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This is my review of my Radsail Pro 2006 6m kite. I'm writing this not only as a review of the kite but also the observations I have made in the transition from my Beamer2 3.6 metre kite up to this mid aspect monster! This is to aid other people in the upgrade process. Background I'll review the VFM for this kite based on the cost of a new one, but I bought my example off the dreaded Ebay. I paid less than £100 for this kite, which came with Flexifoil handles & Kite Killers. The Kite is the 2006 version and is still crispy. I know these kites take a lot of 'flying in', and I think the previous owner did this for me as the kite flies very sweetly. This has actually taken a lot of the pain of buying this kite new as I have not got to fly it in, or buy decent handles etc. My only worries were the kite came to me quite dirty (dirtier than my year old Beamer), but this has disappered a bit as the wind has blown the dust off. Secondly and more worryingly, I found a 4 inch rip in the back skin of the kite which I did not notice when I inspected the kite (it was a pick-up only auction). The rip was easily repaired with flexifoil clear tape, and considering I flew the quite about 4 hours without noticing it I don't think it is serious. I'll be keeping an eye on it though... The Kite OK so I did the respectful thing and unpacked it in my flat as soon as I got home. This kite is HUGE compared to the Beamer. The colours (red white and black) and the general design are very imposing. The bridals are in luminous colours and somehow look less complicated than the ones on the Beamer. The bag, as always on budget kites is cheap and crap, but frankly this doesn't matter at all to me. It works. The kite came with it's original handles and the aforementioned Flexifoil items. We all know how good Flexifoil control gear is and they are very comfortable with good padding and nice and thick. Nuff said really. The Radsail ones looked EXACTLY the same as my Beamer ones to be honest, I would say they are the same items. The end winders probably work well but I've never used them, I always parapack. The lines are acceptable but are already showing signs of wear. They are the original items but they don't stretch and feel solid. The vendor had lost the manual and sticker etc so I didn't get these, but he gave me the CD and that's quite good. I've watched it once through, and has not taught me anything new. The package I personally got was outstanding because of the FF merchandise, and the handles have made a massive difference to my flying experience. I think considering that these kites are circa £200 new and don't come with a ground stake, I'm not entirely sure the new package is very brilliant, but that's nitpicking. Flying, first impressions Even in light winds there is a sense of trepidation when you get this out. It looks pretty big to my eyes. Anyway, grab the handles give it a tug and WHOOSH up it goes. The power in the wind window is huge, this is a serious kite. It absolutely domintes the window and everything about it, the shape, colour and size is intimidating. I've had a quick fly on a 6m Samurai and was expecting an absolute Barge, but this kite is fast, smooth and turns on a six pence. It is appreciably slower than the beamer but much quicker than I was expecting. The kite luffs a lot less than the Beamer and when it does it does not Bang open in the power zone in the same way. It has very smooth power delivery, it's not snatchy and the kite lets you know when the serious power is coming. The best thing is the turning. I fly with pretty tight brakes and the kite loves to brake steer. I would say that by watching the wing tip you can see it spin on the tip, but it can actually spin around the flying lines, thats how tight it can turn. It's an absolute joy to fly statically. Flying, light wind Ok this is the real test for any kite larger than 5m, and the main reason why I bought it, more power in summer! The thing you have to concentrate on is keeping the kite flying forwrd. It will just fall out of the sky if you let it stop moving, it needs the momentum of the wind over the wing. In fact it's in these winds that the main drawback of the kite comes to the fore. The kite material is very heavy. You can feel the weight on the lines. having said that I have had it flying (and pulling and lifting) in a gnats fart of wind as long as you can keep it moving. Another thing is this kite likes to crab. It can fly sideways if you fly it to the edge of the window and then don't concentrate on getting the forward momentum agin. It will fall back into the window sideways and sit there until you tip it on its wingtip and get it moving. Flying, medium wind This is the ideal windspeed I found, obviously. The kite has power but it's controllable as long as you have reasonably strong. I find the lift very predictable, you can feel when it's coming and when it does it's considerable. It also has a decent amount of float, meaning that this kite is very nice to jump with, although you don't find yourself in the air as much as with say a blade 4.9. The pull is huge and any sort of foray into the power and you're off downwind at a rate of knots. I found that the kite is tolerent of gusty winds, although it doesn't like them much all the same. It sits at the edge obediently and doesn't luff anywhere as much as the Beamer I also have. My other half prefers to fly this as even though it's a far more physical fly it is actually much easier to fly. It turns well, not snatchy, doesn't luff and is not too slow. Flying, Heavy wind Never taken it out in anything over 20mph. I have the Beamer for this. I like an adrenalin rush but I doubt I could land it in this wind. I also like my limbs and skin and minor stuff like that and I don't bounce. So it stays in the bag. One for the Brave(er than me). Boarding. OK now we're talking. THIS KITE IS AWESOME ON A LANDBOARD. It has lift once you get it moving. It get's you going seriously fast. I think the key is the lift. You can really lean back on this because of the large canopy above you. Keep the kite high and you can go where you want, the upwind ability is incredible. In anything over a knats fart you can park the kite very nicely and it yanks you upwind brilliantly. Have I mentioned the speed? I think the only problem is that if you let the kite kite get low and you don't brake turn it is very easy to dump the kite on the ground due to it's size. Conclusion. You may have guessed that I'm finiding it hard to fault this kite. Remember that I got mine at an incredible price for this kite (even if slightly used) so I'm still buzzing off the back of the bargain I suppose. I also wanted something that I can fly in very little wind, but not kill me (Blade). It ticks all the right boxes for me I suppose. Some may want even more lift, buy a Blade or Riot. THis is a great half-way house for me until I get a Blade myself. Some might want more speed, buy a race kite. Some may may want a high-end brand, buy a Flexi or Ozone or similar. The kite looks great, is easy to fly and has loads of power. It lacks in build quality, some stitches arn't straight and the handles are cheap and nasty, like a Beamer's. They are the main bad points. It handles brilliantly and is a Blast on my Landboard. It's easy to get it up (stop sniggering at the back). It does everything I want it to, and the other half likes my new muscle bound arms! By : panthro

