The one arc kite still sold today it only has 2 inlet cells at the center of the kite and all other bridled foils today have 5 to 7 inlet cells spaced along the leading edge. The older arc kites similarly, had 5 to 7 inlet cells spaced along the leading edge. So did the arc mature concluding the design trade to a simpler, lighter, slower de-pressure resistant, less water ingress design, outweighs adding inlet cells to speed inflation time? Perhaps there are other design considerations like the highly curved profile that allows the arc to use so few inlets?
I have flown the Peter Lynn-ChargerV1 and it does take some patience and bar manipulation to get it fully inflated. Once full it seems to stay inflated in all conditions and after landing it deflates very slowly until the vents are opened. The arc has the side fill openings to pre-inflate, a feature most bridled foils don’t need. The 2 arc cell inlet openings may face the wind at the best angle at the top, and bridled foil with a flatter profile can add/space inlets that face the wind at a similar angle to the center cell, along the leading edge. Ozone-R1/Chrono and Flysurfer-Sonic Race foils have inlet cells located even further out towards the wingtips than most other current bridled foil designs. I am guessing that the added weight and drag is offset for higher and/or more consistent internal pressure for these race designs (reducing overall drag). Speed of initial inflation probably is only a concern for these race kites if a re-launch is needed.
Flysurfer on the Speed 3 included a nose valve
viewtopic.php?t=2364293 to help depower when closed. This feature did not last, so I’m not sure how effective it was, since the concept has been discontinued. Wondering if there were bridled kites that had minimized the inlet cells to 2 or less and why the design trade was not optimum. Maybe years from now we will not only say "remember those 7 strut LEI kites...", but also " remember those 7 inlet cell foil kites..."?