Rapt

I just recieved my third Eolo Radsail and the first 2006 Pro II. (My others are 145 two line kite and a 2005 Pro II 4.0m2.) The 2.0 is one of two new sizes for the 2006 line up. The 7.0 is the other new size. Things that are the same: The backpack that the Pro models comes in seems to be identical to the 2005 models. Not super fancy but definitely functional and fairly roomy. Certainly adequate for the kite, any accessories, a jacket and lunch. Zippers look like they might give out if abused. Don't expect to be able to do extreme backpacking with this bag, but then this is really about the kite not the bag. 😄 Same brochures/flyers/stickers as last year. New DVD with flight school, step by step instructions for set up and take down, and the video from last year's DVD. And finally despite Eolo marketing claims to the contrary the stitching looks like the same style, thread weight etc as the 2005 model, not that there's anything wrong with my 2005. Reinforcing on the ribs at the bridle points also appears to be the same. Quality seems good lines are straight, stitches even etc. No complaints, but no discernable gain either. Lines are good dyneema (spectra) with well matched lengths left and right, although the brake lines seem too long for me. Just like on my 4.0 and the 5.0 I test flew straight out of the bag. They'll need to be shortened a couple inches to give comfortable braking for me. Things that are new: The size. The fact that the graphics are repeated on the top of the canopy as well as on the bottom, no more white top skin. Gives a nice look to the kite. The new sizes have, of course, new colours. The 2.0 being the usual white, black, grey of the Radsails Pro II but the accent is a nice blue colour with a greenish/teal tint. Very sharp. The new handles are a welcome and significant improvement over the previous ones, with firm rubber covers with a good "no slip" surface that extends right over the power line end of the handles. Makes for nice holding. Weight is a little heavier, lines much more securely presented. These new handles look and feel "serious". Hook up has been simplified a great deal. No need to guess for newbies which line goes where, they are both labelled and colour co-ordinated. Simply join the lines as labelled and laid out on the cardboard cards then rip out the holes to the edge of the card to remove once joined. Another note here, there's none of this Red-Right nonsense here, good boating practice has been followed with red on the port (left) lines. Something I noticed was carried through the whole Flight School DVD. So how does the new kite fly? I've only done static flying with it so far, but it flies well. Its fast, much faster and responsive than the 4.0. And relative to its size I'd say faster even than the 145. Its responsiveness caught me off guard on my first flight in heavy gusty winds so my first turn became a loop. Add a little brake in the turn and it really snaps around. I'll have to wait to give it light wind testing. The 4.0 flies well even in light winds, it doesn't generate any real traction force, but by working the kite you can keep it aloft in winds that are barely discernable. Hopefully this will hold true for the 2.0, since it means that when its not windy enough to be moving you can still have fun with the kites flying static. As for lift/pull its really hard to tell since I didn't have the 4.0 out for a side-by side comparison, but I'd say its somewhat "lifty-er" (is that a word?) than the 2005 4.0 I have. It certainly had no problem scudding me (86 kg) in winds gusting around 20-25 knots. It even nearly pulled me off my feet once. Summary: Overall I'd say the improvements are incremental rather than radical, but only serve to make one of the best values in foil kiting even better. Will update as further time and testing allow. By : Rapt