ok where to begin? well i guess im talking to three main types of people here excluding of course those sadoes that read every review while they wait for their microwave meal to ping. anyway the three would be: the experienced flyer that is looking for a high wind kite without breaking the bank the small or light weight flyer looking for a traction engine and the complete beginer looking for the first kite and aiming small for saftey. ok to break tradition im going to give you a quick summary at the top of this review instead of the end. i mean why put the summary at the end, youve just herd the whole story surley the summery should be at the start for those impatient people that cant be arsed to read the whole text, ok if you cant be arsed to read through to the end then here it is experienced fliers if its high wind thrills you seek at low cost and your smallest kite is 4m then buy one of these but dont use the lines it comes with. use lines from a larger kite becouse these cotten like lines aint up to much. if your smallest kite is around 6m then buy a 4m dont wast your time here. if you are small or skinny then blow me this is the kite for you because in a good wind this thing can pull my 16.5 stone fat arse along the beach at break neck speed so your meek behind will storm a hundred minutes faster than it would take you to say waldorf salad if you are a small or young beginner then you are in the right area but please seek advice to your weight and sise and get some instruction before you buy but yes this kite will suit you. however if you are a big bloke looking to get into kiting buy a bigger kite and take it out in light wind because after a few flights this thing will bore you. so having baught one which of the above am i ...well none actually i am the experienced flyer that is trying to get his missus involved in the sport so she wont begrudge the time i spend at the beach and so, wasted 90 quid on a kite i will never need and that she will only fly to keep me happy. still cheaper than a month at relate i suppose . so here it is the 2.4 radsail package actually very impressive kite lines, winders, stickers, info, a dvd, handles, and on a sturdy bag, much better than the old pre 2005 bags. i was very happy with it and suprised at the sise for a 2.5 i kind of wished it was mine. setup peice or cake. however the kite needs no adjustment a quick larks head and you are off. within minutes you will be flying this kite round the window and shouting over to your wife "look honey look how much fun it is" while she sunbathes. handling could your wife handle this kite? well yes if she could be arsed she could, and if she cant you can get your 13 year old sun to fly it and pretend you bought it for him instead scoring loads of dad points. i personally found it to fly very smooth and stable and when the wind picks up boy can it pull, just be careful of the lines it comes with they are crap. seriously this is a nice little kite and it will suprise you as to its power without ever becoming uncontrolable the more i tried to convince my wife it was fun the more i found it was conclusion i love it, its cheap but very useable a must for any kite bag and a good introduction to the sport though not an all rounder if you are buying one kite buy a bigger one unbelieveable value for money very sturdy, will last for ever. By : DNash

* I just purchased a Radsail 2.4m as my first traction kite and ive gotta say im lovin it. I got it on ebay for £60 so im well chuffed! * My friend has got a flexifoil bullet kite which i have tried a few times and have found quite difficult to handle, assumably this is for a more advanced user. The radsail is much easier. Ive only so far taken it out in light to moderate winds but have still managed to skud a few metres with it, so am looking forward to the wind picking up a bit so i can test my basic skills out fully. * As for the construction of the kite, i have nothing to really compare it to as it is my first kite. However the fabric seems pretty good and is deffinatly strong enough to take the sand crashes that its had to endure due to my inexperience. The lines are as far, as i can tell, perfectly matched in length, although compared to other kites ive seen on the beach, they do seem to be pretty long. The handles are really comfy (aluminium, with nice foamy padded grips) and seem to be shaped nicely, making the brake lines easy to control for really smooth landings. * The kite comes in in a pretty smart back pack which is the same colours as the kite and includes; a radsail demo DVD (wowing me with the potential of these kites), the things to wrap the lines round (which i find a kinda long and labourious process), some vague instructions, a sticker and some prome leaflets. * The only drawbacks that i can see to this kite are firstly, the instructions are very vague which, along with the lines not being colour coded made my first set up quite a tough task. And secondly the things to wind the lines onto are pretty tricky and take quite a while to do. So my next job is to find out a way to wrap the lines round the handles. * All in all though i can say that i love the kite to bits, maybe because its really a great kite, or maybe because im an easily pleased novice who has never had a kite before so dont know what to look for, but one thing is for certain, this kite has got me hooked. I would be really be interested to hear some experienced kiters views of my review and any handy hints that they might be able to offer me. By : 2shy

A while ago I bought a stunt kite for my son and saw the guy next to us flying a parafoil which looked like great fun. After research ( and a tight budget) I came accross Radsail... as I didn't have any experience with power kites I decided to go for the Radsail 2.4 They all sound massive when you're a beginner. My first flight was with a wind of approx 10 mph, it had a great pull and I had to really lean backwards and put some effort into it. It put a smile right on my face. My hands and arms started hurting after about 15 minutes and it was great fun. scary is not the word but you really start to appreciate the power of Wind and start to imagine what you can do when there's more wind. After a few more flights I gained more confidence and am looking for stronger winds now... I've had a few nice little jumps with this kite and am loving it. very addictive indeed....Many times a day I am catching myself looking at the wheather and judging the wind ..lol .....My kite is calling me.........come flyyyyyyyy It flies well, is pretty fast, listens well and turns sharply...again...with high winds this kite seems like a decent little performer and has a serious pull. to give you an indication, I am 13 stone and with good wind, 15-20mph, lets me jump, and skudd... The quality of my kite seems to be ok as well but in all fairness i have had nothing to compare to. I did notice that the little protective plastic tube thingies that fit into the handles and the foam on the handles are a bit crap and have in the meantime modified this. Having flown this kite since a few months now I am still very happy with it but I am looking for something more powerful that will also give me better lift with medium winds. Maybe a radsail pro 5 or 6,...any advice anybody?? By : DutchRob

