Reflex frame

[Schultz5905]

I just got a Reflex and the instructions say to remove the frame each time you fly and to put it back in before each flight? I always leave the frame in my other rev. What should I do? The Reflex came with the frame in.

[jburka]

That's the verticals they're talking about -- the recommendation is to not store it tensioned. There's no reason not to leave the spars in the leading edge as with any other Rev.

[Schultz5905]

I was talking about the spar and uprights. I included the pages from the manual.

[riffclown]

It's to keep the kites from being folded the same way every time.. Leaving the frame pieces in makes a natuaral fold point which can weaken the Screening at the leading edge (sort of like bending a paper clip back and forth at the same point over and over).. The written "remove the Leading Edge" is meant to prevent that.

[Schultz5905]

Thank You that makes a lot of sense.

[jburka]

Huh. I had no idea Rev was no recommending removing the LE. That's tantamount to admitting that there's a weak point in the sail design that they're not addressing by adding additional reinforcements.

That said, 27+ years of flying Revs has taught me that the only thing you need to do to protect the mesh when storing a kite is to pull the outer LE spars ends about an inch outside the edge of the kite, which lessens the pressure on the fold point. I literally can't remember the last time I had to repair the screen on any of my gear.

[portlandflyer]

Reading the instructions over - I see nothing about removing the spars while storing - only putting together the LE outside the sail. This is to make sure you have seated the spars together - ends over ferrules completely! Most of us can feel the ferrules and ends of the rods and know that they are seated. As jburka has said - pull the LE spars out an inch or so, and you can vary the folding point. I also would recommend folding the top of the sail over ( include the mesh), then rolling up the sail after that. The folding lessens the effects on the mesh. It would be nice to see a fold reinforcement put on the sail, from the factory! Seems like that has traditionally been the weakest point on the mesh and fails there most often. YMMV