Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 2:15 am
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Something new from HQ Kites.
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Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 4:10 pm
Looks great, I like that they promise a good turning speed. Let's see what the reviews are.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:07 pm
So HQ have decided to make their own Hyperlink with blackjack, hookers and larger sizes. Makes me wonder about the prices.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:19 pm
its not Hyperlink it it is this kite - Kitech FRS - certainly looks alike - Hyperlink is higher AR
- which is btw very good kite to copy - imo better than Soul - and FRS is older than all of them and original design.
- which is btw very good kite to copy - imo better than Soul - and FRS is older than all of them and original design.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:32 pm
Looks quite same concept as Ozone Hyperlink, and for the AR also like Soul. Cell count is 32 which is 1 higher than in Hyperlink but clearly lower than in Soul.
If I had designed that kite I probably would have added one cell (to 33, odd cell count) and having then air intake at the center of the kite. But it is ok as it is. Kite shape in both plan view and in flight looks good and balanced.
Bridle is a bit simpler than what it is in Hyperlink. But I wouldn't say design of Hyperlink is bad, there is many worse examples around...
Knowing earlier products of HQ (Matrixx, Montana, Apex) I believe this new kite is a good one. But of course I wouldn't except it to be at the level of FS Soul.
If I had designed that kite I probably would have added one cell (to 33, odd cell count) and having then air intake at the center of the kite. But it is ok as it is. Kite shape in both plan view and in flight looks good and balanced.
Bridle is a bit simpler than what it is in Hyperlink. But I wouldn't say design of Hyperlink is bad, there is many worse examples around...
Knowing earlier products of HQ (Matrixx, Montana, Apex) I believe this new kite is a good one. But of course I wouldn't except it to be at the level of FS Soul.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:39 pm
It is your opinion
No, I don't think FRS is "original design" of mid AR kite. FS had Psychos ages ago and I strongly believe latest versions of it are still above most of the new foil kites. But where to get new P3 or P4 these days?
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 12:23 am
Quick designs to show the difference between 32 and 33 cells. Bridle configuration in both is same.
With 33 cells kite is more balanced and cell shape is slightly better, but 7 air intakes with "adaptive valves" is a bit too much I guess... But only good thing when valves are open. I'd done it with 5 like it is in Hyperlink (and Soul), but this 6 in Empulse is reasonable choice too. I'm not sure if this open/close kite hassle is necessary at all.
It is a bit funny to see some kites have double air intakes in the middle (Pulsion), some four cells without any...
Cell count can always be pushed higher, but there is a law for diminishing returns. For mid AR 32 or 33 are ok, but Soul with 41 cells is in its own class.
BTW Pansh A15 has this 33 cells, but different bridle and air intake spacing etc.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2019 6:51 am
Maybe this is a bit an off-topic; I was thinking of buying an Empulse but stumbled upon a very good deal on a HQ4 18m Matrixx. Yesterday I tried Matrixx for the first time. I do not have a huge experience with different foil kites but I used 1st generation Ozone Chrono 18m for one season so I have something to compare it to, let me share my impressions. When I started my session, wind was between 4 and 5 m/s. I had line extensions, total line length about 30 meters. Inflation was not too quick and the kite felt a bit loose, few times it went into a kind of a bow-tie but recovered, also got wingtips inflated. The kite is quite responsive to power settings; in the beginning I had it depowered and flew through the power zone -- it did not pull much. I adjusted my trim to more power and got a very decent pull. I used a long bar (65cm) and kite was very responsive, turning speed was much higher than that of Chrono, actually comparable to an 18m inflatable. On water (with a surfboard) the kite was very smooth and provided steady power, did not feel overpowered when I was riding fast, it was easy to go upwind, it did not pull me down. In about an hour rain clouds started moving in, wind increased to 8 - 10m/s, sometimes more and was not steady. I depowered Matrixx a bit and surprise -- it was still quite controllable and did not feel dangerous. My friend was riding a 13m C kite at that time and doing high jumps. When I was landing the kite, wind was over 10m/s, sand was being blown all over the beach. I pulled safety, the kite nicely folded and landing was easy. So Matrixx was a very very pleasant surprise for me: it turns fast, has a great depower and wind range.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2019 2:18 pm
Yes, Matrixx is quite nice kite, it is very light weight kite, it can handle a lot of wind, it is controllable, smooth and safe kite to use. But to compare 18m Matrixx by its turning speed to a 18m inflatable does not make much sense. In reality not even 15m Matrixx turns as fast as decent big LEI, hardly 12m Matrixx either. There is many 9m foil kites which turn slower than 17m LEI.RalfsB wrote: Maybe this is a bit an off-topic; I was thinking of buying an Empulse but stumbled upon a very good deal on a HQ4 18m Matrixx. Yesterday I tried Matrixx for the first time. I do not have a huge experience with different foil kites but I used 1st generation Ozone Chrono 18m for one season so I have something to compare it to, let me share my impressions. When I started my session, wind was between 4 and 5 m/s. I had line extensions, total line length about 30 meters. Inflation was not too quick and the kite felt a bit loose, few times it went into a kind of a bow-tie but recovered, also got wingtips inflated. The kite is quite responsive to power settings; in the beginning I had it depowered and flew through the power zone -- it did not pull much. I adjusted my trim to more power and got a very decent pull. I used a long bar (65cm) and kite was very responsive, turning speed was much higher than that of Chrono, actually comparable to an 18m inflatable. On water (with a surfboard) the kite was very smooth and provided steady power, did not feel overpowered when I was riding fast, it was easy to go upwind, it did not pull me down. In about an hour rain clouds started moving in, wind increased to 8 - 10m/s, sometimes more and was not steady. I depowered Matrixx a bit and surprise -- it was still quite controllable and did not feel dangerous. My friend was riding a 13m C kite at that time and doing high jumps. When I was landing the kite, wind was over 10m/s, sand was being blown all over the beach. I pulled safety, the kite nicely folded and landing was easy. So Matrixx was a very very pleasant surprise for me: it turns fast, has a great depower and wind range.
Difference in turning speed is many kite sizes but I don't mean Matrixx is especially slow turning foil kite. Big high(ish) AR foil kites are very slow to turn, all of them.
For boosting Matrixx is a bit lame kite, you can jump with it but you won't get so much height. Hang time is good though. Compared to Speeds or Soul it isn't even close in that respect.
I've used/tested/own 12m, 15m and 18m Matrixx's and most big LEI's available.
Re: Something new from HQ Kites.
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:50 am
I mean, I did not test Matrixx side by side with an 18m LEI and my perception may be very subjective but I have had my share of light wind LEIs, like Zephyr (the first make of them), Airush Vantage, RRD Emotion. They were not particularly fast turning (overall I think Airush Vantage was the most usable of those) but their character was that you initiate a turn and the kite responds. Chrono was annoyingly slow. On waterstarts it felt like sitting in the water for half an hour until something starts happening, and it did pull a lot during the turn and then kind of stopped pulling when it came to the edge of the window -- when I actually needed that power. When I was flying Matrixx, it had all the smoothness of a foil kite but the character was more like of a LEI: turning was responsive and reasonably fast, and power delivery also felt closer to LEIs than to Chrono.