Rev Reflex (First Take)

[riffclown]

Had a few minutes of weather break in light winds on Friday, enough time for a quick outing but not enough time for camera so before I start, keep in mind this is with light and variable winds..

First Impressions  Nice looking Kite that not only flies like a Rev, but is a Rev.. The Springs do indeed change the wing shape and dead launch from face down is almost as easy as a standard reverse launch.  The springs did however also change some of the responsiveness in the very light wind conditions.. When accelerating a dive in multiple steps to do a dive stop, you have the load the wing (with a heavier hand) at every step and plan again for loading the wing with the dive stop. It's almost like a delayed reaction compared to my other Revs. It will float much easier than any other wing I've ever used and never "fell out of the air" even when I flew it well past the window..

I like the larger size but inversely, dislike that I don't have multiple frame options and interchangeability with the other Revs I own.. This is a minor point but it does matter to me so thought I'd mention it.. This is a very forgiving kite that will make a difference in the novice flyer and intermediate flyer's hands...I can't speak for the Advanced Kiter or Professional's take, as I consider myself neither of those. Looking forward to more handle time with more consistent wind so I can give this wing a fair review with video to support any comments.

 

[andy666]

Nice, I can't wait to see some video of it in flight. There is very little info online about them, so I can't wait for your full review.

where did you get it from as I haven't seen anyone selling them online yet?

[riffclown]

Kitty Hawk Kites and Kitestop both have them in stock art the moment. I got mine through Kitty Hawk Kites,,,

[riffclown]

So Here's My review -reworked after flying a second time AND grabbing a bit of video..

The Rev Reflex is a different animal indeed. The Springs do change the wing shape and dead launch from face down is almost as easy as a standard reverse launch.  The springs did however also change some of the responsiveness in the very light wind conditions.. When step accelerating a dive, you have the load the wing with a heavier hand at each step and plan again for loading the wing with the dive stop. It's almost like a delayed reaction. I like the larger size but, dislike that I don't have multiple frame options and interchangeability with the other Revs. This kite does makes a big difference at the edges.  

Extreme edge of the window, the kite reacted differently than expected. My guess is I was at the point where the springs were trying to make it float but I was still able to give input via the lines.. Not necessarily a bad thing, just one aspect of this wing that I wasn't expecting. All in All a 5 star experience.  This is a very forgiving kite that will make a difference in the novice flyer and intermediate flyer's hands. I can't speak for the Advanced Kiter or Professional's take, as I consider myself neither of those. Looking forward to more handle time with the Rev Reflex.

About the video.. Some raw footage of putting the Reflex through its paces. This was only my second flight with this kite and it DOES act differently than a typical Rev. I intentionally tried to destablize the kite at the end and flew it well past apex.. It floated right back into the wind gracefully.

 

 

[jhn.holgate]

Looks good.  Hope you don't mind me embedding the video.  If you want to do that, hit the 'share' button below the vid on youtube and copy the address that comes up, then just paste in here in the reply box, hit 'return' and it should pop up as the video.

[andy666]

I'm sold. That will definitely be my next rev purchase.

on an unrelated matter, can anyone lend me $500?  

[riffclown]

9 hours ago, jhn.holgate said:

Looks good.  Hope you don't mind me embedding the video.  If you want to do that, hit the 'share' button below the vid on youtube and copy the address that comes up, then just paste in here in the reply box, hit 'return' and it should pop up as the video.

Thank You..

[Jason]

On 5/25/2016 at 1:45 PM, andy666 said:

Nice, I can't wait to see some video of it in flight. There is very little info online about them, so I can't wait for your full review.

where did you get it from as I haven't seen anyone selling them online yet?

We can get you one Andy

 

[KaoS]

On 29/05/2016 at 5:43 PM, andy666 said:

I'm sold. That will definitely be my next rev purchase.

Might be worth waiting a bit longer...

There are very few reviews and comments on forums so far.  But a number of them mention concerns about the durability of the springs and the way they attach to the sail.

[riffclown]

1 hour ago, KaoS said:

Might be worth waiting a bit longer...

There are very few reviews and comments on forums so far.  But a number of them mention concerns about the durability of the springs and the way they attach to the sail.

I can't disagree. I've only flown it about four times now..I'm also concerned how they will handle salt air. I'll be flying at the beach in a few weeks and I'm going to be pretty upset if they just start rusting.  I did have someone mention the velcro pads might not stay on the springs very well but too early for me to tell right now.. I plan to heed their advice and put a bit of repair tape on the backside of the velcro tab to make it adhere better. Of course I have plenty of self adhesive industrial Velcro should I need it.. If I do run into any issues I'll share here but so far so good..Will probably be a few weeks before I get some good flying time again.

[Kitepower Australia]

Planning a small rev order order soon if anyone wants something specific, just shoot me an email or message.