REVflyer

Two Bazzers and Five Shook for me,....... 1. Zen 2. AuA indoor 3. SUL B-Pro full sail (or Phoenix Ashe) 4. 40% Shook 5. 75% Shook 6. B-2 Shook (called the CR2, only in a 75%) 7. a 135% Shook

a single vent is commonly referred to as a "mid-vent", it would fit nicely in between your current quiver of existing kites for wind range.

maybe a stack (a 12 pack) of Rev ones? Can't imagine using flying lines that thick for one kite, but sometimes you work what's available

my preference is 50#/65 feet if flailing around on a full sail on a mesh kite that six foot leading edge size I've used 50#/100 foot and 100#/120's my heaviest lines are 175# sky bond/120's

mine are mirrored as a left and right piece/tube, I choose to put the springs facing inside the frame

call Lolly,

the two kites are different overall sizes, so the spars are not interchangeable between these 3 models

Reflex tech is simply a space between the sail and the frame, to increase the glide and add a more aerodynamic 3/d curve into the sail as opposed to OVER the leading edge. Imagine the difference between a dinner plate and a frisbee, if you kicked both off of a table?,... one would fall immediately and the other would glide some distance as it penetrates the wind more effectively. An example,... Bazzer's new design (Phoenix) has a great "falling leaf trick" almost given away free because the glide has been removed by the attachment method of the end-caps on the top of the down spars at the back of the sail. The Supersonic has a pronounced curvature OVER the leading edge. It will dead launch and have a better glide by comparison. The Reflex is just more of that 3 dimensional airflow action, but you can do the same type of thing with altering the knot placement for tensioning the sail (such that they are rotated underneath the leading edge and the down-spar connection at that point) on a B-Series or a Rev old-style. You restrict that end-cap's movement with an additional bridle leg, so it can NOT wiggle regardless of pilot flailing or impacts with Mother Earth. A good glide should allow you to throw the kite parallel with the ground for some measurable distance, just like a frisbee. You can practice w/o the strings affixed and compare the glide of different models. how does it come from the factory and how could it be improved by the pilot's own individual efforts? You can't have a great falling leaf available if your kite will throw & catch effortlessly, they are incompatible techniques, pushing one extreme eliminates the other eventually. My hand fits in-between the sail and the frame on almost every rev shaped kite I own, from high winders to indoor models, not touching either side.

because the wind can blow for a longer amount of time on the sail when the kite is laid out on it's side inverted? the weight of the leading can "drag" the kite along for the ride (the glide) Upright hover is the least effective orientational use of the airstream

you'd need probably both to cover their very different wind ranges, heck there might even be a kite in-between these two I don't have the spider but do own an XX

if I could one keep one kite it would be a Zen (w/those original diamond spars all the way around).

EXP is targeted (designed for) beginners and the other is for more advanced fliers, either one can do EVERYTHING, but one is more forgiving and easier to maximize it's capabilities. Unless you have some significant quad-lined experience you might not notice the differences initially, but as your skills grow they are in fact separate. Both of these current models come w/Reflex Technology (springs on the back of the sail to apply a pronounced curvature into shaping the airflow) Again if you are just starting out you may like this effect. The wily veterans have so many hours of practice they we find it unnatural and prefer the old school way. If you live near good wind & the beach then maybe the best investment is a mid-vent instead of a full sail quad-line. Consider other makers choices and if at all possible,.... go find another quad-head and learn from a coach. It is so well worth the time and financial investment to have someone standing next to you, I can't stress this enough. Equalize the string lengths or adjust the leaders on your handles (from a single well-placed stake or fence post) such that both tops and bottoms are perfectly equal side to side. This is a front end alignment on your racing vehicle, necessary before your get onto the autobahn and stomp on the gas pedal. Work on not flying, hovering, SLOWLY going in one direction and then immediately returning back to the starting point, control, relax your body, don't squeeze the handles, smile and breath. ENJOY!

Does Revolution still create spars in the 1/4 inch format, even if only for a customized order of some decent size? or is everything leftover from previous seasons in this size? And only larger diameter spars will available in the future, such as the formats that support Reflex tech (5/16") or SLE (7/16")? Lastly: Do the end-caps currently provided fit both sizes of tubes (1/4 and 5/16") on the RX or Classic Reflex models?

My first coach was Jeffery Burka, an original early quad adopter (Rev flyer from the late 80's). He's a true flailer (if not the original) who flies UP WIND (one handed & talking to you whilst NOT watching the kite) most amazingly on a Rev2 sized format, if given a choice! If I own 60 quads, he's gotta' have more than that, after all I started in '93. His only revolution kite with sissy sticks also sports the french bridle pictured above,... it's a Zen! A long weekend at Dave Shenkman's kite-party gig in Huntington Beach convinced him of the need to match my loaner kite he was provided (honestly his logic? was "why bring no-wind stuff" to the west coast? seemed reasonable enough when packing. My Zens are like a driver's license to me, going where i do, so he got a spare) The Zen kite becomes a completely different animal with these modifications installed. The only reason I'm mentioning Jeff is because in the Zen's case these mods are WORTH the trouble to relearn techniques based upon different feel. You are taking a bi-plane and adding struts and guide wires between those too flexible wings, so it is instantly more maneuverable, tightly held and responsive with no tendencies like oversteer or lack of an adequate glide. NOTE: This set-up almost requires a larger steering wheel too. You ain't on a no stinkin' go-cart folks, it's more like darn school bus. Longer throw handles allow all of the slack tricks, at a very minimum, 15 inch no-snags. My favorites for that big ole Zen are 19 inch titanium grade 5 tubes, 3/8 inch in diameter with all of the "bend" placed near the top, using custom fishing grips provided by Glenn Haynes. Axels are timed with a sun-dial using 100 foot line lengths in a dead calm, you can even "change lanes" instead of rotating into the same position. Very much of a two handed operation to dial it around slowly (or aggressively) The Black Diamond Reflex tubes addition is very much in line with my expectations of a larger wind range and increased durability. Again thanks REVOLUTION!

yes all the tubes are that same 5/16" thickness, therefore changing out the end-caps is necessary. They might "cross-fit" 1/4 inch tubes but since I have 3 Zens it wasn't important enough to verify. Amazing light wind performance is available and beefy enough to trust newbies or abuse the high-end of it's wind range too. I recommend Eliot's Shook's French Bridle and most certainly the addition of the 18" magic sticks to stiffen the framework overall. You'll find yourself looking forward to no wind and a dead calm every time you want to fly. The fittings for the stand-off magic sticks have to be boiled in hot water to soften the material sufficiently to slide into position on the fatter Reflex Black Diamond tubes.