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Buyer's remorse? :(


brianh

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Hi all! I'm new to the world of 4-line kites as well as Rev kites, so please be gentle. heh ;)

I went in to my local kite store here in Idaho Falls (any local flyers?) a couple weeks ago, with my mind set on a $75 HQ Symphony 1.8 Power Kite.

...An hour or so later, I walked out with a beautiful brand-new Rev 1.5 SLE! The owner of the kite store could not stop talking about how amazing and fun these kites were, and how this particular model is a perfect mid-range level kite. I couldn't wait to get home and fly it!!

Fast forward to today; the first time I've put it together and taken it out for flight, lol. Assembly was easier than my mom's HQ Calypso 2-liner.

So I took it outside to our backyard (plenty of room out there). The thing nearly launches itself, I was blown away! However, unfortunately, it also seems to spin out of control and crash on its own as well. I am, however, very new to 4-line kites, so I'm not at all discouraged about that. If I've learned anything from reading these forums, it's that it's most likely just me trying to fly it like a 2-liner.

Anyway, I ended up here on the forums for no particular reason, and started reading some topics that looked interesting. Wow. Maybe if I had put the spars BEHIND the kite instead of IN FRONT, I might have had a little better luck, lol. So I am anxious to take 'er out again tomorrow.

However, here's where the buyer's remorse question sets in: In every post that I've read, I have yet to see ANYBODY say anything good about the SLE. In fact, one person even goes as far to say that the SLE isn't even worthy for human use and implies that it should be burned and buried.

Did I spend my very hard-earned $300 on something that is not worth the plastic bag that it even came in?! I'm really quite disappointed and am feeling very discouraged about this now after reading these forums. Especially after the guy at the store told me NOT to get a B series because it was too hard for a beginner to fly, and that the SLE would last me for YEARS.

I was able to get it up with no problems, do some spins, reverse launch, strafe side-to-side some on my first hour or so I was out there, but the thing seemed incredibly unpredictable. How much of that was my idiocy of putting the spars on the wrong side, and how much of that was the kite just being a piece of junk? Any tips or suggestions? I'd really like to know if I bought a lemon or not.

Thanks in advance,

Brian

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Brian,

Welcome to the REV Forum and the Dark Side! I am one of the REV Forum Administrators and I do not work for Revolution.

For starters I will say that all the noise about the SLE rods NOT being very good is bit overblown out of proportion. I being one of the longest fliers of REVs on this forum and in the world will tell you that you have NOT made a bad choice at all.

The SLE rods which is only the leading edge and is replaceable by the thinner 1/4" rod, is not a bad rod at all. I still use them on occasions. They are primarily good, in comparison to the 1/4" rods, for higher winds and I would say a beginner. The latter meaning they are quite rugged and will take a real beating. The SLE rod does make the REV a bit more radical and not as precise. They have their place in you kite bag and not as tomato stakes.

Now as you progress and want to do more precise work and even fly team, you will find that 1/4" rods will probably be your better choice. Which rods of the many choices of 1/4" rods is dependent on you and the conditions under which your are flying. There are the 2, 3 and 4 wrap rods as standards. Then comes the race rod which is probably the favorite of many on this forum including me for all around flying. There is the silver bullet rod, though rare, has some interesting characteristics. Then the latest and most expensive is the Zen rod. I have the zen rod in a Zen but I don't have a REV 1.5 set at this time. Thus, I can't say anything about them on a REV 1.5 at this time.

I would suggest that you meet up with some REV fliers somewhere and learn from them how to fly a REV. It is not that easy to learn to fly(by yourself), especially if you have flown a dual line kite a bit. The way the two are flown is totally different. I know, I crossed over back in 1991 and had a rough time at it.

Now I suggest sending out a broadcast for REV fliers in your area.

Good Luck,

John M

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Hi all! I'm new to the world of 4-line kites as well as Rev kites, so please be gentle. heh ;)

Of course, and welcome to the dark side! :)

Don't be discouraged, it really is easy, you just need a little applied knowledge.