My frame for comparison is mainly my own kites, a Blade 2.6m and a Blade III 6.6. Build quality: Very, very good. I have read some reviews of the first make of this kite that has criticised the quality, but I think this has changed for the second model. Although the material is a bit thicker than that of my Blades, the quality of build and material is very good. Lines and handles: The lines are of lower quality than that of what flexifoil produces. They work well and everything, but they seem a bit more plastic-like. The handles should have been padded more, although I personally haven’t found this to be a problem. I really like the new winding-up-lines system that it comes with though. It is excellent! 100% trouble free every time. I wonder if Flexifoil, Ozone, and the others are going to copy this. Flying: My first experience with this kite was in about 5-7 mph winds, and this was too little. It was a struggle just to keep the kite in the air. The kite just seemed too heavy. Although flying in low winds can be a bit cumbersome, it performs excellently when there’s a little wind. About 12 mph and upwards is great! It manoeuvres very well –much better than my 6.6 blade. It is also much less prone to collapsing and overflying. It feels very stable and is very responsive. Before buying it, I had thought of it as a cheaper alternative to the blade series. It turns out that it’s not the case. It has significantly less vertical lift, but it’s easier to control, and still produces a very decent pull. Jumping is still possible though, but I would recommend going for the 6 or 7m model then. I am 13 stone/82 kg, and I need fresh wind about 20mph to do nice pendulum jumps with this kite. Re-launching is a bit more cumbersome than on my other kites. I think it is due to the slightly heavier material. Nevertheless, with a little wind it flips over nicely. Another problem is that the bridle tangles up the kite quite easily. It happens when you take the kite down on the ground for whatever reason. If the bridle gets around one of the sides of the kite, it doesn’t unfold automatically like my blade does. This means you have to go over to the kite and detangle it yourself which can be annoying. However, for a fixed bridle foil in this price range, it doesn’t get any better. Conclusion: This kite needs a little wind to perform its best, but when it’s got that it flies really really well. Compared with other fixed bridle foils in this price range, I honestly believe this is the best kite to get. This is the kite to get if you want: * Extreme value for money * A rough and tough kite for buggying, boarding, skiing etc. I also think it makes an excellent kite for a beginner that wants to get into serious powerkiting without paying too much. The larger sizes would be cool to try for the more advanced kiter though. Author : martinmartin

This summer I was in Dorset on holiday and I came across a park where there were dozens of people flying kites!! The only flying I have ever done is with a bit of plastic with "sponge bob square pants" on it and a single line with the kids. Having seen all these kites flying together I really wanted to have a go but not knowing anyone with a kite meant that I had to buy my own. As I knew very little about the sport, I didn't want to part with a huge amount of cash for a kite that would sit in the shed. I decided on a Radsail 2.4 after reading other reviews on this site. The kite comes in it's own bag (quality is ok and will do for now but i can't see it lasting very long). In the bag you get everything you need to go straight away...quad handles, lines and of course the kite itself. The handles are not bad and the lines are more than ok for most winds. I was really impressed by the quality of the kite itself, the stitching is very good and the material (which i am not sure what the type is) is good quality all for only 55 quid!! Setting up the kite took a few minutes following the guide on this site and the kite was in the air really quickly. Unfortunately i was quite unimpressed...trying to keep it in the air impossible...there was a fair amount of wind but the area i had chosen meant it swirled and gusted and the kite refused to stay up. After a change of venue and a bit more wind on another day I can say that i can't fault it. As a complete novice i didn't think that on only my second time out i would be able to put the kite anywhere i wanted, figure 8's, reverse launches, jumping..the lot. With stronger lines the kite (with enough wind) will easily pull a board or buggy. I highly recommend this kite. Excellent quality for the price. I can't wait for the Radsail Pro 4.0 i'm getting for christmas..if it's the same quality as the 2.4, I won't go far wrong. By : bazootoo

I bought this kite as it was on special when I bought the radsail buggy (review to come) so I wasnt expecting much from a 2.4m kite. My first impressions were good, I hadn't bought a kite in 5 years so I don't really know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what arrived. The rucksack was good quality, and when I unpacked it in the kitchen I thought overall great quality... things have obviously changed a bit! I wasn't expecting much from flying it so it sat in the back of the car for a couple of weeks after it initial flight in quite light winds. I found it responsive and easy and thought "well that's a kite I can let friends play with" until I went out in gusty 25mph + conditions. WHAT A REVELATION!!! After being bitch slapped by my beamer I got this out and what a revelation... I was buggying with a 2.4 kite!!! It pulled well, was incredibly predictable and did absolutely everything I asked of it... WELL! I couldnt beleive I had been having problems even getting going with my 5m Peel and here I was flying round with a big s*@t eating grin absolutely ragging down the beach on what I had thought was going to be "a crappy little kite for friends to play with so the Beamer doesn't hurt them!" In conclusion I have to say I absolutely love this little gem of a kite, and am seriously thinking about buying the 5m Radsail Pro! I am a buggier and occasional boarder and it does me fine in the buggy on windier days (Im 13.5 stone) and it does it well. Its a bargain at 60 notes and the quality is great. Its a great great addition to anyone's quiver. By : BlindJP

