Thers going to be 2 variations of the same kite. A '' pro version'', using aluula and the other using the standard materials. It's definitely not all aluula looking at the pictures it just replaces the dacron. Pricey though. The canopy is the same Standard materials and to me that's what wears the most I.e the trailing edge from canopy flutter. It can only be a weight saving option. We will notice the difference? Probably not...
You may now say this ^^^, but after you have flown a kite with Aluula LE and struts you will change your mind .
In addition to the weight saving, there is so little intrinsic flex in the air frame that the kite can then be re-engineered to become a far more efficient and direct feeling wing. This obviously benefits both large and small kites.
Interesting to find if it is Aluula. I know Ralf G from Duotone has been talking about new lightweight materials in interviews for about a year. If its aluula then thats a really good sign for the brand that they have the freedom to go out and get whichever brand materials that they want to use.
If I'm honest, the Ocean Rodeo interview about Aluula put me off. It was the bit where they said that Aluula is suitable for the whole kite (Leading edge, canopy and bladders) but that they hadn't worked out yet how to tune the kite to make it work. That sounds like the kite in 3 years time is going to be way better than todays aluula offering so I'm looking to wait it out until they have the complete product. I might even be able to afford them if I start saving now too
.... It was the bit where they said that Aluula is suitable for the whole kite (Leading edge, canopy and bladders) ...
They must have been talking about the Aluula material technology and not using the same Aluula material for both LE and canopy. Unless they want to make an indestructible wave kite.
And if they are working on a canopy specific Aluula, it would take some time to get it done and tested.
Not to mention that it would add another $1000+ to the retail price. You better start saving indeed
Meanwhile, there have been some very successful trials with Code Zero canopy, which I believe has very similar performance to Aluula (for canopy, not LE). And CZ is few times less expensive.
That sounds like the kite in 3 years time is going to be way better than todays aluula offering so I'm looking to wait it out until they have the complete product. I might even be able to afford them if I start saving now too
But with that reasoning you'll never buy a new kite because something new is always coming next. I was in that position a decade ago when I was a computer geek. I could never buy something because there was always a new CPU, a new graphic card, memory... coming the next month.
We could hope that if more and more brands are using Aluula, the material produced in greater quantity would become less expensive.
Well, that's what I hope.
there is so little intrinsic flex in the air frame that the kite can then be re-engineered to become a far more efficient and direct feeling wing. This obviously benefits both large and small kites.
That is kind of interesting because when Best used DCF it was so stiff (according to them) that they had to add elastic elements to LE to get kite more ability to twist for faster turning.
I see Aluula the most important step forward since depowerable bow kites came. Good to see also Duotone uses it. But to make whole kite from it, I'm not sure if it is worth it. For example 12m kite has about 0,5kg canopy fabric, if weight of it is halved it makes kite only 250g lighter. This is not much more than 10% of total weight.
Halved weight is a real challenge for the canopy! Not saying impossible, DCF doesn't work for other reasons.
It's rather the bias stiffness, durable zero air permeability and no water absorption what can really make a difference.
And no need for heavier reinforcements in the tips and TE.
there is so little intrinsic flex in the air frame that the kite can then be re-engineered to become a far more efficient and direct feeling wing. This obviously benefits both large and small kites.
That is kind of interesting because when Best used DCF it was so stiff (according to them) that they had to add elastic elements to LE to get kite more ability to twist for faster turning.
Well I rode he cuben fiber leading edge best kites and looping the waroo pro took some real balls as it took a wide path. It wasn’t until best cut more of the cuben fiber out of the tips and added Kevlar flex patches in the leading edge that the kite could really turn properly.
So I feel like we have been through this more efficient and direct feeling wing thing.
I don’t know if aluula has more torsional flex and undoubtedly kite design has advanced but it took best several years to get a properly balanced kite using stiff material.
there is so little intrinsic flex in the air frame that the kite can then be re-engineered to become a far more efficient and direct feeling wing. This obviously benefits both large and small kites.
That is kind of interesting because when Best used DCF it was so stiff (according to them) that they had to add elastic elements to LE to get kite more ability to twist for faster turning.
Well I rode he cuben fiber leading edge best kites and looping the waroo pro took some real balls as it took a wide path. It wasn’t until best cut more of the cuben fiber out of the tips and added Kevlar flex patches in the leading edge that the kite could really turn properly.
So I feel like we have been through this more efficient and direct feeling wing thing.
I don’t know if aluula has more torsional flex and undoubtedly kite design has advanced but it took best several years to get a properly balanced kite using stiff material.
You might just be right.
But in any case, Aluula is not Cuben.
For such a large kite my Flite 14.5 Aluula does turn pretty quickly.
By all accounts (well interviews with Reece Myerscough) the problem with the prototype Aluula kites was that they turned too quickly so they were looking at how to slow down the smaller sizes.
That purple kite looks to me like new "kite range" colours rather than prototype colours. The prototypes I have seen on social media and at the beach have all been single colour fabric without sizing or branding.