So I took it outside to our backyard (plenty of room out there). The thing nearly launches itself, I was blown away! However, unfortunately, it also seems to spin out of control and crash on its own as well. I am, however, very new to 4-line kites, so I'm not at all discouraged about that. If I've learned anything from reading these forums, it's that it's most likely just me trying to fly it like a 2-liner.

Aye, most dual line inputs don't work very well... Hands down in front, a lot less pulling, more wrist.

Watching videos may help quite a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/kitelife

http://www.learnkites.com

There are other great sources, but those will get you started. ;)

Anyway, I ended up here on the forums for no particular reason, and started reading some topics that looked interesting. Wow. Maybe if I had put the spars BEHIND the kite instead of IN FRONT, I might have had a little better luck, lol. So I am anxious to take 'er out again tomorrow.

Haha! I laugh only because I did exactly the same thing with my first Rev back in 1991... And now, well, here I am still flying after 20 years. :)

However, here's where the buyer's remorse question sets in: In every post that I've read, I have yet to see ANYBODY say anything good about the SLE. In fact, one person even goes as far to say that the SLE isn't even worthy for human use and implies that it should be burned and buried.

Well, this warrants clarification... The comments you've read are about the SLE spar, as it's so stiff, the doesn't billow as well and tends to over-steer more easily.

Easily remedied with a replacement set of leading edge rods... But even this isn't the most crucial, tuning will make a great deal of difference.

Just search the forum for tuning topics, particularly regarding adjustable leaders at the top of your handles ($2 worth of string).

Here is the bulk of that info - http://www.revkites....ng-adjustments/

Did I spend my very hard-earned $300 on something that is not worth the plastic bag that it even came in?! I'm really quite disappointed and am feeling very discouraged about this now after reading these forums. Especially after the guy at the store told me NOT to get a B series because it was too hard for a beginner to fly, and that the SLE would last me for YEARS.

You didn't waste your money... My team, iQuad flew SLEs for our entire first year, using the more slender leading edge and adjustments.

However, that bit about the B-Series being harder to fly is WAY off the mark.

It's not harder, it's exactly the same controls, just smoother and more precise.

I was able to get it up with no problems, do some spins, reverse launch, strafe side-to-side some on my first hour or so I was out there, but the thing seemed incredibly unpredictable. How much of that was my idiocy of putting the spars on the wrong side, and how much of that was the kite just being a piece of junk? Any tips or suggestions? I'd really like to know if I bought a lemon or not.

The deal with adding adjustable extensions to the top of your handles basically takes the gas off a bit... SLEs right of the bag want to fly forward all the time unless you pull the brakes quite a bit... Leaning the leading edge back a little balances the drive, making your brakes more accessible.

Don't give up, you're close to a good time... A little homework, hook up with some local fliers, you'll be AMAZED, I assure you. ;)

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Hey Brian,

No, you most likely did not buy a lemon. I have never flown an SLE, but I'll lay my thoughts on you. I see you have a MC in your avatar, and I'll use MC racing as an analogy.

Many of the people that post here are Moto-GP racers and their skill and use of the Revolution would equate to them getting a YZR-M1.

You got yourself an SV-650 in the SLE, The SV is a great bike for people starting to race.

of course there are all levels of "racers" that post here, from the two examples I gave above, and everything in between.

Another thought that popped into my mind while reading your post comes from when I was involved with a bicycle co-op. Some people there were "purists"; meaning if the bicycle didn't come from Italy or have the name Bianchi or Cannondale on it, it was junk. I am of the mindset that whether it's a $100 department store bicycle or a $2,000 one, and it gets used, that's a great bicycle. Point being, just because you don't have a B- Series Pro, doesn't mean your SLE is junk or a lemon. Of course I am sure after reading these forums, that you know Rev has different kites for different purposes/uses.

As far as your kite being unpredictable, that could be caused by various reasons. Maybe your two line flying techniques are being used in your quad flying, they are different techniques for sure. Maybe your lines are unequal. Maybe your winds aren't stable due to trees and buildings messing the flow up. Maybe a combination of these. I am sure some of more skilled people here will pipe in as well.

Another thought, ask your kite store owner if they'll show you some flying techniques with your Rev.

