BigTone Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 So... We've (Me and my wife Sandra) had 3 longstars sitting there staring at us for almost a week. And no wind. So we did what any good kiters do when faced with such lousy conditions and new kites..... We went out and flew them anyway. Flying in wind that is at BEST gusting 3.5 knots, but more like 1-1.5 if it can be bothered. So first impressions of the longstars is that they will fly in almost no wind - Kinda. Managed to get both the 5 and 7 meters up - But had stall and reverse issues due to luffy non existent wind. BUT - when they do fly - They fly. Very much feel like a cross between a NS2 and a foil. And fast. Even in low wind they turn on a dime (or a 5c piece). The new 5 line bar is.... interesting. Lets just say, it works well, but i think mine is going to have the chicken loop bit thrown away and replaced with either an old ozone one, or just a wichard QR. (partly because its a bit - mmmm - "unfinished" - and partly because its too long for Sandras short arms) At the other end there are pulleys, lines, and z bridles as well as the usual Nasa Star type bridles. It's one of those things where if it EVER gets away from you without all five lines attached to the lines or the kites line keepers and tangles up - well - you'll be busy for a month (or three). Cant WAIT to get them in decent wind because you can just tell they are going to be brilliant. If you like the NS2/3's you are going to love them. If you have a phobia about bridle lines.... probably not for you. Sorry - only got a piddly vid of the 5m. longstar5m.mp4 .Joel, ssayre, igeighty and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Joel Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 Nice @BigTone! Even though the video was short it seemed really agile. BigTone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 Very nice. hoping for some wind for you. just a short look at it but it looks like it will be faster. BigTone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 BigTone - thanks for the early video tease. She is beautiful up in the air! I've got the 5 and 7 LongStars heading my way as well. To get a Born-Kite order to me here in Utah, USA Steffen sends a package via DHL. It goes vial DHL between Germany and a customs depot in New Jersey. It then continues its journey (eventually) via US Postal Service across the country. Even with trying to track the package online you really can't track it like you could with UPS or FedEx. It seems that these packages get pulled into some sort of postal vortex from time to time but they (usually) eventually find themselves to you. The last package I got from Steffen looked as if an orangutan took out his aggression issues on it. Timing was such that I joked with Steffen over email that his German women's Football team used it as a kickball after their bitter loss to our US ladies. Interesting to see that the LongStar did the backup maneuver in your video just like the NS3s. I've seen that with my 8.5m NS3 when trying to use it in light winds. Seems the Stars will fly backwards when under too light a load or in a sort of stall at the edge of the wind window under light wind conditions. Hey, nothing's perfect. I look forward to what will surely be a more proper write up and video session from you once the curse of the new kite wind syndrome finally subsides where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTone Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 @windstruck... The 7 was worse for suddenly going into reverse. But the wind was appalling. And where i was flying is in a volcanic crater, so the wind is never smooth even when it is blowing. @ssayre my feeling is that they are definatly faster than the ns2. window is definatly wider. Cant wait for a crack in the buggy. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhn.holgate Posted August 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 Steffen mentioned to me that if the kite starts to backstall, simply let the bar out a bit and it should fly forwards again.... Hoping to see mine this week - they left Germany on the 10th. DHL tracking is pretty useless, it stops when it leaves the country and gives a link to Aus Post....which, of course, doesn't seem to be compatible with the DHL tracking number and says it can't track international parcels. Which is crap because Aus Express post tracked windstruck's NS3 very nicely indeed. And pretty quick too. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 very nice... I'm curious about their lift quotient... I love the NS3s for their almost nonexistent lift, I wonder if the higher AR will make it lifter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Really interesting, it sounds like they do fly like the original HA NPW, on the smaller sizes (3m) reverse flying was a major issue that I just couldn't fix, the larger size I made 10m didn't reverse but still had amazing turning for a big kite. Just hope you get the window size with the long stars, I moved on from the NPW HA due to it having less window than the standard model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 DHL tracking is so frustrating!!! Yesterday there was a DHL update on my order that started it's journey from Steffen on August 12th: "The shipment will be transported to the destination country and, from there, handed over to the delivery organization. (Homepage / online shipment tracking: )". Gee, that's informative. At some point I'll get a tracking number for the USPS after the package lingers in customs State-side for an eternity... I want to fly my new LongStar!!! BigTone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 @windstruck, Steve, now that it says that, give it a few days and call the 800 number for DHL Global's customer service, when you get someone on the line explain the situation and they can look up the USPS tracking number from the NJ custom's Black Hole. Once it gets out of Customs it should't take that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Thanks @soliver! Last time I ordered from Steffen that tracking number eventually showed up on the DHL tracking page. It didn't say it was a USPS number but after plugging it into the USPS tracking page it showed up! I know... patience... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3shot Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 Good Lord...... The dreaded NJ customs black hole...... Been there done that TWICE! windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windance Posted August 25, 2015 Report Share Posted August 25, 2015 Very much looking forward to the reviews from John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhn.holgate Posted August 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Very much looking forward to the reviews from John You and me both! Despite DHL's best efforts in playing football with my package... My new babies arrived unharmed. Some pics in the gallery here: Of course, it's wet and there's no wind. And showers predicted for the next week. Typical. gum-nuts and igeighty 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Joel Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 They look REALLY nice, love the colours (take note manufacturers of poverty colour-schemed kites). I sense you may be a bit quicker with those this Speed Week as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gum-nuts Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Of course, it's wet and there's no wind. And showers predicted for the next week. Typical. The new kite curse strikes again! I agree with @.Joel about the colours - simple but bold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Sweet! Very happy for you John as well as all the other early LongStar recipients. They do look beautiful. I do recognize the loving handling marks on your box! I like how they each come in their own little stuff sacks. Steffen's kites pack up so small that I am putting my entire Born-Kite quiver into a single large PL Lynx backpack. At present I'm rolling my NS3s up like small sleeping bags and tying them each with lengths of 2-ft. paracord. Beyond sort of knowing each kite by its color scheme, smaller kites roll up smaller and larger kites larger, but it would be sweet for each to have its own custom stuff sack with the size printed on the outside like the new LongStars. The single strap backpacks that came with each NS3 are, well, cute, but I don't really have a use for them. In fact I cut the straps off two of them for parts for another project I was working on. Maybe if I get bored enough I'll go down to our local outdoors shop and buy a bunch of small stuff sacks of incremental sizes and label each with a Sharpie. OCD? Who, me? ssayre 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 I don't have a need for the backpacks either. I would prefer stuff sacks as well. Very nice looking John, It looks like dhl took it easy on your package Luckily they are kites and crushing or hitting or playing football with the them is completely fine as long as no sharp objects are involved. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3shot Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Looks good John! windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windance Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 Come on John get on with it and post those video reviews? like that flow green colour windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Joel Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 I like how they each come in their own little stuff sacks. Steffen's kites pack up so small that I am putting my entire Born-Kite quiver into a single large PL Lynx backpack. This is how kites used to be done, in small stuff sacks. I really wish the manufacturers pushing complicated backpack options would make the backpack just that, an optional upgrade. Buying 5x kites for a quiver, really don't need to be paying for 5x backpacks when you can only wear one at a time. BigTone, windstruck and nigel 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 THIS JUST IN!New great video footage of the LongStar, courtesy of Steffen. I got an email from his this AM alerting me to the new footage. Good stuff! lasrocas 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windance Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 I want one I see that born kites offer kite only option.I have spare depower bars and lines would it be possible to fly them on the gear I already have as I am reluctant to buy other bars especially if it's not necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 @windance - I would same "possibly". Now that (at least John Holgate and BigTone) a few folks have these in their hands I'd defer to them, but from the look of the first video I'm thinking probably not. The Born DP bar is sort of reversed if you will as can be seen in this video: I'm able to beat John to the punch on this one since most of Australia is asleep. Really looks like an incredible kite and very different from anything on the market. I applaud Steffen's unique approach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 26, 2015 Report Share Posted August 26, 2015 @jhn.holgate or @BigTone I think I know the answer to this question (answer: negative), but does the new LongStar control bar have a swivel to unspin twists in the lines caused by downturns, etc., or do you have to undue in the air what ever twists you've put in the lines? It seems at least that it could swivel down at what appears to be a pulley system at the top of the chicken loop. Notwithstanding something that would become self evident once I actually get the bar in my eager hands, it would seem that this would be a nice feature. I certainly appreciate being able to do this on my FS Peak 2s. Just curious.... BigTone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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