well where to begin... i am a totaly new to the world of power kiting and was amazed to see how thrilling and exciting this sport can be, with its arm pulling adreniline rushes i thought a nutter like me would take to the sport quite well..... So i decided to purchases a 4 line kite main reason i had heard your reviews (thanks guys) and it sounded like the right choice also i was short on cash and didnt wont to break the bank on my first time payment . So i looked around and along came a site skymonster.com great site and picked up my Radsail 2.4 meters bigger than me. for a price of only £70 At first site....well at first site all i could see was the packaging they sent it to me in but after that. 1) the bag- tacky and cheap + mine had a huge gash in it at the bottom part where the mesh is situated not a great start. 2) quadlines good soild shape and nice colours(red and black) plua they have a real good grip made with foam. 3)the kite itself well being that i went for a smallish kite to start off with the kite looks alot bigger in real life. good colours on the 2.4m and great soild material no rips or tears (like the crapy bag) the stitching was of great qaulity to and realy impresed me. 4) instructions well if you can read in german you will be alright take my advice dont read the bit about the 2 liners lol. but overall not a bad manual. 5)promo DVD,keyring,lines dynemaa times2 not the best starting lines but for a begginer a good purchess. over all this kite was a good purchase for me a total novice and as i flew it forthe first time this afternoon it handled great in the sky i have flewn my mates kite which is massive compared to this baby but the quality of the kite and the way it handles is definetly somthing to argue over with your freinds. I found it very hard work and a great upper body work out and it handled great in the air the only trouble i did find was that the lines where awkwared to fit round the quad lines but im sure i will get used to this. so if you are looking for a kite that will pull ur ass along your local beach then the radsail 2.4m is a definet buy I LOVE IT and im sure you will. i also purchased the kite killers that are avalible with this kite and a great idea for that just incase moment when the wind decides to pick up and you let go you wont lose total control and these are very simple to attach simply attach them to your brake line handles. plus i only weigh about 10 stone and am nearly 6ft this kite would scare the crap out of me if the wind picked up but im sure if you weigh over 20 stone youll be fine... please contact me if you need any more info on how seting up this awsome kite and if soo i wil just ask one off the guys that helped me lol By : magic man

After having played around with my Beamer for a month or so I thought it was time to get airborne and only being 15 a Blade was out of the question, so I went for the poor man's Blade, the Radsail 7.0M which I bought from 39inman (very good transaction, thank you) thinking it would be a little step up from the Beamer but goo do learn from. I underestimated this kite! When the kite arrived I immediately ripped the packaging off and laid the kite on the floor and it was huge, I couldn't wait to fly it. The bag the kite came in is pretty good, two slips on the side ideal for storing little nick nacks in and a front pocket for your accessories. There is also a meshed ventilation space at the bottom of the bag which helps dry the kite out a little on your way home. The handles on this kite do their job but are not the most comfortable in the world, but they are easily replaceable, they come will two tops which you can wrap your lines around which would be very useful, but not for me because I'm a parapacker. I won't mention the first day I flew it because the winds were only 3-5 MPH and while the kite did fly it's not worth mentioning. But the second outing was amazing, winds were about 22 which is over the recommended levels which are 15 but I didn't care, I just wanted to fly my new kite. So I unpacked it and spread it out on the floor and stood there with the handles, a little tug on the power and the kite stood up and inflated and sat there smiling at me. I pulled back on the handles and the kite lifted and hovered there for a second, as if to say "Get ready for this", then the kite shot up to the zenith, taking me with it but placing me back down softly. I flew it across the window a few time and was pulled forward as I did, next on this list was to try a pendulum. I placed the kite right at the edge of the window, yanked the left handle and rand backwards and next thing, without realizing I was 4-5 foot off the ground, the lift was so smooth I didn't even notice! Just to test the power I asked my friend (jumping jim) to hold onto me while I launch it and after a second we was both in the air then scudding along the floor. You have to get past the 'you get what you pay for' theory because it's false in this case, the feel, performance and look of the kite do not give away it's £180 price tag which in my opinion is the best price for what you get. 7 meters of kite which was designed by Andy Preston, the creator of blades! This kite will give you great lift and even traction for a board. I will enclose a video of my using this kite at Wallop in around 18-21 MPH winds. http://www.zippyvideos.com/4222884255265246/movie_0021/ Just watch this video to see its power, and remember this. I have only been flying kites for around 3 months so just imagine what this kite could do in the hands of a pro. By : clarkey1990

Decided to buy a foil/kite whatever you want to call it, after speaking to a friend. Once he told me of his exploits my initial thoughts were 'That's insane' so I just had to get one. I brought mine of ebay after reading a few reviews and advice on this forum. It came in a stuff sack with lines and handles which were already attached. I took it out for the first flight in low wind, and staked it out as per the advice. My first thoughts were that it was put together ok, but I had never seen one before so what do I know. The handles are aluminium with foam grips, which I later found to be rather iffy. The foil is made from 42 gr polyester and the build quality seems fine, but as I said before this is my first foil so I have nothing to compare it to. All the preparation was over and it was time for the first flight. I took a deep breath and pulled on the power lines. Up it went, just, there wasn't enough wind and although it inflated and lifted, it staggered around like a drunk on a saturday night, there just wasn't enough wind. I was gutted. Second time I took it out it was definately windy. This time it went up like a shot, but nevr quite made the zenith. A few turns and I then realised how much pull these things can generate. This time I was stumbling around like a drunk. I was hanging on for dear life, praying to every conceivable deity in the vain hope that I would survive unscathed. It turned fast and moved smoothly through the window. The handles then made their presence known. The foam grip slipped down the handle applying the brake and the thing crashed out of the sky. Sanity told me it was far too windy, about 20mph, but testosterone told be I could do this. So up it went again and the fight continued for all of a minute then I ended up ploughing the field with the side of my head. When I got up and recovered the kite (sanity said let go after 5 metres, and this time I listened) I had a grin so wide the top of my head nearly fell off. People watching must have thought I was insane, but I am now officially hooked. I have since taken it out in lower winds and can thoroughly recommend this as a recreational tool in low winds and to build your experience with, and learning about handling. It flys well but doesn't really like being turned on the brake, but is easy enough to recover when it luffs. In high winds it produces lots of power, but because it seems to have a small power window I wonder how suitable it would be for boarding or buggying. For the money it is a good starter foil, but I have out grown it in low winds. I now find the power deliver too on/off for my liking, having tried a friends 3.5 Bullet. In just over six weeks I have decided I need more, so I am now eagerly awaiting the delivery of a 4m Samurai (God help me) By : Golgafrincham