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Hey Brian,

Actually your Kite is fine. What they are referring to is the SLE (Super Leading Edge) portion of the kite. The leading edge is the top edge with the 3 rods. In your case the rods or tubes are about the size of a nickle in diameter. They are very stiff and weigh a ton. Most people end up using them to stake up their tomato plants.

These rods are however very durable and won't break when you crash "usually" B)

I would use them until you are able to take off the ground and land again by choice :sly: Then you can buy smaller 1/4'' size rods of various strengths, Race rods 2-wrap, 3-Wrap, & 4-wrap. I am sure you can find more information on these later.

It does take some time to get use to the handles and when you move a certain way what the kite does. The best thing to do is find someone that does fly a rev to fly with. This will cut down your learning curve exponentially. I learned mostly on my own, but was able to get some tips from John Barresi and now have hooked up with many other people and it is great fun.

I now belong to a Kite Club in my area that I did not know even existed. In fact I am in the morning to drive 2 hours to get to Crescent City, California so I can fly my Revs in 20+ MPH winds ;)

Keep on working at it and don't give up as you will get the hang of it, and before you know it you too will be helping someone enter this same great sport.

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Don't give up !!!!! The skills needed to learn quad flying are soooo different from those of a dual line!!! Definitely hook up with other flyers - they will help you learn much quicker, if you're willing to listen!! :blue_wink: Every Rev has it's place in what people are looking for in a kite!! Yours is a great kite to learn on. Then look out -you'll want them all!!!!:)

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Hi Brian-

Welcome to the Rev Family .... a.k.a. the "Darkside".

As everyone has explained, you've got a great kite and did not throw out your hard earned $$$.

I hope there are rev flyers in your area.

Look on the A.K.A. (American Kitefliers Association) and under the events calendar, see what's going on in your area or the nearest that you'd be able to get to. There are almost always Rev fliers at the bigger festivals. Even if you could get one solid weekend with some Rev fliers, you will speed up your learning curve infinitely!

Obviously, you like kites. I was hooked on Revs before ever seeing one in person. Two years later, I can't get enough of it. I've met great people all over the country and I just love it. I know you will, too!!

All the best-

Oh, and Don't forget to have fun with it. blue_wink.gif

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It is really a shame how many pilots talk so badly about the SLE rod. You will find that most of the nay-Sayers about the SLE fly team together. The real facts is that most of the Rev's sold are sold to solo pilots who probably never have the chance to fly team, this is especially true about the 1.5 as most team pilots will opt for the B-Series or Pro's for team flying.

One of the main reason that team pilots do not like the SLE rod is that it makes the kite much more twitchy and much more responsive in the air. When flying formation with a team, you don't want your kite to be twitchy, instead you want to "dull up" the kite so it will sit in one position easier (hovering) and fly slower and more controllable. The smaller 1/4" rods really make the kite much more sluggish and less responsive to inputs, which is usually preferred when hovering the kite around other kites in very close proximity. To me, this is somewhat boring when flying solo (my opinion only, YMMV). Again, for team flying the 1/4" rods are the best choice, but for solo flying I really enjoy the response, snappiness and speed of the SLE rod.

As said, the SLE rod is much faster, stronger and snappier through the air. Hovers are a bit more difficult to hold because the kite wants to dart around a bit more and precision will suffer slightly because of the same reason. But...overall flying can be much more exciting and fun because the kite will respond more like a high performance sports car than a family sedan. Also, the SLE rod is super strong and can take a ton of abuse which is perfect for beginner pilots who tend to do more crashes than pilots who have more air time and experience. The 1/4" rods will break much easier - which could end your flying day and put you back in the kite store to spend more money repairing your already expensive kite package.

It really comes down to how you want to fly your kite. If you end up flying solo most of the time and don't care that much about absolute precision and holding hovers for long periods of time, you may find that the SLE rod is the rod of choice for you. If you find that your "control freak" side is taking over and you want to work on precision, hovers and even team flying, the 1/4" rods may be your best choice.

