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Prism QP Update!!!! July 8, 2008 Ok we have good news and bad news. The good news is we received the QPs today. The bad news is that anyone who pre-ordered a vent, none came in. We called Prism and asked when???? They said they didn't know since they are really busy. Sorry, I wish that I had better news for all you that wanted a vent, so we wait. We will have very few open stock QPs in STD, UL and SULs, that I will add to the website in a bit.
Revolution Tubes July 3, 2008 We've been asked this a few time now and so we talked to Rev and they said there is no difference between the tubes that have a gold label on them compared to the silver label. Rev decided to change the labels from gold to silver since they are cheaper to produce. Since they didn't want to raise the prices of the tubes with gold labels they opted to switch labels instead of raising the price. Premier Widow, Wolf & Jewel Update May 5, 2008 The Wolf, Widow and Jewel are in stock in almost all available colors. We're short just the Coastal color for the Wolf. The Coastal Wolf Premier we will have in around 5-20. So we will be receiving them soon. Bargain Mart January 4, 2008 Prism Quantum Pro Update May 8, 2008 We have the QPs in all models on order but if you want to make sure to get one in a specific stock color email us and I'll put an order in for your color choice. With all the requests and emails on them we are expecting our first shipment will go fast.
We just found out that the first run of the QPs will be of the SUL, UL and Vented kites. The Standards they will begin after that. This is good news!! Flying Wings Soul & Rock On Update May 16, 2008 The Souls are in stock in all colors. We also received the Rock Ons and will have them listed in the next few days. Dan has finished up on the review he wrote for us. Here the photos are of the Soul and Rock On and you can see the Soul video here. Review of the Flying Wings Soul Soul Flying For the Tricker, the area where most bridles wear has a vinyl tubing sleeve to protect it from pre-mature wear. The leading edges of the kite are designed to be smooth, line snag problems Why all these new INNOVATIONS from FLYING WINGS? Well that’s a simple question to answer, they are FLYERS first. Bell the designer /trick flier puts his creations to all the tests. The Soul is a kite that you will enjoy no matter what your style of flying is. Mine is a mix of the easy tricks and cruisin’. Today the winds were low in the 3mph range. I had to ask if the one I was flying was an Ultra Lite, Bell said it was the standard model. I think a UL might be in the works though. ; ) Whatever he did with the design of the SOUL sure paid off. I was told the wind speed for a normal flier is 3 to 18 mph, any seasoned flier could fly in much lower winds without any difficulty with the Soul. One trick that I wanted to learn was the REVERSE RISING WING, well that’s the name I give it, aka rising turtle, it’s a simple trick to learn and I could do it even. ;) A Dan lesson, take your Soul ;) lay it on its back, give slack with your right hand and pull back with the left hand and walk back. Since the winds were light all you had to do was walk back and there ya go. The Soul is a smooth flying kite, I have had the chance to fly a few other kites that have this smooth feeling and just love it, like cutting butter with a hot knife. The Soul excels in smoothness, could be from the smooth leading edges and sail design is my take on it. Ok Dan flies, from the launch I just do some normal style flying no tricks to get the feel of the kite. One of my favorite moves is the slot machine, I’m a heavy handed aggressive flier and getting what I wanted out of the trick was done with ease, 540's is another favorite and again just super sweet moves, backspins are a piece of cake. The rest of the bag of tricks were just as easy, roll ups are instant. The Soul with its new innovations, in my opinion, ranks high above the rest. The workmanship is done with pride and care, the sewing is clean and neat if that’s how one would describe it. The bridles are nicely made with nice knots and again, that Innovative bridle protector will be seen on other kites that follow the LEADER, the Soul. No wingtip snags worth mentioning. I did get one and with one flick, I was ready to fly again. Tracking is awesome, the kite is quick to respond to your input with tricks. The real test pilot will be you, once you get your hands on one, you will agree it’s a nice flying machine. Most reviews are on the kite, which I did, but now a review on the company. I have known FW for a long time when I was full time in kite sales. Edward and Albert are just super nice people, and now with BELL on the team, it just ads more to their company. They have flown a long way and now have arrived with the SOUL. They really care about what they produce, and want the consumer to have the best and the latest Innovations. This is evident with the SOUL and their other kites. What’s nice about FW and their kites is that they are made in their own factory and Pricing I won’t get into that, it’s complicated for sure and I will pass on this part of the review by saying you get exactly what you pay for, especially with the SOUL. Fly one and you will buy one. ;) I did not get a chance to fly the Rock On, if it’s anything like the Soul, Flying Wings, you ROCK ON. :) My day had to be a short one as it was my Birthday dinner that night and I had to leave. Dan Whitney We'd like to thank Dan Whitney, Edward from Flying Wings, Bell and Albert for trying to do the test fly and photos before the trade show. To say they were rained out is putting it mildly. That was when the storms were hitting CA so hard. The day that Edward, Albert and Bell got back to CA after the trade show they went straight from the airport and met Dan at the fly field and finally were able to fly the Soul.