The Radsail brand seems t have attracted mixed reviews but never any complaint as to value. Following experiences with Rhombus Cad Thunderbird 1,5 and a couple of smaller foils we decided to try 4 lines. I suspect we needed something around 2,5 sq m but when a new Radsails pro 3 m turned up on Ebay for £62 it was too good to turn down. 1st impressions were good. The rucksack lines and handles all looked good and on unfolding the sail, that too was made to an impressive standard. Te vents had mesh covering and the bridle tapes were sewn through to the top skin. The bridles and lines were made from dyneema, so nothing to complain about at all. The multi language instructions were adequate but the dvd was particularly good in showing how to set up and use. We flew it easliy in light winds where the large sail inflated well and kept its shape in turns and when at edge of the wind. whenthere was a bit of a moderate breeze available we wnet to Dunstable downs to give it a real try out. Whilst not an wxperienced flier, I thought I had good sense and co-ordination as the earlier flights had not given any problems. The breeze was light with a few slight gusts and nothing to warn me to be especially careful. The kite took off nicely and I went into a few figure 8's to test the pulling power. A couple of times it took me for a bit of a run but so much the better for that. It was when practising the brakes I had a problem, not being too good at controlling the descent, the sial turned over and parked vents downward on the ground. No problem, I just applied more brake, gave a pull and up it went to about 12 feet when I tried to rotate back to vent up mode. Next there was a tremendous pull and I was running like I'd never done before, then I was over! Not to worry, I thought, just get the kite overhead to safe zone. Only thing was kite didn't want go up. Instead it was dragging me across the ground! Realising I was in trouble I released one handle and watched it spiral to the ground the abandonned line wrapping itself in knots. Had it not been for a knot I would have tried again but we packed up indtead. Conclusion: it is a great kite with bags of power. Control is excellent and it flies well in light wind. I would like to feel more in control when things get breezy, but don't know how to get the experience. Anyone out there can give it a try if they can teach me more! Great value kite and highly recommended By : lbp121

it came with a good looking functional bag. the power lines and the brake lines came on different winders and were easly unwound with no tangles (but they did look quite cheep and lightweight). the handles on first impression look realy good apart there was no loop to put a ground stake through. After a short time of flying the small parts of plastic did brake off but apart from that they are fine and the handles are compftable. the build quality of the kite is reasonable the holes where the air goes in are simply holes (no netting like on my flexifoil) the material is ripstock nilon (i think) witch feels thicker and heavier than my flexifoil and so it feels harder to launch because it takes more to fill. i have flown it a few times now in about 15 mph and once in the air it flys fast and is responsive.you are able to fly it close to the wind with out it luffing it gave a reasonable pull when down low but not so much when it got closer to the wind. at no point did it give much lift (i think it would take a gd blow to lift you). i have tried flying it with my buggy now and its ok, nothing scary. it was about 15mph when i flew it and it wasnt enough to go upwind because as the kite it taken close to the edge of wind its pull decreases by alot. i also tried the kite with my bar but shortly after i changed it back. i found that it was tritchy (but it did turn very quickly and tightly) in conclusion i thought the kite flew exelently, but leave it with the quad line handles. it is fun to fly but in a strong wind im shure it would be good with a buggy. the lines could be upgraded because they do look quite lightweight. By : sp4rky-m4rky

Hi all, just thought I'd post a few comments on my first kite. I'm new to the kiting scene having been introduced to it by one of my mates at work, but after flying a friends kite (on a not particularily windy day) I was hooked. So the hunt for the right kite to learn on began. I didn't want to spend too much on it in, case I managed to fly it into a tree and turn an expensive kite into a rather overpriced venetian blind, so this ruled out the crossfire. Looking around at various websites and advice from a couple of friends I decided on the Radsail ProII 3m. Saturday came and I woke early (like a kid on Christmas morning) and checked out the forecast. I went down to the park and after speaking to my mate I was going to meet, found out that it was far too windy for my first flight with the new kite. The same happened on Sunday when we met at lunchtime - BIG dissappointment. But finally the wind died down enough to make the maiden flight possible. Having not got kite killers with the kite I waited till one of the guys I was with had a break so I could borrow his. At this point I was not completely convinced how much I would need them - HOW WRONG COULD I BE!! I got the kite up and flying and in no time at all I was scudding all over the place and also ending up on my butt a few times as well! After about half an hour I found out just how important kite killers are. A particularily strong gust came as I brought the kite into the power zone and the wind ripped the handles out of my hands (breaking one of the kite killers in the process) and without the one kite killer left I'm sure the kite would have ended up in the nearest tree. So anyone new to kiting and thinking the same as I was that you don't really need kite killers -YOU DO!!! Anyway, onto the kite itself. I've not got much experience to draw from but I think I made the right choice of kite. Although its not the most powerful or best kite available, it's certainly powerful enough for me while I'm learning to fly as it was pulling my 11 stone bulk around well. The DVD that comes with the kite is quite useful. It shows you how to put the lines on with the right knot, pack the kite away when finished and some basics of flying, along with some videos of kiting with boards/buggies etc. The handles have plastic caps which you put on when packing the kite away and also double up as a winder for the lines which seems to be a useful feature, although after my first flight I was too lazy to use them and tried my hand at parapacking instead (I'll find out how sucessful I was when the kite comes out again) but certainly for longer periods of storage or when washing/drying the kite they would be really useful. The bag supplied with the kite seems to be well made but time will tell how durable it actually is. It has a large pocket on the front which is plenty big enough to fit my fleece in (and a few other bits as well), and a pouch on either side for drinks bottles. My only reservation about the bag is that there isn't what I can best describe as a flap of material to cover the inside of the zip when doing it up so the zip needs to be used with care so as not to catch the kite or lines in it. After attaching and unwinding the lines nothing else needed to be done before flying so I was happy to see that there was no need for me to have to tie loads of knots etc. and all the lines were the same length so no adjustment was needed. Final thoughts, To a complete novice this seems like great value for money and comes pretty much ready to fly (only the power and brake lines needing to be attached) so no technical knowledge is needed. Watching the enclosed DVD is advisable though as it give some useful tips on setting up, flying and packing up the kite. All the basic bits are included but I would advise anyone buying this as a first kite to get kite killers and a peg to hold the kite down when not in use otherwise you might spend more time chasing the kite down the field than actually flying it! This kite although not being the most powerful for its size is perfect to learn on as it's not going to overpower you (provided you fly it in sensible winds) but will drag you round as much as you want. I can't wait to get out flying again but I'm sure a week will seem like a month now waiting for the weekend to come round again. Happy flying all! By : AlexT

