Ozone Chrono V4 vs Flysurfer Sonic V3

[Chusss]

Hello everyone,
Which one is better in terms of its speed/up&downwind andle/windrange/weight/robustness/price?
Thanks in advance for your experiences and opinions.
Chus

[dave1986]

Hello everyone,
Which one is better in terms of its speed/up&downwind andle/windrange/weight/robustness/price?
Thanks in advance for your experiences and opinions.
Chus

The Chrono V4 was only released yesterday so I doubt many have used it yet.

See below a comparison of the Sonic 3 vs Chrono V4 technical specifications side-by-side. It looks like the Sonic 3 is higher ascpect ratio and has a few more cells so it might be slightly more "racey". I know that the Chrono has sleeved bridles which makes them very low maintenance -- people report many hours of useage with no significant bridle shrinkage (the downside is a little extra parasitic drag). I know that the Chrono V4 now only comes in an ultralight fabirc which is the same fabric as used in the Hyperlink V2 (and very similar to the fabric in the Chrono V3 Ultralight).

I don't know much about the Sonic 3 bridles - other than they have a long mixer test on them so able to adjust. This makes me think they are probably not sleeved bridles (can anyone confirm this?). I believe the Sonic 3 will be a little heavier than the Chrono V4.

[jakemoore]

Sonic has single braid sk99 bridles.

The Hyperlink V2 cloth is more slipppery like a silnylon or possibly FS lotus cloth. The previous UL ozone options would compare more to the FS Deluxe in feel. I can’t speak to the weight of the cloth itself. The published weights from V3 to V4 are a big step.

I have flown my V3 Back to back with the new Sonic. It is going to be a tough choice.

9m Chrono seems to be the most popular size for free ride HF here. It’s a shame if the smallest is 11.

[dave1986]

Sonic has single braid sk99 bridles.

Thanks. So I guess the Sonic is higher maintenance and less drag but, but has the advantage of the long mixer test to correct for any bridle shrinkage.

The Hyperlink V2 cloth is more slipppery like a silnylon or possibly FS lotus cloth. The previous UL ozone options would compare more to the FS Deluxe in feel. I can’t speak to the weight of the cloth itself. The published weights from V3 to V4 are a big step.

My 13m Chrono V3 Ultralight is 2.19kg.
The 13m Chrono V3 Standard is 2.626kg
The 13m Chrono V4 is 2.2kg

I have flown my V3 Back to back with the new Sonic. It is going to be a tough choice.

Is your V3 Chrono Standard or Ultralight fabric? What differences did you notice compared with the Sonic 3?

9m Chrono seems to be the most popular size for free ride HF here. It’s a shame if the smallest is 11.

I agree it's a shame that 11m is the smallest size V4 Chrono

[jakemoore]

I have flown my V3 Back to back with the new Sonic. It is going to be a tough choice.

Is your V3 Chrono Standard or Ultralight fabric? What differences did you notice compared with the Sonic 3?

Standard.

Flying both in light but not absolute low end limit e.g. 10-12 knots on 18m lines the Sonic had significantly better upwind and boost feeling when pulling in the bar. For example static jumps on land 5-6 feet on my Chrono but 10-12 on the Sonic. Also, when standing shoulder to shoulder with my buddy flying the his Sonic the Chrono leading edge would sit even with the Sonic trailing edge at the top of the window.

I pretty much only use my Chrono for very light wind hydrofoiling on very long lines (40+). I would not have even pulled it out of the bag on the day I flew it next to the Sonic because I prefer to downsize as soon as I can. I suspect the Chrono is better for body dragging without collapse in very light wind. I can't compare the Sonic because nobody else comes out in winds so light so its an educated guess. I can get out in extremely light winds on my 13 and I think the weight savings and more importantly the more water-resistant cloth are going to make a big difference in light wind HF riding.

At the same time, on the 13 the low end limit for me is not keeping it in the air, but generating enough pull to get out of the water. So I'm hoping the 4 is a little stronger size for size.

[dave1986]

Standard.

Thanks for the info @jakemoore. Were you comparing 13m Chrono with 13m Sonic?

I find the same limiting factor with my 13m Chrono V3 Ultralight - The low-end limit for riding is not that the kite wont fly, but that the kite won't lift me out the water below 5knots. But it'll stay flying in about 2/3 knots(just).

[jakemoore]

Yes both 13

[Chusss]

So, compared to the Chrono V4, the Sonic V3:
-has a more water-resistant cloth
-worse bridal material but longer mixer bridals to allow for eventual fine tuning when needed
-higher aspect ratio for a more racier performance
-more robust construction to last for more time (at a cost of being slightly heavier)

Am I right?

If so, it looks pretty clear to me...

[PrfctChaos]

So, compared to the Chrono V4, the Sonic V3:
-has a more water-resistant cloth
-worse bridal material but longer mixer bridals to allow for eventual fine tuning when needed
-higher aspect ratio for a more racier performance
-more robust construction to last for more time (at a cost of being slightly heavier)

Am I right?

If so, it looks pretty clear to me...

Chrono V3 turns well and is a very fun kite to use and fly. I haven't flown the Sonic V3, but I imagine it will be slower turning than a Soul and the slow turning performance on the soul and pulling through the window were both dealbreakers for me. To me it felt like the Soul is excellent in a straight line and the Chrono was better at everything else about dynamic flying.

[joriws]

So, compared to the Chrono V4, the Sonic V3:
-has a more water-resistant cloth
-worse bridal material but longer mixer bridals to allow for eventual fine tuning when needed
-higher aspect ratio for a more racier performance
-more robust construction to last for more time (at a cost of being slightly heavier)

Ozone closed cell foil kites are (at least were) famous to collect fine sand to trailing edge, not sure Chrono V4 though if bad design has been upgraded. I've never observed such behavior with my Flysurfer kites on my 11y of riding those, on summer I mostly ride fine sand grain beach and I keep my kites 3-4 years usually so I should see if there is any problem with sand.

I've seen a pic of Ozone foil with a lot of sand in TE but right now I cannot find it. So KF topics to start:

viewtopic.php?t=2399560
viewtopic.php?t=2384615&start=146