The really cool thing about all of this is that with the 1.5 SLE, you can have the best of both worlds!!! Those 1/4" rods that everyone is talking about...well guess what, they fit right into your 1.5 SLE without having to change anything at all on the kite! Just slide the SLE out of the leading edge and slide in the 1/4" leading edge. Your same end caps work for both. Also, you can purchase the 1/4" leading edge usually for less than $15.00 per rod (you don't need to buy the entire frame set) meaning that you can have the same 1/4" leading edge that the B-series comes with for under $45.00 - and then you can switch from one leading edge to the other and see which one you prefer. You can purchase the smaller leading edge rods at any time so no need to run out and get them right now. Learn to fly and get past the crashing stages with your SLE cuz it can take the abuse and once you really get the hang of your kite...and want to try something different...go purchase the 1/4" rods and give them a go.

Hope that helps.

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Hi brian, I also have a sle and am new to flying it . I've had a backtracker for ever, talk about twitchy, anway the sle is not a bad choice at all,I've been flying mine for about a month now and love it.smile.gif yesterday the wind was up to about 15-20 and I smacked down on the leading edge quite a few times and it holds up great! Do'nt be discouraged just hook up with dean at the kite shop and get some lessons and PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE.

Lord knows on that side of the state you've got plenty of wind(used to live there)tongue.gif If you get to boise E-me and we'll hook up and fly

take care

mbro

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Welcome to the forum and the most addictive form of kite flying you'll discover! :ani_punk:

Your sail is perfectly fine. I actually think the SLE rods are a good thing until you get out of the crashing phase. Once you can keep your kite in the air with confidence I would highly recommend switching to those 1/4" (aka 3 wrap) rods. Then even more doors will open for you!

Also: Check to make sure that all 4 of your lines are even. Make sure that they have a clear path from their attachment points and not wrapped behind any other kite parts or bridle points. These are simple things that will ruin your day if they aren't just right. Then keep reading this forum for any other issues you might experience. We'll all help you. :)

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Brian,

You are correct this kite is trash. You should get rid of it now before it infects the rest of your kite bag. For your convenience I will dispose of the kite for you. Please send it to me (I will pay the cost of shipping) and I will get red of this horrid kite for you.

Denny

.

;

;

Ok, the fact is I flew my first SLE for years as is out of the bag and loved every minute of it. At first I beat the heck out of it too. Then I got on this blasted forum and found out about the wonders of the new leading edges. After trying one I have to agree they make it a new and better flying experience.

I have several Revs in the bag now (full, half vent, vent, bla, bla, bla….) and for financial reasons I always order an SLE kite with race rods or 3 wrap.

You did well! Learn to fly it and slowly upgrade to you skills.

See ya on a kite field somewhere, sometime.

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First, there is no bad Rev... The right tuning will give you endless enjoyment with any of them.

Second however, you'll never see any Rev pro or fanatic individual or team, flying SLE spars... There is good reason for that.

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Hey Brian,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Revs..........I too, crossed over to the "Dark Side", from two liners, less than a year ago. I started with an SLE, I taught myself to fly, and with the help of this forum, I'm still making progress, and I still love that SLE. I will admit, that most of my flying is done at the coast, with smooth coastal winds, and my favorite rev, is now definitely my B-series full vent, but heck NO, you didn't waste your money. People occasionally make fun of the SLE, but heck man, that thing will take a licking and keep on ticking. Listen to all the replies that you have gotten, (except for that MrDenny, because I'll be glad to dispose of that kite for you - just kidding). Look, you have heard from the cream of the crop, on this subject, so you should feel much better about your purchase. No remorse, just hang in there, and fly that thing. Anyway, watch some videos, and don't worry, that so many are using 1/4" leading edges. Your day will come, but now, you'll probably just break them. Enjoy the SLE, learn to fly it, and have fun along the way. As several have already mentioned, keep the SLE, until you get over the "hard crash" phase, then get yourself a B-series, or three...........

Welcome, welcome, welcome laugh.giftongue.gifsmile.gif (ps....check my avatar picture, and tell me what you see - SLE)

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Second however, you'll never see any Rev pro or fanatic individual or team, flying SLE spars... There is good reason for that.

... and the reason for that is....

drum roll, please....

