Adventure Logs wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:43 pm
Kitexpert, do you even own a Peak or rode one?
I disagree that cloth is not very important. This TX is stiffer and that does make a difference. While a tradition dual skin foil has air pressure to keeps its shape, especially during slack lines, the single skin doesn't have this. Yes the bridle makes up for a lot of that but still the fabric is what holds this all together and you can see the TX fabric making a difference in that. It doesn't ballon as much between bridle attachment point which makes the wing canopy much smoother. Also on complete slack lines(which this kite is designed to drift) you can obviously see the TX holds its shape better.
I still haven't been able to compare with a P4 6m, my shoulder has been killing me, but then it will be easier to show the difference.
The bridle attachments most likely are a slight improvement but I question if this was changed more due to the different characteristics of the new fabric.
Now I'm no "Expert" but I do aeronautical degree and understand this stuff pretty well. Also I go by my pretty good experience flying a lot of these foils and I'm just explaining what I've observed ACTUALLY owning these kites and flying them in very different environments.
=Jason-
I'm not going to buy any Peaks because I don't need kite like that. I am more for speed and boosting/looping and there is no use for single skin kites there. But I know them from the beginning and I'll test P5 as soon as I get a chance to do so. I have also designed couple of ss kites and done quite a lot adjusting and testing work so I know pretty closely which are the main issues of the concept. FS (and some other manufacturers) have been able to develop them further but issues are still there, and actually you can't fully go around them.
TX kite is smoother because of the different bridle. Ballooning is not at all a thing there and it shows me you don't understand ss kite problem areas. Like I wrote even if you had 5x heavier/stiffer fabric kite bridle (and its counter force lift/pressure) is the thing which mostly keep ss kite in shape.
There is also quite a lot plastic rod stiffeners in P4 and of course there is same in P5, if not more. If there is more rods it can explain if P5 looks better and flutters less when depowered. Also new bridle helps to certain point of depower but not much when fully depowered because slack lines can't support anything.
So in short question fabric or bridle explaining improved smoothness is not a question at all. Earlier fabric was certainly decent stuff also.
I must say you seem not to understand these things very well but you have a lot of user experience of FS kites, which definitely has value for those who are interested in these kites