I've bought this kite as my high wind kite to go with my blade 4m and Guerilla 13m (yay), oh and also my little symphony for gale force winds. The kite comes in a nice backpack, a bit bog standard, with the straps which can come undone because they're not sewn over at the end!!! But i could go on all day about the backpack after spending 2 years making a 110 litre kite bag for my GCSE, which can hold a mtb on the front as well!! But overall its nice. The kite has a very good build quality with what looks like no dodgy stitching. The bridle setup is quite funny but it works, and not to mention the fluorescent blue and green bridles. Handles a pretty nice aswell, lots of padding, but no protector around the power lines like on the flexi handles. Lines do look a bit thin, i think the powers are 150kg and the brakes 60kg!!! Ah well wait till they snap then replace them. Setup is fine, but as soon as i launched it, the kite flew to the left so i had to make some adjustments. Stupid me spent about an hour pissing round with the lines when they were ok in the first place. What i would recommend is shortening the power lines because when u stake the kite down, the trailing edge sometimes takes off because theres not enough tension in the powers. Flying is really nice and extremely fast, both normally and in turns. I quite like this in a kite and find it pretty good for boarding with, getting it in the right place. One thing i have noticed is that it can unexpectantly collapse, usually due to gusts, which can be very annoying. But as you fly it more you get used to how to fly it and it doesn't do it as much, like my friends firebee which virtually doesnt collapse anymore. The power and lift produced is awesome and reminds me a lot of my blade. Also the kite can overfly, but apparently the kite wont do it as much with some brake permanently on. The kite is ok for going upwind, like i said earlier once u get used to it, its quite good. But you do need to be pretty powered up, like with most kites. Overall this is a really nice kite, but with a few weak points, most of which can be fixed (power rings also??) and is definatley worth the money you pay for it. By : mattdez

After a summer introduction to two line kites for my seven year old son, Tom, I was after a little more to excite him. As a parent kiteing seems a great hobby for me and Tom. It maybe addictive, but it wont see him in rehab at fifteen or hopefully in youth prison. After looking at all the kites in Argos I decided I wanted to talk to someone in the know and was expecting to play about £50-£70 for a kite. Enter the Kite Shop at Fleetwood. Having moved into the Blackpool area recently we were told that the guys at Fleetwood were a good source of information and help. We went to the shop and chatted with the very freindly staff/owner. By the time we left we had two kites the Radsail 145 as Tom liked the look of the BIG kites he kept seeing and a BeBop as he wanted fast spinning tricks too. All this and we had change from forty pounds (which we have since blown on hot choclate from the cafe next door to the shop. Since owning these kites we have flown the Radsail 145 as often as possible So how do we find it... Tom loves this kite it flies in nearly no wind, this kite positively jumps into the air for Tom and handles beautifully though slower in light winds than he wants. It is very forgiving at seven years old Tom can be easily distracted and this kite can handle him looking away, after two months of being crashed into the wet sand it still looks new and is showing no wear. Tom can even launch it when the material is damp, though when wet the laws of physics prevail. It holds the air well though as I am heavy handed I do often fold it and then down it comes (more skills lacking I think not the kites). It folds into a totally naff plactic bag, but the bag is not flown so who cares. Being tiny it can (and does) stay in the car to be pulled out whenever we see a breeze. Ready set up from the bag its a no brainer for me and Tom too. So would I recommend the Radsail 145, Oh YES I definately do, as a kite that can be fun for the young learner I think it is magic! Tom loves it and I find it fun. For the future a four liner is planned but for now and then, for fun and a light breeze the Radsail 145 will remain in our bag or in the air forever. By : PhilG

Already own the Radsail Pro 4m which I have had for a while now, and is excellent value. Needed something a little smaller for buggying, aa haa they brought out the 3m so paid me money and it arrived. Firstly the rucksack looks a lot more substantial than the original 4, but hey whats a rucksack whats the kite like. Straight of to my local field and set up. First impressions look good the stitching is definetly better, and the bridle is totally different. Shame that the brake line attach line arnt a different colour to the actual bridle (nice shade of luminescent green) as it makes them a bugger to find, Handles still OKish so put my Ozone handles on. Right up and away , back down the brake line are way to long for my taste, Take two up we go, it does pull very nicely a lot more than I had expected comparing to the old pro 4, so they must have changed the profile a bit and not to much lift, good foy buggying, moves nicely and turns quickly, though has a tendency to overfly at the top, which the old pro 4 doesn't well not as badly. Does seem to have slightly better penetration to the edge of the window than the 4. Overall excellent value for your money. Might even try the new pro2 4m One improvement could be and easier way to get the sand out, Ohh and when / if it gets wet it get really heavy so keep out of that water. By : keith