We save them for beating Antman, as needed!!! 11.gif

Hi John-

How's everything?

Six weeks, baby!!! waaaaaaaaahooooooo!!!!

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Brian,

I have an SLE mid-vent, B-series full sail (standard), and B-series full vent. Allowing for the difference in the way vented Rev's fly, I would just barely be able to tell the difference between an SLE with a 1/4 inch leading edge and a B-series. I am relatively newbie - one+ year experience. In other words, your SLE will certainly serve you as well as a B-series for your first year, at least. Then you will probably still keep it in your stable.

Now, if you have not yet figured out the confustation factor yet - Revolution did a disservice IMO with their naming of the standard 1.5 Rev.

Standard 1.5 Rev is called an SLE. (SLE meaning - ???)

The large diameter leading edge which is standard with the SLE kite is called an SLE (Super Leading Edge, I think.) Unnecessary confusion.

Almost any kite vendor will switch the SLE rods in the SLE kite for a 1/4" leading edge when you buy, if you ask. Which you probably did not. The kite would still be an SLE, but the leading edge spars would not.

I have not flown SLE spars, so I cannot comment on them. But with 1/4 inch spars, the SLE kite is so close to the capabilities of the B-series, that you will benefit by a move to the better kite only after you have become comfortable with the SLE, IMO. They are great kites, and greater kites. :kid_loved:

But when you do fell comfortable with your current kite, you might want to explore the mid-vent or full-vent versions of either the SLE or preferably a B-series as your next kite - assuming you have decent winds in your flying field. Most B-series kites come with two frame sets, so they are better bargains than they may first appear.

As for B-series pro for me ... some day. :P

IOW, you did NOT make a mistake. But you will probably learn faster and enjoy your kite more with a little input from other fliers.

Fair winds,

-Howard

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...An hour or so later, I walked out with a beautiful brand-new Rev 1.5 SLE! The owner of the kite store could not stop talking about how amazing and fun these kites were

Hey Brian,

Of course the store owner is right about these kites, however.....aside from the kite store owner talking about the kite did the owner "stop" talking about the kite and explain how it was/is set up or set it up in the store with you? Any flying tips? Does this person fly a Rev or just sell them?

Time and time again I`ve seen folks get frustrated about the set up/flight of a kite because there was no in store advice given. Doesn`t matter what kind of kite is bought/sold...the store owner or employee should at least go through the kites set up and pass on any flying and/or safety tips as part of a purchase....especially if it`s a first time buyer.

You`re at the right place though as there is a wealth of info here and JB has a great set of tutorials.

May this be the first of many Revs....and frames....

bt

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WOW!

Thank you all very very much for your input!! I can't tell you all enough how relieved I am to hear that I didn't buy something that was a lemon!! Thank you for clearing all that up for me!!

It's also great to know that I can easily change some (relatively) inexpensive parts to get some better performance and even somewhat of an "upgrade" too!

I did find some videos around youtube and what not, but nothing that really helped me out much until I found some video series' from a guy that doesn't give his name. Younger dude, seems like a pro kite flyer, short blonde hair, always wears a hoodie and shades, lol... Those videos are so amazing, I can't even begin to tell you how much they've helped me. The DVD that came with my kite is worthless in comparison. Unfortunately we haven't had any wind during these last several days, but I'm VERY anxious to get back out there again, especially knowing now what I've learned from these videos.

Regarding when I purchased my kite: the guy that's here in town is a one-man-shop, and unfortunately I didn't get much input from him about the setup or flight. However, other than getting the spars on the wrong side, I had zero problems settin' this baby up and breakin it down again. And I can certainly attest to the toughness of these SLE spars. I took SEVERAL full-speed nose dives right into the ground, lol, and the thing is still holding strong! Come to think of it, I don't think I was able to do even one "intentional" landing, hahaha. I should probably work on that.

MrDenny, that is very kind of you to offer to take "care" of my kite for me. I'll make sure to get that to you PROMPTLY. In fact, go ahead and hold your breath and wait by the mailbox. I'm sure it'll be there any time now! hehe

OH! I just found those videos tutorials, they're on www.kitelife.com. I'm sure you all probably know about them already though. ;)

So maybe if I can describe the problem(s) I was having during my last flight, maybe you guys can give me a few pointers?

