVD. So how does the new kite fly? I've only done static flying with it so far, but it flies well. Its fast, much faster and responsive than the 4.0. And relative to its size I'd say faster even than the 145. Its responsiveness caught me off guard on my first flight in heavy gusty winds so my first turn became a loop. Add a little brake in the turn and it really snaps around. I'll have to wait to give it light wind testing. The 4.0 flies well even in light winds, it doesn't generate any real traction force, but by working the kite you can keep it aloft in winds that are barely discernable. Hopefully this will hold true for the 2.0, since it means that when its not windy enough to be moving you can still have fun with the kites flying static. As for lift/pull its really hard to tell since I didn't have the 4.0 out for a side-by side comparison, but I'd say its somewhat "lifty-er" (is that a word?) than the 2005 4.0 I have. It certainly had no problem scudding me (86 kg) in winds gusting around 20-25 knots. It even nearly pulled me off my feet once. Summary: Overall I'd say the improvements are incremental rather than radical, but only serve to make one of the best values in foil kiting even better. Will update as further time and testing allow. By : Rapt

When it comes to kites i'm as green as i'm cabbage looking (which is very!), so if your looking for technical infomation about wind ratios and design etc etc. i'm afraid you wont find it here because i just dont have the knowledge or experience. I can however, review my experiences with my first ever kite! Having never ever flown a kite before i didn't want to fork out loads of cash on something i might not enjoy (how wrong was i), i did however want a kite that would give me a realistic idea of how it would feel to fly a larger more powerful traction kite. After spending some time on the net, i got the impression that the radsail would fit my needs perfectly, especially the demands of my wallet. At £80 give or take a few quid, i now know with hindsight that it would have been a bargain at twice the price. The other aspect i liked about the readsail was the claims that it's easy to fly for beginners, that's me! The kite comes in a rucksack with all you need ie. 4 lines, 2 handles and an instructional dvd (oh and a sticker and keyring fob...yeehaa). This is where the more experienced flyer would talk about material quality, stiching etc. as this is the only kite i've ever flown or held, i have nothing to compare it with. However after having flown it into the ground at speed a couple of times, landed it on brambles and got it stuck in a tree, oh and had my dog walk all over it, i can testify that stiching and material are all in one piece, flying like a dream and in fact still looking new. The dvd was reasonably helpful. It had some good explanatory graphics and i found the video footage of the kite responding to the flyers directions to be especially usefull to someone as green as me. The dvd combined with the excellent how to guides here on this webside is definately the way forward. As for the kites performance in the air, after only about an hour worth of flyingtrying time (including retrieving from a tree), i had the kite cruising around the wind window with no problems at all. Flying in winds around 10mph, I find it easy to controll and i'm able to fly the kite to anywhere in the window i wish. It feels very responsive to my commands, it turns on a dime especially when using brake assisted turns. The kite holds it shape well, which i found made it easy to recover it when it span or i over flew it. What it boils down to is that after a very small amount of total flying time i feel like i've been flying kites since i was a kid! In todays fast paced society, instant gratification is a popular theme, this kite has given me that and it keeps me coming back for more. I'd "ummed and aaaghed" about what size of kite to go for, I weigh about 110kg and wanted something that when i was more confident i would be able to get a bit of traction going so i could use my mountainboard. I was going to go for something around the 5m mark but the day i ordered the kite it was really blowing a gale outside and i decided to follow the advice of start small, especially as i've never flown before. The most I've had the kite out in is about 15 mph winds and it was a rush feeling the force of the wind, so much so that i couldn't resist getting the board out for a wirl. To my happiness i was able to cruise around on the board with the kite, not very pretty and not very fast but i was up and going. This was pleasing because my only worry with the kite initially was that after a short time i would "outgrow" the kite and be left wanting something larger, i don't feel this to be the case now. The only thing that i can envisage being an issue are the lines, they feel a little stretchy but i guess thats the case with budget kites they have budget lines. Although the kite seems fine i will be upgrading the lines, i have a feeling that this will give it even better controll and responsiveness. However, the lines used for the bridles appeared to be much better quality and the bridle setup was uncomplicated. In conclusion, if you're thinking of trying kiting or buying a trainer kite for someone else, you really can't go wrong with the radsail. My wife has started using it and she's getting hooked as well. It's inexpensive, quality has seemed fine so far and the best of all it's easy to fly. It might not be the "in" brand name but i've always gone by function over fashion and this little fella has plenty of function. By : delmonte