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Another Newbie here....


lomcevoc

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Hello all ! Although experience with dualies I always push myself for challenges and I feel I have found one I feel I may never get down with the purchase of a B2 Night Series Quad Liner ! I hope getting totally frustarted the first time out is normal...God I hope so. My other hobby is R/C Airplanes and I can see the Dualies are like a fixed wing airplane and this Quad is like flying a helicopter in that hobby, VERY different! I also purchased the Race Frame with the Kite, should I be practicing and learning with this Race Frame or wait untill I can keep it in the air for more than a few minutes? Also about Handle Position, I am wanting and trying to hold these things straight up n down and square to the ground, not correct right?

Just what type of wind should I be "Trying" to fly this in, hard or light? To close, what is the best way to find if I have any locals that can help, what type of searches does one do for that kinda thing?

Lom

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Help? Good you can see that some will help! Check the "member map' for folks in your area.

So what winds were you out in? Too much will make the kite jumpy and hard to control. Too light and you'll have trouble just keeping the kite in the air.

No, you don't necessarily keep the handles straight up and down, you move them as needed to achieve the desired results. Watch some videos of fliers and you'll see - the handles move around all the time.

Frames - did the kite come with more than one? If so the "ultra-light" (3 wrap) would be a better choice.

Now for a controversial decision - Myself, I feel like the B2 is not the best "learning kite" out there. Not to say that you can't learn on it, but you're dealing with one of the faster sails in the "B" family. At least it is a "B" and has a bit more control than the older Rev 2. I would have suggested any model in the 1.5 size, EXP, SLE ,or "B", as your choice. But again, not to say that you can't learn on the B 2, just that it is faster and runs out of room, side to side, than a bigger size 1.5.

You didn't mention what model of B 2 you had - a standard, mid vent, or full vent. They also have "sweet spots" in the wind range that they work best in. Flying the wrong sail in the wrong winds will result in frustration.

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"cadguy" also known as Dayton Dave is the only flyer who I know is in Ohio. He is an accomplished flyer, and it will make the learning much less frustrating if you can hook up with him. When you're just starting on quads it is worth the drive to fly with someone who can help you with some basics to learn how to control the kite.

Welcome to the forum and the "darkside". All your questions can be answered here and on the Revolution Kites forum. We have cookies.

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Give your kite some "brake". That is, put your attachment point further away from the handle on your top lines only. B2's love to be a little brake heavy. This will slow the kite down a bit for you. It's quite the speeder!

I, personally would fly the Race frame as it it flexible and durable enough to handle a few whacks.

Wind depends on type of sail you have.

What is your kit made up of?

Line length and strength.

Learning on a full sail B2 on short lines in a strong breeze.....

.... well you may need to mainline a few RedBulls...

Welcome to Revs. They are VERY addictive.

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Hard core, thank for the response. This is a standard Sail. First time out I was in about 13 - 18 mph winds. I'll have to check on the multiple frame thing but I do know they mentioned the 3 wrap as one of my purchased options and there are extra rods in the package. I was just leary to breaking the what seems to be lighter rods while learning. I soo much want to learn these things. Now I just unwrapped this thing and tried to fly it assuming everything was set up when it was made, is it normal to have these that far out of whack from the factory that even a seasoned flier would struggle with? Again I appreciate the help with this! I would think for the price they would be pretty close to plug n play but then again this might be the noon coming out in a newbie.

Lom

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There's no one setting for all people, you "tune" it for your own preferences, it is the kite, lines and leaders, handles, frame and location specific considerations. The factory gives a general starting point, for most folks and conditions. You know, you can move the car seat though if you drove a lot you might pop for a custom installation specific to your back's need! Can't afford a vecaro? then sit with a clipboard behind your back. You can change a bunch of things on your car, but it might not "connect" as an extension of your mind.

the basics, most easily obtained by traveling, include how to do these adjustments. a coach can touch it, identify what might benefit, hand it back. You try out a couple of things and the journey begins,... What works for you? The more exposure to variety (people and OPK kites) plus the time you have on the lines, the more personal the relationship will become with your own equipment.

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Remember, it's not as easy as it looks. Hang in there, you will have several "aha" moments and then you're on your way. Try to find a balance point with the handles where it feels neutral. Just like a dual sliding across the window, some things will require a bit of precision and a feel for what the kite wants to do. Don't fight it, work with it.