1. At first, I had someone holding the kite up and it literally launched itself, which was kinda cool. But it (or I) would immediately turn to the right or left and it would come crashing down again.

2. After that, I launched it from the ground. Per the DVD that came with it, I would bring my thumbs back and give it a good tug. The kite would do one of two things:

a ) It would shoot up like a rocket to max altitude and then lose wind and fall down, or

b ) It would veer to the right or left and I would panic and try frantically to correct it.

There were actually a few times when I would get it up and be able to spin it left and right, but I'd lose some control (or wind) at that point and it would come down again. Could this be as a result of the spars being on the wrong side?

3. Crashing nose dives are a great way to practice your inverted launches, ha ha. Surprisingly enough though, almost every time I was able to (sloppily) spin it back around for another normal-but-newbish relaunch. After thinking about this a bit, I realize that my inverted-control theory was quite backwards. I was pretty frustrated when I would try to spin it right and it would go left. Something else to work on I suppose. ;)

4. Backwards flying is SO foreign to me. Is that something I should even be thinking about right now? I mean, considering how often I find myself a**-up, it seems like it might be pretty important, lol.

The one bit of advice the guy at the kite store gave me was to practice just launching and landing. Don't spin, don't slide, don't do anything except that for an hour or so until I'm confident about moving to the next step. The problem with that was, though, was that I could launch, but shortly after that I would lose control by either the spinning problem or the skyrocketing problem as noted above.

And for my last question, do I need a lot of wind for this kite? It says 4-whatever MPH, but it doesn't seem to want to do jack squat in the lower wind bracket. How much of that could have been because of the spars being on the wrong side?

Any other beginner tips, advice, suggestions, criticisms, critiques, slanderings, and/or words of encouragement are greatly appreciated! I can't thank you all enough for all the great input you've given me so far!

Brian

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I will pick on one of your points regarding when you launch and the kite will sometimes go to the left or the right. I assume when that happens it does turn right around coming back to the ground with a thud? Sort of like flying an upside down "U"?

I saw this a lot when I got back into things three years ago and it happened with the B-Series as well so if you had any ideas that maybe it was kite related between the B and your SLE kite this should be just another example of why it is not.

What you are describing, and what I had to learn as well, is this problem is almost always a control problem. Too much control to be exact. Basically while it may seem like you are doing an even pull, on both handles, to launch you're not. One or the other is getting too much so it steers in one direction or the other. I found I would favor one direction of that upside down "U" over the other which I think relates to if you are left or right handed.

So to correct this, your local kite guy is right. Work on going up and backing straight back down trying to keep a straight line. So you ask, how the heck do I keep the straight line if I'm over controlling the thing in the first place?

My answer is to do it over and over and each time think about your thumbs and how much you are going to move them. Put your wrists together and keep them like that. Up, down, up, down and focus on how little it takes with the thumbs to make that turn happen. Make small adjustments with your thumbs until the line gets straighter. By adjustments I mean when you see the kite veer left using a very little forward tap of your right thumb to steer it back. TAP that thumb just a bit, don't push the thumb forward and hold it there. Tap like you are giving somone a little tap on the shoulder. Soon you will do those taps without even thinking about it and the kite will fly straighter and straighter as you make subconscience steering adjustments on the way up.

Don't feel you need to go from the ground to the top of the window straight either. Go up 10 or 20 feet before backing down. When you get that straight then go up higher and higher.

I do not have a memory of when my straight up became straight up, but it did happen and one day I did say to myself, "hey, it is straight!". It will take practice each time you go out. Right now, though, you just want to straighten out the "U" as much as you can.

It is not going to be fun going up and backing down for an hour at time so I say you also need to work on going left/right in there too. Use little thumb taps to do that and try to turn up as opposed to down to start with. Some may disagree on that, but to me that is a better way to learn and stay off the ground. With doing a down turn before you can be sure to bring it all the way around you risk hitting the ground at an angle which is worse than hitting it straight on for breaking things. The negative part of the up turn is you will lose a bit of power fighting gravity so you may need to step back as you do it for a little extra power.

