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Someone got some drone footage last month on a day when we didn't have much wind, was flying the charger v3:



https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=you ... KiftxuaWQc

Embedding link seems to be broken.

Out of interest - would this make a good first foil kite? I usually fly fast LEI kites so this looked a reasonable first step as the characteristics are closer to those of an LEI than some designs.

I'm 80kg. Do a mixture of twin tip, surf board in the chop, hydrofoil and landboarding. Was thinking about a 10m charger v3 to replace my biggest LEI (10m). Was wondering if it might make a reasonable allround kite or whether I'm asking a little too much and the landboarding and hydrofoiling (the activities I do when its not 18knots +) will be wrong for the design as without the bridle it doesn't work so well in light winds?

Have no idea about the newest charger but back with the venoms, that style of non bridled foil (arcs) were always less powerful per meter than LEIs and way less than bridled foils. Not much projected area. They were also pretty slow. They were fantastic for learning on as they auto zenith when you let go and just wait there.

Would like to try the latest, but have been spoiled by fast kites for so many years now and have doubts I could go back.

Thanks! That's the type of feedback I needed. Its sometimes difficult to read between the lines of the marketing info.

foilholio wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:05 am

A bridle foil with autozenith how lovely that would be, but there is none .

One would think that autozenith is a great thing, and in some regards/circumstances it is, but it can also be a problem. Toeside, with one hand on the bar, your hand needs to be on the bottom of the bar, steering the kite down (to counter act the autozenith). That was the main reason I got away from arcs on the water.

They still are the best kite for general, non-racing use in the buggy. Flew a tandem behind a 9m phantom on Ivanpah on year at NABX, hunting down dust devils. Kite went right through them.

Steve

I think the arc peek was with the phantom and the venom kites. But lack of power per m2 and slow turners so they could not compete anymore then the tubes stopped hidenburg and the bridle foils became more and more stable. A shame that they did not evolve the arc design with briddles to increase the projected area but I guess it would've become a regular foil then?

Slow? Arcs are by great margin fastest turning foil kites there is by nominal size. For example 12m Ch is faster or about equal with 8m kite foil and it is faster at the edge of the wind window. However compared to LEI's they are slower and it is also true that PA of 12m arc is about the same than 8m foil kite.

Arcs are essentially foil structured C-kites. 12m and under they really yank you up vertically, not at all lame like high AR foil kites. Bar pressure is highish in arcs, with pulleys it is tolerable though.

In small sizes arcs are really aggressive kites - not for beginners but fun too looping and driving like crazy, on ice and snow of course. For kitesurfing not very good choices though , power is too on/off, also launch/relaunch behaviour can be challenging...

There have been prototypes of Arcs with bridles.
What I have heard the auto zenith and extreme stability were not possible with bridles. Tha is why development stopped

had a venom² then a synergy then a charger1 and i went to flysurfer for more projected area and low end.
the synergy was a very good upgrade from the venom² in every aspect.

the synergy was a good all around kite, very stable in my gusty mountain winds ( water lakes and snow), 12m , the power of a low 10m FS/LEI. could loop it all around ( quick turner compared to flysurfers) to climb hills,really good high end,loved it, sold it to get the charger1 to get more performance

but the charger1 was a nightmare in my winds, unstable whatever the settings, a pain, clamshells in mid airs then open up in full window tried a lot of thing to stabilize it and i quit,uncomparable to the synergy
i bought a 10m low aspect ratio flysurfer instead, better low end, stable enough, lower high end than the synergy but well, easier to lauch on snow and water (no butterfly launching problems) and ways easier to park and ride without having to work them much ( my shoulders problems thx me)

i d like the test that charger3 one day if i ever cross someone who has one...but now mostly, who has a foil, has usually a flysurfer.
i still have an old venom²8m for high winds but my flysurfer15 is doing 80% of my rides, 18% the 10m unity, and i don t recall unbooxing the venom²8 for the past 9 years....and the downside of the venom² 8 is that it s a real mosquito even on a 45cm bar.....could perma kiteloop it if needed...and no mistakes to be done...

I just saw one for sale second hand: https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/kites- ... 91debc9b94
I used to fly an Arc back in about 2002. A kite with auto-zenith could be awesome for hydrofoiling in light winds when others are struggling to keep their kites in the air.
Does anyone hydrofoil with a kite like this?