This is an initial review based on the first flying day... (about 20 mins at lunch) additional information will be posted once I have more experience with the kite. So first impressions..... This kite is promoted as being different than other kites (especially stunt deltas). The company has a rather huge and very complex and difficult to navigate website that makes much of this. If you can get past the 'attitude' the product seems to be well researched, designed and manufactured. The hard part is extracting the details from the rest of the 'content'. Anyways I ordered one of their "seconds" that are sold at considerable discount. The product sold this way has a 30 day guarantee instead of a one year one, but the flaws are presented as being non-performance effecting. In my case the kite had a couple barely visible stains on the underside (flyer's side) of the canopy. At a distance of more than 2 feet they aren't even visible. Service was good buying direct from the company, which is the only way they sell. My order was shipped the same day as it was placed. I had it in my hands (across the border to Canada AND across the continent) in less than a week. Not bad considering the time it spent with Customs. I spent the evening it arrived reading the detailed and comprehensive manual and checking the kite out. Making sure the bridles were not tangled and were adjusted to the recommended first flight angle of attack. The fabric is top notch (Porcher Marine Skytex) and the stitching is heavy duty and nice and neat. The bag while small and matched to the kite colour is quite long, the full 22.4" of the kite's chord. It lacks any place to put lines or handles/winders etc. Not surprising since lines must be purchased or made for those who don't already have suitable lines from other stunt kites. Luckily Seattle Airgear sells spectra line making materials at VERY reasonable prices or you can get them already made for again very reasonable prices. Ok so enough about the "background". How does it fly? Short answer.... Very well. Its fast, precise and very manoeuverable. Ok longer answer.... It does take a little bit different technique from many stunt kites (deltas or foils) to get the most of out it but its not a radical departure if you're a smooth flyer. Its more like flying a power kite in the sense that there should always be some tension on the (power) lines. It maintains shape and inflation better than my Radsail 145 especially during fast/tight turns. Its easy to generate plenty of apparent wind and to "pump" the kite, again similar to a "power kite" to help it fly in lighter conditions or to sustain it through a lull. However once it collapses its harder to get it to re-inflate before it hits the ground. That shouldn't be a problem unless you're really pushing the limits though and considering the fairly high aspect ratio of about 4.4 its much more tolerant than I thought it might be. Compared to an HQ Symphony 2.2 I've flown some which is fairly similar in size and aspect ratio I think its more forgiving. Its definitely faster and quicker turing, but pulls much less. The main departure with this kite compared to other designs fo foils is the fact that there is relatively little "force" generated by the kite considering its size. I would say this is an indicator of the fact that it has relatively little drag and more lift while flying. So the main forces felt are more generated lift related than drag related unlike many other kites. So in summary is this kite worth it at 3-4 times the cost of a Radsail 145? I think so. I'm already considering a second one for my girlfriend to fly with me. No, its not really a "power" kite, but is is a fast, fun, flying machine. Consider it something to have in the bag to enjoy stunting when you're not using the big ones, or to introduce others to the sport of kiting. If you want more pull and less play then consider the Symphony 2.2 for just slightly more money. By : Rapt

I have a 1.4 that I got a week ago as a trainer kite. The price can't be beat. Anyways I was pleased with the way it came packaged in a nice neat little pouch. Instructions are terrible, but not really essential even for a complete newbie like me... I learned enough doing basic on line research to fly it. I was disappointed in how well (poorly) it flew in lighter winds. Constantly luffing, crumpling up, lackluster speed, poor response etc. Also when I flew it in higher winds the bridle line attachment loop (same material as the stacking lines broke twice. I replaced it with a 100 lb sleeveed spectra loop. and had no more problems even when it was pulling me off balance in 25-30 knot winds. However I was able to largely cure these problems with a few simple steps... First replace the lines with lighter ones... Like 100lb (50kg) sprectra ones. This helps it get off the ground in light winds and improves response to control inputs. Second remove the stacking lines if you aren't stacking this kite, and if you are consider replacing with heavy duty spectra bits. (see comment above about breaking the loops). Removing the stackers helps the kite fly due to less drag and weight. Finally to improve stability shorten the very end lines on the bridle. These lines which attach to the cloth triangles on each end. Shortening them up improves the stability and reduces the tendency to collapse/luff and wad up. Now you can reliably fly it to the edge of the window without it turning into a bag of washing. It also slightly reduces the power of the kite in high winds.... Try different lengths. I find a small figure 8 knot with about a 3/4" (1.5cm) loop works best. In higher winds its less of an issue and if you don't want the reduced power effects you can undo the knots and let it out. Overall a fun and very fast kite in higher winds. Certainly enough to get me hooked. I want more! By : Rapt