Wind range for a full-sail B2, flown by an experienced flyer, is approximately 5 to over 20 mph (opinions on this will vary). Your ideal for learning is more like 7 to 15, and fairly smooth. Our gusty, shifting, Midwest winds present a challenge to all flyers.

Where in Ohio are you?

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If you got the normal B2 package it will have a 2 Wrap (two feathers) and a 3 Wrap (three feathers) frames. The 2 frame will handle those winds, trust me....

The other thing to do is check if all four lines are equal. With a "responsive" kite like the B2 Std it will react to small differences.

If you find yourself flying down to Mother Earth at speed, literally push your arms forward and take a big step too. This takes most of the drive out of the kite and lessens the impact.

The B2 is a very rewarding kite. Small inputs, use wrists only to start. It will have you smiling so much your cheeks will hurt.

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I about 30 miles north of Dayton, between Dayton and toledo. All I know is the kite came with a frame installed and a race frame packaged separately. I know all this is basic 101 to you folks but hey we all gotta start somewhere and I just want to be sure I'm giving myself a chance to be somewhat sucessfull.

Thanks!

Lom

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Sounds like you are close enough to Dave to meet up and maybe learn about things. Can't hurt to fly with others and possibly have a bit of fun while you're at it!

Brakes - you might wonder what we're talking about. By moving your top connections further away from your handles, you are effectively adding brake. This "tuning" will give you more "in-flight" control, but may make launching a bit harder. Trade offs always in everything we do!! The idea of "brake" is pretty simple - to put more control back in your hands, not the kite's. Adding brake means you have to "tell" the kite which way to go, rather than have it shoot off out of control. Uneven lines do the same, that long or short line has the kite going in directions not always intended! Never trust that all is perfectly fine - always check the lines for equal length, even right out of the box! Then you can fly with knowledge, not a guess.

Frames are ID'd by a feather system - 2 feathers = 2 wrap, 3 feathers = 3 wrap, race has flames on it. I would guess that the 2 wrap was replaced by the race, but unless you look and confirm - ? Either frame is plenty strong for your learning, just do what SparkieRob said - GIVE TO THE KITE if impact with Earth is immanent. Pulling back just drives the kite into the ground HARDER and risks breaking or worse damage! GIVE!!

Simple starting exercise - try launching, get about 10' in the air, stop and hover as long as you can, and land, both tips at the same time. Do it several times in a row, trying to "feel" the kite working in the wind, learning how your hands move to get there. Got it? Try it higher by another 10'. Same thing, stop, hover, land. Feel the kite, that's what this is all about!!

I like to call it the 3 stages of kite flying:

1 - The kite flies you! You're always reacting, not controlling!

2 - You fly the kite! Now you're understanding the hows, and doing things under some decent control.

3 - You and the kite fly together! You don't even think about how anymore, just think and zoom it's there. Takes a while, but it is achievable. Just takes time - and there is NO SUBSTITUTE for - Time On The Lines!!

You've started on a path, how far you go is up to you, we can only help so much. But please continue with questions - we all came up the same way!!

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I'll have to see if I can find and see if Dave is willing to help me. If I can learn the basics on these controls I will try n practice those small steps you mentioned. My issue is this thing launching straight up and then I find myself trying to learn the control inputs like right now! This most all the time leads to over steering and back on the ground....part of learning I guess. I thought I would be able to at least just get the kite up and not do any tricks but just fly it but I found that the first time out " just flying" it was the trick and everything you do and style you use on dualies gets thrown out the window!

Lom

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So, where is a good point to set my lines to on my handles? I realize this is all a preference but I'm just looking for a decent starting point, there's got to be a recommended starting point. I may get out tonight if this breeze keeps up till supper is done.

Lom

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In my early quad experience I first learned to back the kite down from high in the window & land it slowly. But this was a four line foil two years ago. I also learned you could steer the foil by using the brake lines. Pulling the left bottom line, the brake, turned the kite left. Pull right bottom line, turn right. Now this was important to me as I was very two line oriented at the time. So a couple months later I got a Rev 1.5 SLE & had a bit of a rough, but maybe typical start. Launch, climb to fifteen feet, spin, crash, repeat. That describes my first session. Second session was launch, climb to thirty feet, then veer off to the right & crash. Seemed like so much was happening that I could not get my mind to react correctly but at least I wasn't spinning. Third session I thought I would keep my hands together & just fly around by turning with the brakes. Ah ha! now I could at least cruise around the wind window with sweeping turns by braking carefully with the bottom lines, left brake, left turn, right brake, right turn. It was a start of a great journey. Much more was to follow but at least I could keep the complex Sportwing in the air, well most of the time. And now, almost two years later, I had some more Ah Ha! moments this past Sunday. Best flying to date. And again, brakes were the key.