Just to let you know I am not a super experienced flyer. This is my first true power kite other then a 2.7 meter nasa wing. Well to start off I was very sceptical of this kite do to its low price (240.00 dollars) but in the end found it to be very decent and a joy to fly. If this is going to be your first kite I would recomend buying a smaller one to start off with unless you are built like a tank. Alright lets get started. First of all right out of the bag I noticed the kite had what I thought was good stiching and craftsmanship. The kite came with a very nice backpack and after unfolding it was amazed the such a kite can fit in such a small space. The handles seem to be crafted good and they stood up to the test but my only complaint is that the rubber stopper making sure the lines didn't move came loose after some intense flying. On to the lines, These lines can handle some punishment without showing wear or damage. This kite pulled me with another 160 pound fellow trying to keep me on the ground and the lines didn't retain any damage. As for the bridaling it came nice and neat with all lines secured to perfection. As for the flight characteristics I found this kite to be a joy. With as much pull as a train and responsive turning this kite has it all. The only thing I did not like was its tendency to collapse into itself at low wind speed, though this happens with almost all power kites. Other then that it is easy to pack and get out. I have not had a single problem with this kite and I say for the money you can not go wrong with this kite. By : codyp

I've been flying for a couple of years now and have used various power and traction kites, so when I recently recieved my Radsails ProII 4.0m I couldn't wait to take it out of the bag, which by the way has plenty of room for bits and pieces. I got this kite on recommendation from the good people at the kiteshop in Fleetwood, I was planning on a 4.0m Crossfire, but they advised against that, saying that Andy Preston who designed the Blade for flexifoil, now designed the Radsails Pro range. All in all it feels very robust, good solid seams, reinforced leading edge, nice comfy handles, and good pre-stretched lines (no messing about required). The first time I took it out, it was about a 5mph wind, and it flew beautifully, in fact it caught me a little off gaurd as I wasn't expecting quite so much pull. In stronger winds I'm looking forward to leaping several feet into the air, I've so far managed about 6' straight up, and I'm 6'5'' and 13.5 stone. Boarding, buggying, or just scudding along the beach are all possibilities with this kite, and I can't wait to try my Scrub Nebula with it for the first time. Marionville models hooked me up with a great deal, so value for money isn't really an issue, but if you've been saving for a Blade then give the Radsails ProII or the new ProIII some serious thought, after all they were designed by the same guy, but the Radsails Pro came after the Blade. Overall I think this kite is one of the finest I've flown, it'll stay where you want it to, it's quick on the turn, but not too snappy, it's got loads of power, and it's well made. What more can you ask for. By : DoktAphex

The Radsail is a good beginners kite - ignore what others say when comparing it to a blade or a bullet or other £300+ kite - that's like comparing a Ford Focus with Porsche. For the money this is amazing fun in any wind greater than about 10mph. Not the best build quality nor the best flying ability, but an OK all-rounder that will stick a grin on your face in light breeze and scare the **** out of you in a strong one! One thing I would say - buy the biggest kite you can for the cash - you can learn in light winds when the weather is nice, rather than having to wait for a hurricane, larger kites handle more smoothly and predictably than small ones and as you progress you can take it out in higher winds! After just one day I wish I'd got a 5m kite! 🙂 Also, before buying, get to a site where others fly - they're usually more than happy to let you 'have a go' (Special thanks to the boys in Cambridge for doing just that) Now all I need is 15mph winds...... 😉 By : Nick

On a mission I bought two of these beauties ( 1 for me and 1 for my dad) as a first-time purchase(99.00 each) and my first foray into the world of power-kites. This kite was recommended to me by the shop- owner and I couldn't wait to get it flying. My first experience took me to my local beach which is only 300 yards away from my front door. The thing is, the tide was on its way in and the beach wasn't any more than 10 metres wide which meant because of the gusting winds we were totally incapable of getting the kite in the air (offshore wind). Our second attempt was on an all-weather pitch. The instructions said that both control and brake lines should be the same size. Can anyone explain to me best practice for getting lines the correct length? I found that the brake lines needed to be slightly shorter to get it flying. Of course they weren't the same size to start off with so it took a good hour of adjustments before we even got the kite in the air but hey we persevered and got there. My first impression was ****ing eck what a pull and it truly was stronger than I had ever expected. This kite had very little lift but alot of pull so a buggy will be my next purchase for sure. This kite can be flown on either two or four lines which gives a little versatility we cranked it up first time on four lines and it flew great. We encountered one problem though and this came in the form of line tangle. It started to rain hard and in our haste to get the kite packed away the lines became intertangled and knotted. New lines have been duly ordered and are on their way!!! Overall this is a fantastic buy with enough strength of pull to keep anyone on their toes believe me. It is a great kite to start power kiting and I would recommend it to anyone. By : Darren McClintock