Now you can do up/down/left/right practice which starts to give you the basics. Soon you will be ready for more.

My last piece of advice is to come back here for inspiration and enouragement as often as you need it. I would have given up had it not been for the folks here who would feed me tips and advise whenever I couldn't think through a road block. Really, no one will mind helping you out and cheering you on!

Bart

Edited by bartman
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Wow..... Lots of good info from lots of good fliers, I myself have done many, many, lessons on the SLE and every other kite Revolution makes and have seen

the problems your talking about many time..... My personal thoughts are for learning 9 to 14 mph hour is perfect cause it lets the kite do what it needs to do

pretty easy, I always tell people that this kite is all about finesse rather than brute strength..... So imagine it and then go thru the exercise's we talk about in

the DVD, it does take time and you may not get it the first time out, that is one of the reasons I like the SLE that large rod will take a beating and last for a long

time, then when your ready you can swap it out for a 3 wrap which will take this kite to another level yet again..... So my advise if possible see if you can find

a flier in your region, and you will find Rev fliers are always willing to help one another so just ask..... Anyway here's my direct line 619-750-8770 and feel free

to call me cause as you can see I am the G.M. of Revolution Kites, but more importantly I am part of the Rev Family..... Benblue_cool.gifblue_cool.gifblue_cool.gif

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WOW!

I did find some videos around youtube and what not, but nothing that really helped me out much until I found some video series' from a guy that doesn't give his name. Younger dude, seems like a pro kite flyer, short blonde hair, always wears a hoodie and shades, lol... Those videos are so amazing,

Brian

In a word............................WATTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Spence Watson is the definition of amazing!

As for turning using thumb taps, most modern instruction I've seen, and the technique I have used, is to pull gently with your ring finger or even your pinky to turn in the direction of that hand. At first, just tap. The kite will, after a little practice, turn and stabilize in the new direction.

Ummm... somewhere in this early phase you need to learn to control speed by tilting both handles forward (brake) and backward (speed up). That would be push thumbs forward (or pinkies backward) to brake, tilt the handles the opposite direction (slightly backward at top) to speed up.

After you can fly partway up the wind window, slow, stop, and back the kite down, then try tap turns right and left.

Either method (thumbs forward or pinky backward) will work, but the pull with the lower fingers seems more natural. Once you get the feel for the kite, and develop some "muscle memory", you may find that you don't even know which technique you used at any time.

My experience is that at each quantum level of expertise, you will need to overcome the natural inclination to over-control, over-correct for the maneuvers you are working on. Watch John's tutorials, and notice that he frequently is "vibrating" the controls - that often seems to provide smoother control.

Finally, important what Ben said about wind speed. When you are starting, it is much better to have decent wind speed. The Rev's stall differently than a dual-line kite, and are harder to recover, in my experience.

Remember, dual or quad...

Phase 1: the kite flies you.

Phase 2: you fly the kite.

Phase 3: you and the kite fly together - so remarkable and fun!

Fair winds,

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Hi Brian-

Longer top leaders, where you larkshead your lines, should be longer; about three or four times longer than the bottoms. This will give you a lot of reverse. What that will do is not allow the kite to "jump" out of that person's hands (launching itself). It will also make reverse flight much easier as you do not have to turn your wrists soooooo much for the inputs.

Remember that all of your inputs should be small. All of the skills for the basic controls will be acquired as your "muscle memory" develops. Think of your flying as doing "drills" to learn each part. Lifting up and landing, lifting up and facing right or left and hovering, lifting up and hovering in the forward configuration or in reverse are all basic moves. We still do drills where we hold certain positions- for minutes at a time. This all develops the muscle memory necessary to fly with control. Keep at it and it will start to click. Lots of practice; many, many hours will get you there.

Enjoy it all and feel free to ask any questions along the way.

Hope to see you out there... somewhere.

Don't forget to have fun!!!!!!!!kid_content.gif

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  • 2 months later...

WOW!

