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Airwave

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kitexpert
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Re: Airwave

Postby kitexpert » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:15 pm

stefFZ wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 9:22 pm
Adventure Logs wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 5:24 pm
I'm hoping FS comes out with a smaller size on the next gen Soul. Near single-skin performance with all the benefits of a traditional foil kite.
That is called a CA wave ;-) ... they come in 4.5m and 3m
Yes, it really doesn't make much sense to try to make very small high performance kite. Simple low AR kite is ok and very possibly even better than more efficient kite when it is really windy.

FS had 4m P3 long time ago but it was too difficult when it was really nuking. LEI*s were just better, more stable and controllable.

That is valid question why anyone should pay extra for small foil kite when there is small, almost unused second hand LEI kites around for small price. I paid mine 120€ (4m) an it is excellent. Simple, reliable (0 collapses/hindenburgs so far), faster, better to handle, faster, nice to loop, no upper end yet (tested 50kn or above, which was very scary though, I got lofted - ok I guess that was the upper limit :) ) etc. etc.

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Adventure Logs
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Re: Airwave

Postby Adventure Logs » Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:17 am

kitexpert wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:15 pm

That is valid question why anyone should pay extra for small foil kite when there is small, almost unused second hand LEI kites around for small price. I paid mine 120€ (4m) an it is excellent. Simple, reliable (0 collapses/hindenburgs so far), faster, better to handle, faster, nice to loop, no upper end yet (tested 50kn or above, which was very scary though, I got lofted - ok I guess that was the upper limit :) ) etc. etc.
Because pumps are for chumps, the foil will have a much larger range, and pumping burns off the beer buzz.

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Re: Airwave

Postby Brucegs » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:25 pm

Glad to see this thread showing interest in AIrwave. I have read though it and can bring a few insights you might find useful:

- My claim of 'better than a tube kite' comes from my own experience. I have been kiting for 20 years and own 10 tube kites and dont use any of them anymore, just the Koala.

- Yes the lineplan download on the website is not the correct one. Apologies, we will update this. The Manual is correct.

- My favorite Koala size is the 5. People are concentrating on the larger sizes but I feel this is a mistake. For me the 5 stands out the most as a step forward from my preconceived ideas.

- Concerning sizes, I think the most popular tube kite is size 10. Due to the higher efficiency of the foil kite this is equivalent to a Koala 8. So our main size is the 8.
In the past foil kites were most popular in big sizes, but I think this will change. Koala is designed as a standard Freeride kite so the sizes follow that idea.

Bruce

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Re: Airwave

Postby Horst Sergio » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:59 pm

Hi Bruce,

agree, just interested to test the 5 m².

Would be nothing new to have a small foil of around 8 m² that works well in some perfect conditions.
Or to build small kites with low AR and lower performance as ConceptAir generously does to fill the gap for the very small foil kites.
Or to build special single skins as the Peak4 with low performance, but great stability up to also quite small sizes and higher winds.
But even Flysurfer doesn't build pretty high performance closed cell kites below 6 m² as indeed it seems not so easy to have them working well in all gusty conditions and therefore to sell a relevant amount that pays back development costs.

So to me 5 m² will be the size to see Airwaves abilities and where the biggest gap in the market is.

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Re: Airwave

Postby Adventure Logs » Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:12 pm

Horst Sergio wrote:
Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:59 pm

But even Flysurfer doesn't build pretty high performance closed cell kites below 6 m² as indeed it seems not so easy to have them working well in all gusty conditions and therefore to sell a relevant amount that pays back development costs.

So to me 5 m² will be the size to see Airwaves abilities and where the biggest gap in the market is.
I've been told by a FS rep long ago, they don't like doing smaller sizes because they are more difficult to sew. Easier to get wrong and have the kite fly incorrectly.

I think they make the Peter Lynn Nova in a 4m. Curious how popular that is.

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Re: Airwave

Postby jakemoore » Sat Apr 10, 2021 3:28 pm

5m Hyperlink was a lot of fun for me. I'm hoping great success for the Koala in small sizes!

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Re: Airwave

Postby Brucegs » Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:29 am

Yes we have another program as well called Retrix. Both Alula and Retrix are the names of feathers on a soaring bird's wing.

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Re: Airwave

Postby geokite » Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:16 pm

I'm curious how well a 32 cell 5m kite does. That is a lot of cells, so a lot of performance, for a high wind kite. Opposite to what I want in a high wind kite. I think that was the thinking of the PL Nova, which for me (the 6m size) didn't work out very well.

For instance, a 6m Peter Lynn Phantom (2004 or so) is amazing for the buggy in 20-30mph winds (or more). So stable. Inefficient for it's size (comparable to a 2m fixed bridle foil), and does not turn tight; exactly what makes it great for high winds.

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Re: Airwave

Postby joriws » Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:36 am

Just to summarize the small sized "hydrofoil" foil-kite competition which seems to be great for us consumers, hopefully nice cross reviews comes from many consumers:

- Airwave Koala 5m
- ConceptAir Pulsion 6m (or even 3.7m available)
- Flysurfer Soul 6m
- Flysurfer Peak4 4m (maybe similar wind range or would it be 3m?)
- Kitech FRS 6m
- Ozone Hyperlink 5m
- Peter Lynn Nova 4m or 6m
(sorry if I left something out unintentionally, Elf does not have Swift smaller than 8.5m, Aeros, Paraavis, Monjet, HQ did not check)

I already arranged a contact with local Airwave dealer to do a Koala demo before deciding anything on my small foil^2 solution.

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Re: Airwave

Postby lederhosen » Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:34 am

joriws wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:36 am
Just to summarize the small sized "hydrofoil" foil-kite competition which seems to be great for us consumers, hopefully nice cross reviews comes from many consumers:

- Airwave Koala 5m
- ConceptAir Pulsion 6m (or even 3.7m available)
- Flysurfer Soul 6m
- Flysurfer Peak4 4m (maybe similar wind range or would it be 3m?)
- Kitech FRS 6m
- Ozone Hyperlink 5m
- Peter Lynn Nova 4m or 6m
(sorry if I left something out unintentionally, Elf does not have Swift smaller than 8.5m, Aeros, Paraavis, Monjet, HQ did not check)

I already arranged a contact with local Airwave dealer to do a Koala demo before deciding anything on my small foil^2 solution.
Kitech also has a 4m now. It is just not on the webpage yet.


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