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Rev Indoor - Outdoors


West Australian

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Hi all,

On those dead days, who uses a Rev Indoor Kite outdoors?

The Zen is probably more useful outdoors. But the Indoor is a Lot cheaper. So lets talk about the Indoor...

For those who do use the Rev Indoor outside, what do you do if the wind suddenly comes up?

Given that there is more space, do you use longer lines?

Anything else worth mentioning about what it is like?

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I've flown the indoor outside on a few occasions. Unless the outdoor space is very secluded, it isn't very ideal. The slightest breeze makes the kite twitchy and difficult to control. It is very rare that I will fly my rev indoor outside. In almost every case, I would rather use my Zen or full sail B-Pro.

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I've done it (undoubtedly less than Watty) on a few occasions .... do not like.

Yes it flies, but it's not nice and ANY wind will load the sail hard and make it hard and twitchy to control like Spence said. I also wouldn't suggest doing it on the indoor handles since they're not designed to take any wind load.

The Zen ... I have a love/hate relationship with that kite. In it's very narrow wind range and design spec I love it ... when I try do what I want outside of it's intended purpose I hate it ... LOL.

For me I find the Zen works when you go to longer lines (80+ foot) with the intention of flying team, figures, precision, etc. Hooking it up to 50' (or 30') lines and going for solo/trick style flying I just don't click with it. I feel the extra mass (and 'oversteer' compared to the 1.5) and loading too much.

My preference at low wind is either a full sail (especially the Polo) or for single line gliders if it's THAT low or non existent.

Just my preference ... your mileage may vary

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The bulk of my low wind flying (indoor and calm outdoor) is currently done with a bridleless race-framed B2 on 10 to 25 foot lines.While the kite flies beautifully indoors (thought it definitely takes more input and finesse than an Indoor), it's more than strong enough to handle winds up to 10+, so I never worry about fragility issues.

All of that said, I have flown my Indoor outside...but I couldn't guess at a safe wind range (it'll depend somewhat on your flying skills anyway). The line length you choose will depend on how you want to work with the kite and whether or not there's actually any wind. Shorter lines test your reflexes, but the kite will feel more responsive. Longer lines can allow for more grace, particularly downwind, but will require a lot more work/skill if you're working at the back of the window.

B2 indoor:

8594579538_6ea3d57206_z.jpg

Same kite, outside:

8612761033_ff3261d446_z.jpg

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The bulk of my low wind flying (indoor and calm outdoor) is currently done with a bridleless race-framed B2 on 10 to 25 foot lines.While the kite flies beautifully indoors (thought it definitely takes more input and finesse than an Indoor), it's more than strong enough to handle winds up to 10+, so I never worry about fragility issues.<br /> <br />All of that said, I have flown my Indoor outside...but I couldn't guess at a safe wind range (it'll depend somewhat on your flying skills anyway). The line length you choose will depend on how you want to work with the kite and whether or not there's actually any wind. Shorter lines test your reflexes, but the kite will feel more responsive. Longer lines can allow for more grace, particularly downwind, but will require a lot more work/skill if you're working at the back of the window.<br /> <br />B2 indoor:<br /> <br /><br /> <br />Same kite, outside:<br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
<br /><br />How are the lines attached? Do you have pigtails on the vert end caps? Sounds like a cool thing to try.
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(thought it definitely takes more input and finesse than an Indoor)

More input with your feet or more input with your hands?

(or both)

Reason I ask is because I did try my race framed B2 full sail once indoors direct to the verticals and it definitely required more assertive footwork to keep it going. It also wanted to keep up to momentum in order to fly, didn't feel like it liked to do slow floaty stuff at all.

That was some time ago and I haven't played with it since, but would love to re-visit it sometime ... I nearly died from laughter at the results when I attempted an axel-catch kid_devlish.gif

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More input with your feet or more input with your hands?

(or both)

I'd say neither -- for me, it's all about the arms. Much like the way iQuad style of flying, it's all about maintaining sail loading; as long as the sail is loaded, you'll have instant forward available when you need it, and you can get that just by rowing your arms.

How much you move your feet is dictated just by what you want to do. If I want to stand in one spot, it's possible to keep things going just by doing an up and over and then allowing the kite to float back around the circle to the "downwind" spot where I initiated the up and over.

It also wanted to keep up to momentum in order to fly, didn't feel like it liked to do slow floaty stuff at all.
This is where the 17" handles are useful. the II can get basically flat to the ground and do a beautiful float if you have the handle throw to let it.

To keep things light (even lighter than the Rev snag-free 17" handles), I use a set of old 11" handles in which the below-the-bend section has been doubled in length by inserting a piece of Easton AC .330 (aluminum tube wrapped in carbon). Very light, very strong. You just need to learn not to smack yourself too often in the thigh with the extra length!

If anyone following this thread will be there, I'll have my IIs with me in Berck starting next week...

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My light weight, long throw set of handles (made after following Jeff's recommended modifications, then opting to better 'em even further myself) are made of grade 5 titanium tubes, about 19 inches long or 17 measured across the gap, 3/8" diameter with custom fishing grips from Glenn Haynes. I bent the tubes myself, so most of that bend happens immediately after the hand grip (I grip at the top unless flying precision, like the reverse octagon figure, then I'd change my grip lower, so my little pinky finger could grasp at the bottom of the foam).

Jerffery Burka also possesses a set of Mike Van Meers' custom wooden handles with the grips fashioned to fit your fingers anatomically (each side is mirrored to the other handle) like a pistol's shaped finger grip. The beauty of this design is the ability to rock the handles onto different finger positions! They are not as long as jeff's Rev2 set-up, but extremely comfortable over a long day of flying. I'd love a set of those, but have been waiting at least a dozen years to get them into my grasp.

The long throws are not comfortable in a big wind, but in "none at all" I find them a very much & frequently used piece of equipment. With longer throws you need less action elsewhere (kite, hands & feet) and can do some very flat styled slack line stuff or aggressive movements to reload the sail as necessary.

Like anything else, it is all about what you are most comfortable with,... personally? I find long throws with very little mass to be a secret weapon when conditions warrant all you best stuff. My Ti 17" handles (measured across the gap) weigh less with a 120 feet of 90# LPG lines wound on them than the stock no-snag solid aluminum handles at 13 inches (without any lines at all!). I've had them run-over by a squad car too, on the national mall without any damage. Light and strong, little mass to move and little movement necessary to have a huge impact on the kite end of the strings. S-W-E-E-T!

Jeff's my 1st quad-line coach and every time I think I've finally got it going on he humbles me yet again! Great guy though and quite humble himself, one of my favorite pilots to share a quad field with during the day. Thanks for everything you've offered me in techniques and equipment over the years mister Burka, I'm still not worthy!

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I know some disagree, but I'm in the camp of longer handles for lighter winds! I'll even use 120' of 50# line with 15" no-snags on light days for team flying and one of my most used setups is a 50' x 50# set with 15" handles! Haven't tried anything longer, handle-wise, as was said, soon as the wind picks up at all, away go the 15", and out come the 13"!

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