New Products January 4, 2008 The new kites by Premier, the Jewel, Wolf and Widow will be available the end of February - mid March we were told today.
The Soul and Rock On should be available by the mid to end of January or so. As soon as we get the go ahead we’ll be posting the specs on the Soul and Rock On kites. Because they are still tweaking the kites the specs might yet change.
Flying Wings Soul December 21, 2007 Here are a few pictures of the Soul. The Soul will Not be a mass production kite and will be produced by a specialized elite team at Flying Wings. After the initial introduction the kites will be made to order only.
Below is a picture of the new Rock On by Flying Wings
Sky Burner Widow Maker Review June 4, 2007: Widow Maker Review by Dan Whitney
Thank you Jon and Marrieanne of Sky Burner Kites for sending out a Widow Maker demo for me to test fly. Well at least I was told it was sent here for me. ;)
This review is dedicated to G. C. who called a few times asking my opinion of Sky Burner’s new Widow Maker kite.
This was the weekend of Midwest Kites First Annual Quad City Area Kite Festival which kept us busy, we didn’t get a chance to fly the Widow Maker until today.
It was late in the afternoon today, about 3:00 pm, when we took the Widow Maker out. The winds were in the in the 2 - 3 and 5 mph range with some bursts of higher winds at times.
I will start by saying the sail and quality build of this kite is just beautiful. As soon as you look over the details of the sail, the stitching and how nice it is sewn, you know you’re about ready to fly a super nice kite. The framing and fittings are clean and strong as they took a few nose plants without coming loose.
Like all of the Sky Burner kites that I have flown, the tracking is superb. This kite has such a smooth feel to it. It’s been awhile since I have flown a Sky Burner kite and I was very impressed with the Widow Maker right from the start. Having a smooth flying kite like this was so enjoyable to fly, I enjoy cruising into the wind.
I had the kite set up and ready to fly and the position that I was in, the nose came toward me and I just popped the lines and did a flap jack, one trick that I could only do with another kite. So I tried to do another flap jack and was amazed that I could do it repeatedly. Lots of fun just to do that. I said to Rich, “Look at this.” Rich came over and bingo, he could do them too. If you have always wanted to do a flap jack with ease, the Widow Maker will almost do them for you.
Not being a full trick flier I tried all the tricks that I could do, 540's were nice and flat and trouble free. I like doing slot machines, and very close to the ground and this kite is very predictable and accommodating to my inputs. Slots 1 foot off the ground were impressive. I can do backspins so that was the next trick to throw at the kite. I usually can do left spins easily and I have a hard time doing rights so I tried some right backspins to unwind the lines, and again IMPRESSED I was with myself, OK the kite. ;) Fades are ever so easy to do and you can hold them for as long as you like.
Well now here’s my weakest trick and that is the roll up. At first I thought the stoppers were a little low on the leading edge as some other kites that I have flown with yo yo stoppers where a little higher. After a few attempts, I was wound up. Controlling the kite wound up was just fine and I pulled off my first yo yo, well if I did it once could I do it again, YEP, easy! I can’t do multiples yet but I’m sure the kite can. I had Rich come over and try a few, the third time Rich did a perfect yo yo. We both agreed that if we could do them, anyone could do them. This has to be one of the easiest kites to roll up for sure.
Lay back moves, flat spins, Jacobs Ladders are all done with ease. It was getting late and the wind dropped off but the kite was still flyable in such low wind. It was hard to put it away, that alone says a lot for a kite.
I also tested the kite for any kind of over steer and none was to be found. I did put the kite in some awkward positions, flier error, and most of the time I could recover it in the sky. A few times it did come down and landed all screwed up, when trying roll ups, but with a few tugs of the lines I was ready to fly again.
The only time I had to walk to the kite was with the nose towards me, NO I didn’t try a dead launch, I will leave that one up to Sky Burner to claim the rights to. ;)
I really give this kite high marks. I did not see any negative comments to give to the kite, it was a pleasure to fly. If I spent more time on it, I’m sure the Widow Maker would really improve my flying and give me some personal surprises.
We are all at different levels in our flying capabilities some of us like to trick, some like to mix it up and some of us like to just cruise. Now just picking the color is a problem. ;)
Again thank you Jon and Marrieanne at Sky Burner for letting me fly the Widow Maker. The dirt on the nose is my gift to you. :)
Dan Whitney
Here is Rich's Custom Widow Maker.
