Ozone Method

[Peace]

First glimpse of the new "Method" fixed bridle foil from Ozone

http://www.flyozone.com/landkites/en/ne ... nes/15824#

It is my understanding that this kite is to compete with the higher performance traction kites like the Blades, Reactors etc. It also has technology filtered down from their break through "bbhpp" paraglider design! http://www.flyozone.com/performance/ (without the thin carbon spars of course )

Cheers,

Peace

p.s. Joel, you are more than welcome to turn this into a news article if you like.

[Jimmy22]

i have one and they rock !! i have been waiting a while to say that ..

[lickedysplit_au]

Can't wait!!

[nigel]

Good to see the kite bikes getting a run!!

[Jimmy22]

http://garmin626.blogspot.com/2010/01/e ... ype-2.html

has a good run down on the performance increase that you might expect. im loving every flight i get so far. i dont know of any other 3m you can fly in 42 knots that remains stable and doesnt scare you whitless. it points super high , has a good top end , super low lift. but ironically Gannet likes the way it "jumps" . you can do really stupid things with it and it forgives you, it eats gusts and turns them into forward motion instead of a power slide in all but extreeme cases. can wait to get my hads on other sizes.

id like to say the method was like some thing else but its not, its beyond what i had hoped for . Finally something i can reccomend to everyone with out the need to assess thier skill level.

I'll keep flying them with Gannet over the next few months and let you lot know what we have done with them if your interested. Hopefully to smash the 24hour distance record again and boost it past 623 km Gannet set last year on about three brands of kites which which peter was grateful for the on official loan of a couple from Craig Hansen in NZ . this time it will be ozone pure thanks to thier support of our Carbon, speed and Endurance projects in the pipeline .

[lickedysplit_au]

Thats really awesome Jimmy, really can't wait to get my hands on one after reading that. Keep up posted, very interested

[Jimmy22]

UPDATE:

well i went out for 12 hours today with buggying on my mind. 120 km of sand dunes in the AM with a top speed in the flat sand afternoon of 71kmph on the 3m Method in 15-20 kts. it was wanting more wind.. one of our locals Perrin did some horrendous jump on the 3m and broke 2 seat straps so it can get airborne too but it isnt really a jumper, and neither am i

. ZERO hairy moments with the 3m in over 8 hours of buggy riding, its just so easy.. I was quietly disappointed with the dune climbing ability to begin with until i remembered the method gets a monumental torque increase by applying the breaks and after that all was well with the world again. at some points i was super powered once the buggy speed got up a bit and it was easy to power down again by a quick scrub and releasing the brakes in the dunes but it took a couple of slides to come down from 71 on the flat, it didnt want to give up so easily on the pursuit of speed.

the Method wind chart is up on Ozones site now and some colour options have surfaced on various web pages now. i have the yellow red grey one, it looks cool and despited the colour option chart mine does have a white ozone in hexagonal patterned print.

[News]

News Article & Photos: Ozone Method Kite

"What I wanted to do was make a kite that has the speed of a high performance kite, the stability of a beginner kite and handles like a sports car. I have been talking with our paragliding designers and they have shared their new theories which have been helping them produce the highest performing paraglider to date!" - Rob Whittall, Ozone Kite Designer

Read Full Article...

[jhn.holgate]

Well, I gotta say that it sounds and looks very impressive. It appears to have even less bridles than the flow - which is already pretty minimalist.

the method gets a monumental torque increase by applying the breaks

How do you think it would go on the turbo bar, Jimmy? I think the turbo bar steers with something like 70% brakes 30% power lines (that's a pretty rough observation). The Ozone Imp and Flow love the turbo bar. Beamers too. Hornet not so much - it wants more front line input but still works ok.

PS: Steve, when are you expecting these to land? And what sort of prices?

[Steve]

As soon as I know something John, I'll make a post here for sure. Public release was pushed back, and so pricing and availability has not been made available to dealers yet, sorry.

From what I have heard though this is a breakthrough design, and anyone that buggies or landboards will want one, sure to be high on the Christmas wish list for all the other brands to get their hands on too!!

[jdhot]

I hope and pray that the hype is going to be worth wait

I've got some skinny tyres that need a good fast power plant to try them out

and 2 great beaches waiting for the good winds.

