Re: Predictions for Ram Airs in 2020
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:31 am
The peak 4 was released 2 years ago, it is the kite from that type which has crossed most to water. I think it's L/D improvement over previous Peaks is a big factor for that. Yes technologies have been released many years ago, Psycho4 12 years ago arguably the most advanced kite ever. It is still though a long time till technologies are more refined and better understood and implemented, do you see any Psycho 4 PA change in other kites? I have one but it is a modification... What about 3 bridle rows too? I have one as well, modification again. Flysurfer tried a Pyscho 4 with 3.2 bridle rows, and scrapped the concept after only 2 released sizes and a prototype in another size. I would guess they bit off more than they could chew. Quite amazing though a single small brand could innovate more than the rest of the industry, just proves how useless group think is and what a guru Steve Jobs was.grigorib wrote: Peak was released 6 years ago. Mini-ribs, A/B/Z bridles, battens, leading edge center string - those came out 8 years ago and are still cool things but these are not recent developments.
Can be avoided for water relaunch? and the Ozone XXlite is a paraglider not a kite for water relaunch. I am not even sure avoiding some hybrid cells will have the best flying character. The hybrid tips to me seems a very elegant solution, typical Flysurfer. For water relaunch the hybrid leading edge, like with the FireFly is the obvious solution. Is it the best? well it works well.grigorib wrote: Hybrid cells could have been avoided if guys designed geometry better - Ozone XXLite didn’t need hybrid tips.
I think a big problem kite companies have is having the right people test their gear. A few of us on here are kiting regular and of quite particular styles. Toby for instance, a brand would be silly to not try get his suggestions. Bars for example is where "me too" think is at it's finest. A brand with just a little intuition could clean out most the industry with a bar that is 1/4 the cost, weight and complexity.... You get what you get when you hire designers and ask help from those who seemingly can't even grasp first principles.
It has been revolutionary, in the past and I think foil kites have had more developments. The obvious path not taken is to combine the two, but the design talent for that is not resident.grigorib wrote: Just as in LEIs - development is not revolutionary in foils either