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Well, about 2 hrs of attempt amounted to about 5 minutes of actual flight time...Errr! came in after winding by cell phone light, lol, never do that again, started to read some threads here. Specifically the one titled Rods on Front or Back....well do you suppose this could be contributing to me being frustrated? I thought to myself, I think that's how I've been assembling it so I got out the kite and assembled it in the living room ( got some strange looks lol) and sure enough this is what I've been doing. This I hope explains it going straight up and most of the time coming back down. Ohh boy, what a dufuss! Go ahead laugh, I deserve it. I hope this will help the control ability. Try again tomorrow if the weather permits.

Lom

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Hello Lom,

I would be glad to help you. I work in Sidney and leave at 4:30-4:45p. If you are south of Sidney, I could meet you tomorrow on my way home. Even if it's raining, I can show you some set-up tips.

Do your handle lines (pig tails) have a few knots on them?

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It will be much easier to control the kite with the upright spars on the back of the kite. Although it can be done, even veteran flyers have a difficult time flying with the rods out front. The next sessions should be much sweeter, although it will take many hours on the lines to do what you've seen in the videos. Stick with it -- each "aha" moment brings indescribable satisfaction and strengthens the addiction.

Did I mention the cookies?

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If you haven't already seen them, John Barresi has a series of Rev tutorials from beginner to advanced level. All of the beginner tutorials can be found via http://kitelife.com/forum/videos/category-19-quad-line/ . The full list of tutorials can be found at http://kitelife.com/forum/files/category/106-outdoor-quad-line/. You do need to be a KiteLife subscriber to download them from the second link, but supposedly they can be loaded onto a mobile device for (re)viewing on the field if desired.

Good luck. And yes, Revs are quite different from dual line kites, and meeting with others will definitely speed up your learning curve.

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Cadguy, I too work in Sidney (at Emerson) I leave about 3:45 myself. If we could set something up that would be nothing short of awesome!!! I live only 5 miles south of my employment. I can pm or email you my contact information if you like. Yes my handles do have the multiple pigtailed knots on it.

Thanks for replying. It was late ( for me) last night when I did a search to find where you were located but never expected to be this fortunate.

Let me know. Tonight works great for me, I was planning another frustrating night of trying it again with the thing assembled correctly...lol.

Lom

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Lom,

Here is a pic of my B2 handles. The bottoms have been converted to "no-snag" which I very much appreciate when flying the kite.

Handles are 11" (280mm) long, which is the length of tube not the distance between tips.

As a general rule, I fly at #6 or #7 (11 inches) knot on top and at #2 at the bottom.

I change my bottom position if I need to equalise my lines quickly.

If there is light wind I come back towards the handle a knot or 2 depending on feel. If the wind is strong I go out away from the handle a knot or 2... Or 3!!

When you let out your top lines/leaders, you square your sail to the wind. This helps stop the wind "sheeting" off the sail making it more efficient. When you give a sharp tug for drive/forward your leading edge flexes and "cups" the wind to give a boost to get it all happening. Lots of people call it "whumping the sail".

The leaders here are made From an old B2 bridle that I wore out.

This is all to my feel, yours may be different. Don't be afraid to try different settings out.

Hope it helps.

787345ba4e0b890007e857493f2943eb.jpg

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Well, what a difference having the rods on the correct side AND getting one on one tutoring from an expert makes! Hooked up with Dayton Dave " Cadguy" had some very good conversation and after I learned what not to do, I actually spent a good bit of my time actually flying...won't woot! although nothing fancy I was able to practice the basic stuff. Wow, my face is a little sore from the smile.

Thanks so much for your time tonight Dave! I do appreciate it. It's folks like you and on this Forum that will grow this hobby cause now I am the latest infected Rev flyer looking to tag someone...lol

Awesome night with the Rev.

Lom

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