i had baught the radsail 6m pro due to budget. i had previously flown a freinds 4.5m bullet and wanted a big kite without the price tag. i had read a few reviews about aspect ratios and came to the assumption that the radsail would be less powerfull than a bullet so i would need a bigger one. package the bag looks good in red and grey with lots of space and pockets to put your marsbars in. it also has a natty mesh base that i thought was naff to start with but as i fly on the beach i can see the use now. the zips arn't up to much though. lines are great and come wrapped on seperate winders also colour coded. the handles are complete crap just bin them and get some flexifoil ones. they are cheap aluminium ones with plastic end cups that pop off the first time you fly and have really bad foam bike like grips that come unstuck in one weekend. on my later model kite they were replaced with long foam pads and even had stake loops but quality is still poor. and that is the last bad thing ill say. the kite is fantastick i'd herd all the horror stories about build quality but the kite is fine it is a budget kite and not on a par with a flexifoil but you still get your moneys worth. bridles are coloured dyneema. kite material is strong and light. dead simple to put together and looks great. people on the beach commenting. flying flys streight from the bag with no adjustment. its a very powerfull kite in strong winds 18+ the pull is akin to being tied to a runaway horse. could be scary to the amatuer dangerous to the novice. the forward traction is imense and the vertical lift is well.. get used to seeing your armpits. for a big kite it turns very quickly with a bit of brake. to begin with you teeter around the power a bit intimidated but as confidence grows you hunt the power down and enjoy 30-40m scuds at running pace and jumps of 6-10 feet. the wind range is top notch there has been dozens of times when my freinds bullet 4.5 was in a pile on the beach 4mph and im flying away. ever so gracefull in low winds my 17 year old daughter flys it in 7mph. kite starts to pull at 5mph and is back in the bag by 25mph but there has only been two occations when wind was too strong in the last 4 months, overal i've had more days flying than my bullet freind so im sold on the big radsail. ive just started boarding and its good at 15mph under 7mph forget it. it will pull you off very fast but turning in low wind is slower and so youve lost momentum by the next power stroke but over this you can fix the kite at 45 degrees and bomb along the beach at 15+mph conclusion a good buy, great value great kite. stable, can overfly if not held back. dominates the window a bit of a handfull in really strong wind like a boisterous dog. will do wonders for your biceps, easier with harness, somthing different to all the flexifoils takes a bit more effort in light winds but garenteed to give you more air time than most other kites. crap handles though. By : DNash

watch this space as i will be recieving my new radsail pro series 2 soon expect a full review but for now here is a quote from an email the dealer sent me The new Radsails have not only been modified from an esthetic point of veiw but important improvements as regards to structure have also been made: Renforced seams, lighter and more resistant bridles, and reinforced handles. also they come with a new pack containing an instructional dvd. sounds like eolo might get them right this time find out soon.... By : dnash

Having looking at progressing from sports kites to four lines for some time, several months of research was undertaken after summer beach visits decided that this was the summer! After visiting a few shops, one of whom put me onto racekites, probably the most valuable info was earned from this forum and these reviews. After the initial shock of just how much more expensive this sport was compared to the two-lines I decided that some serious value for money was needed (plus a little fib to the missus!). Radsail was always quoted as cheap thrills that would be excelllant value for the money. After a bit of shopping round in the kite mags and on ebay a 3m was chosen from skymonster.com. However their prices meant that the 4m was comparable to a 3m everywhere else and amazingly a 5m was only a fiver more. Yes, I know perhaps a bit big for a beginner, but with the idea of getting a board next summer it seemed the perfect choice. So after the wife's hard earned pennies was spent, package duly arrives. Very impressive. Forget about Radsails instruction manual though, unless your fluent in Spanglais, and just use the 'how to' guide on the main racekites site. After several trial runs in the bedroom tying larks head loops and testing line lengths down the street the day dawned near. With several ill attempts and fiascos seen on the interweb, my initial launch was viewed with trepidation. Kite killers were strapped as tight as possible in the hope that I wasn't dragged down the M5 and the kite was layed out as per racekites guide. Nice colour coordinatioon of the lines meant that all was quite easy, but double and triple check everything. Grab the handles, with the Pro neatly flapping on the ground, cross the chest and lets see what this sport's about. The thing lifts off beautifully and then just as it enters the bottom of the power zone, the main line on the handle snaps and everything curls back to ground. This is a worry. Have I bought a cheap duff! Lines are shortened all round and another attempt is made. Up she pulls and then jeezy-buggery as my brain trys to catch up with the arms and wonder do I run, let go pull on the brakes, go higher or call my mum! Clearly the wind is slightly stronger than my capabilities so the thing is para-packed (yes it does work!) and another attempt made a few days later. This time it's as calm as.....something very calm and the flight progresses smoothly. That was a few weeks ago now, and after several more trips, I reckon I'm getting the handle of it now. I can't really compare build quality etc with any other kites (other than 2 lines) but have to say that I'm really impressed with everything. Bags excellant, holds everything and more. Handles are comfy, or as comfy as I guess you're going to get. That initial snapping of the main handle line seems to be the only problem and hasn't caused me any other concern. The kite itself seems to be really good quality and pulls like Jodie Marsh at a Schooldaze event. Yes there are more expensive kites on the market, presumably with better quality and more power, but as a beginner I can't see me needing more for quite a while. All in all, excellant value from skymonster. See you at the beaches in the Summer! By : Taunton

the eolo radsail is a recommended kite for the cheapness. ive had mine for nearly a year now and there not many bad things i can say about it. the material on this kite isnt very good quality, but when in flight it still doesnt sound like a binbag on string. the bridles are satifactory but tangle very easily. I bought this kite off ebay for a £110 and bigger sizes arent much darer. the bad thing about this kite is that its not a very good kite in gusty conditions and it has pulled my on my ass in the past. the lines what you get with the kite are prattically rubbish as they tangle very easy, but the handles are reasonably comfy. this kite has quite alot of lift in windy condition and a fare bit of traction. the bag is poor quality but im not bothered about the rucksack for the amount of money i payed. the bag has to compartments, it has a farely bit compartment to put the kite into and a samller compartment to put your bits and bobs into. But overall i would give this a kite a 5 out 10. ben: age 12 By : benmyster