Thank you all very very much for your input!! I can't tell you all enough how relieved I am to hear that I didn't buy something that was a lemon!! Thank you for clearing all that up for me!!

It's also great to know that I can easily change some (relatively) inexpensive parts to get some better performance and even somewhat of an "upgrade" too!

I did find some videos around youtube and what not, but nothing that really helped me out much until I found some video series' from a guy that doesn't give his name. Younger dude, seems like a pro kite flyer, short blonde hair, always wears a hoodie and shades, lol... Those videos are so amazing, I can't even begin to tell you how much they've helped me. The DVD that came with my kite is worthless in comparison. Unfortunately we haven't had any wind during these last several days, but I'm VERY anxious to get back out there again, especially knowing now what I've learned from these videos.

Regarding when I purchased my kite: the guy that's here in town is a one-man-shop, and unfortunately I didn't get much input from him about the setup or flight. However, other than getting the spars on the wrong side, I had zero problems settin' this baby up and breakin it down again. And I can certainly attest to the toughness of these SLE spars. I took SEVERAL full-speed nose dives right into the ground, lol, and the thing is still holding strong! Come to think of it, I don't think I was able to do even one "intentional" landing, hahaha. I should probably work on that.

MrDenny, that is very kind of you to offer to take "care" of my kite for me. I'll make sure to get that to you PROMPTLY. In fact, go ahead and hold your breath and wait by the mailbox. I'm sure it'll be there any time now! hehe

OH! I just found those videos tutorials, they're on www.kitelife.com. I'm sure you all probably know about them already though. wink.gif

So maybe if I can describe the problem(s) I was having during my last flight, maybe you guys can give me a few pointers?

1. At first, I had someone holding the kite up and it literally launched itself, which was kinda cool. But it (or I) would immediately turn to the right or left and it would come crashing down again.

2. After that, I launched it from the ground. Per the DVD that came with it, I would bring my thumbs back and give it a good tug. The kite would do one of two things:

a ) It would shoot up like a rocket to max altitude and then lose wind and fall down, or

b ) It would veer to the right or left and I would panic and try frantically to correct it.

There were actually a few times when I would get it up and be able to spin it left and right, but I'd lose some control (or wind) at that point and it would come down again. Could this be as a result of the spars being on the wrong side?

3. Crashing nose dives are a great way to practice your inverted launches, ha ha. Surprisingly enough though, almost every time I was able to (sloppily) spin it back around for another normal-but-newbish relaunch. After thinking about this a bit, I realize that my inverted-control theory was quite backwards. I was pretty frustrated when I would try to spin it right and it would go left. Something else to work on I suppose. wink.gif

4. Backwards flying is SO foreign to me. Is that something I should even be thinking about right now? I mean, considering how often I find myself a**-up, it seems like it might be pretty important, lol.

The one bit of advice the guy at the kite store gave me was to practice just launching and landing. Don't spin, don't slide, don't do anything except that for an hour or so until I'm confident about moving to the next step. The problem with that was, though, was that I could launch, but shortly after that I would lose control by either the spinning problem or the skyrocketing problem as noted above.

And for my last question, do I need a lot of wind for this kite? It says 4-whatever MPH, but it doesn't seem to want to do jack squat in the lower wind bracket. How much of that could have been because of the spars being on the wrong side?

Any other beginner tips, advice, suggestions, criticisms, critiques, slanderings, and/or words of encouragement are greatly appreciated! I can't thank you all enough for all the great input you've given me so far!

Brian

G'Day Brian,

Like you I bought a SLE and am a solo flyer.I first flew it with the "fat" spars because I didn't want to break anything.As I got better I changed to the 1/4" ones ( they came with the kite) and what a difference there was,all for the goodkid_content.gif With the launch at first I put the handles together (one in each hand)thumbs back and pull back and straight up it goes no problem.I also made a WDI (wind direction indicator)using a broken spar sharpened at one end and a piece of ribbon tied on top with a cable tielaugh.gif Crashing nose dives can be stopped if you remember to push your thumbs way forward BEFORE you hit the groundsmile.gif Just my 2c worth but practice is the keybiggrin.gif

Edited by David M
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