Silver Fox 2.5 Standard & Vented Pictures:
Notice the beads that they are using on the bridle for making adjustments. Using the beads, you can switch from a three point bridle system to a turbo system without taking the bridle off the kite. There is something that is quite unique on the Silver Fox Vented, it has a back pocket / flap on it. Typically if you try a lay back with other vented kites they have a propensity for falling out of the sky but with the new Silver Fox when you do a lay back the pocket / flap closes and allows the kite to stay airborne. Review on the Silver Fox 2.3 UL January 2007
Flown in 1 - 4 mph, but closer to the low end of the wind range. This was with a wind meter and not a guessed at rating. I was able to fly a 2.3 UL, 2.5 UL, and a 2.5 Vented.
Like a vented will fly in 1-4 mph. Well I did give it a try. The Silver Fox vented has this unique rear tunnel flap to keep the kite, when on its back, from just falling out of the sky. Wish the winds were high today, I would bet that it's a hoot of a vented to fly.
Back to the 2.3 UL, I found this to be the kite of choice for today. It performs excellent in low low wind. It's very capable of all the tricks. Have you tried to back spin in low winds and not had any success? Then this 2.3 is just the kite for you. The kite has a two configuration bridle system, as with the other Silver Fox kites. You have your choice of flying with a standard bridle or a turbo. This is accomplished by moving part of the bridle, larksheaded, to behind all of the beads. If the beads bother you, you can mark your bridle with a marking pen and remove the beads. With the beads in place it didn't seem to create any problems. This 2.3 UL would be my first pick of the Silver Fox litter. Comparing the 2.3 and the 2.5 in the same winds, the 2.3 performed superior.
The kite has no oversteer, flies nice straight lines and takes your commands instantly. All the lay back moves, Jacobs Ladder, slot machines, were all that you could ask for. There are no wingtip wrap problems and any small wing tip catches are easily corrected with a few snaps. The construction is of the highest quality. Nice yo yo stoppers, clean leading edges as the le fitting are covered on the le side. The rear standoffs are cleanly finished on the backside of the sail. The main attaching bridle is extra long as to not wear out your line set when doing lots of roll ups. The kite comes with a nice storage bag, not just a kite sleeve, this is one nice package. The fox hunt would then be over for you. 2.3 UL
2.5 UL 2.5 Standard 2.5 Vented The 2.5 Standard model was not flown today, look for our review soon on this beauty. This review was written by our friend Dan Whitney.
Level One Genesis Evo Review October 2006: Evo Review By Dan Whiteny WOW, I knew I was going to have a great time with the Evo! Right after my launch I felt the smoothness of this kite, you know like a hot knife cutting through butter. I did my warm ups, starting with nice smooth circles, crisp turns, my inputs were well received with the kite. Tracking was rail straight. The wind was in the 2 - 5mph range and the kite was not lazy. I was very impressed by the kites drive that it had in these lower winds, almost like flying a UL kite in low winds. Flying in the lower wind did not present any problems either. I didn't have to pump to get it to go, I think we all have been there with some of the kites in our bags, well not with the Evo. The lower wind capabilities of this Evo are outstanding. Anxious to see how it would do the tricks, I did a 540 and what a beauty, was it the kite or flier? I like a kite that does what I want it to do, so I will give some of the credit to the Evo. ;-) (Note from Lyn - Don't be fooled by the laid back banter and humor, he is a superb flier and knows his kites.) The next trick was another of my favorites, the slot machine. I could do those within a foot of the ground, all I had to do was give it some slack and let the kite do the rest. I kept on doing more and only once did I not do my double flick in time, the kite took that slam to the ground with no problems, all the parts were still there. Off I go to do some more to impress my friends. lol I just connected with this kite for sure. I knew I wouldn't put it down for a rest or share it, yep, I hogged it all day. The Cascade is one trick that I have aways had difficulty with but with the Evo, I got my fair share before having to gain height to do them again. Now how would this kite backspin, one trick that I can do on very few kites and usually I can only do left spins consistently. Of course I tried that first and could keep on back spinning as much as I wanted and with very little loss of altitude. Ok I was ready to see how well I could backspin from the right (right hand pops). The Evo did not disappoint me and I continued to have excellent results and with ease. Tricks are always fun to do but when you're not doing them and want to just fly, I want a kite that feels good at the ends of my lines just carving up the sky ever so smoothly, the Evo excels in that smooth feeling. Once in awhile I hit the ground or just messed up a trick and my relaunches were easy, hardly any wingtip wraps and any that I did get, one snap of the line and I was set to go. Pop up launches into a fade were easy, just a little walking back gave me plenty of altitude to get out of the fade in these light winds. Lay backs, backspins, roll ups, any combinations that I can do, the Evo did them just as I wanted. I'm totally impressed! Like I said earlier, I hogged the Evo all day. It's a kite that I would always take to the field. The quality of build is excellent! This kite currently resides in CA in Dan's kite bag. ;-) Dan Whitney As most of you know Rich's favorite kite is the Level One Genesis. The Evo is the evolution of the Gen. The Evo's sail is cambered slightly different than the Gen and the weight system is a bit different too. Both kites are real winners and highly under rated in our opinions.
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