JD

[Jimmy22]

Rob mentioned that the method flys well on a bar too but i have not had any experience of this yet myself, the method is a fast kite, acceleration is less than the race kites but top end is very close to if not the same, so when you want to come to a halt or turn a corner the method is the one to have for normal kiters like me I must admit i still love the Ozozne yakuza GTS even though they are harder to fly than the Method , GTs keep you on your toes ! The method you could fly all day, pass most kites on the beach, out point all but a couple to a top mark and carry on. I think the best point is a beginner could use this kite and keep it for a very long time and an expert could make it talk and pull some crazy stuff and actually get away with it. I feel a bit responcable for the delay still trying to get a day in Proto zone X where the sun shines AND there is 10 knots to take some photos !!

[jhn.holgate]

Thanks Steve & Jimmy. One more question comes to mind - low wind performance - particularly the 6.5 - how do you think that would go in very light winds? Comparable to a 10-12m depower?

Thanks,

John

[jdhot]

Hi John,

Generally speaking fixed bridles are far better in light wind, less material weight + quicker turning and manoeuvring.

Mind you the 2010 11mtr Frenzy that I purchased for light wind, really excels quick turning and manoeuvring, can't wait to try the 2011 Frenzy supposedly incorporating similar advancements like on the Method.

These Ozone Method kites however sound amazing

JD

[Jimmy22]

i have the 2.3, 3, 4, 5 but not the 6.5 (i havent seen or tested one yet) personally unless im in the sand dunes i will be using yakuza GT race kites for low winds as i find them super easy to fly in the large sizes and power to weight and grunt is just the ticket. if in the sand dunes i will def give the 6.5 a serious tryout a let you know , but would also use the manta 10m or 12m and now ill also be in the very long Que"m to try the latest frenzy 2011 , that is the "de power to try this year. i certainly have respect for other race kites and flysurfer for the light airs but if on flat sand in sub 8 knots i cant fault a 4 line race kite , even my biggest 4 line kite the 12m Yak GT turns very well. agreed the 2011 frenzy is full of Method / R10 paraglider goodies and should turn some heads.

[jdhot]

That's a nice quiver you have there .... can't wait to try one out

Anybody have a rough idea of when they maybe around

JD

[jhn.holgate]

top speed in the flat sand afternoon of 71kmph on the 3m Method in 15-20 kts.

That's pretty impressive. I had the 3m Flow in 22 or a bit more knots and managed 56kph (Vmax & midi's). I reckon my ideal fixed bridle kite would sit right between the Flow and the Century 2. And be good on a turbo bar. The Method is sounding pretty close....

[Jimmy22]

in 20-25 kmph i did 71kmph with the 3m Method at our fav 45km long beach, it has a hook in it at the end to wind up more apparent wind so that helped us

you can fly methods over powered more easily that most other kites, but its still best to have the right size up as you get more rewards

my friend Peter Foulkes had the 3m Method out in 42 knots and was flying one handed he did just under 80kmph as the kite was depowering itself , but still very stable and predictable. We didn’t have the 2.3m at the time but i know it was the right kite to use and i predict we would have gone over 80kmph. The method can handle gusts VERY well that is how we were able to stroll through what would normally have been a suicide mission

[Mr BS]

I've heard similar reports to what your reporting Jimmy

and it seems like they will be awesome pieces of equipment

Will be nice to get my hands on one

[Jimmy22]

here is a bit more on the methods for you lot

working nicely on a bar too, i have only had handles on mine so far

[Steve]

Sick video on many shots the kite looks like it has no bridle its weird!

They seem to have a big wind range based on that video.

[Steve]

OK got some great news today, the Ozone Method goes live on the Order System on Oct 1st, Kitepower has some demo stock pre ordered now so we will have kites well in time for Kitetober. All Ozone dealers can order kites from the 1st Oct and dealers will have stock to sell by around the 3rd week of October.

[jhn.holgate]

Looking forwards to getting my greedy mitts on one of these for a fly Don't suppose you're coming down to Speed Week?

[Steve]

Yeah I hope to make it again, I really like Sandy Point and catching up with all you southeners!

I'll make sure some are there even if I don't make it for some reason.

[Jimmy22]

speed week eh ?

Well id say the method will give you a very good top speed youll just need more run up than a race kite, the real advantage is when you want to stop , the method doesnt mind slowing down. It may sound like a funny thing to say but most high speed kites have issues with coming back down from warp 9.