Flexifoil Blade 3 6.6M

I graduated in a few months from a Stacker 6 to a Bullet 2.5 and when the craving really caught hold to a Blade III 6.6.

I choose the 6.6 for the inland conditions we encounter here in Southern Africa. Generally we have no or little wind unless a thunderstorm is getting up or if a front is approaching, and then, when it does blow, it blows in gusts.These are not conditions for a small or a twitchy kite.

I needed a kite that was good for low wind conditions but that could also handle the very variable gusting conditions we experiance before a storm or when a cold front sweeps across the country. From the reviews I had read I reckoned that the the Blade 6.6 with a bar control would fit the bill nicely.

In anticipation of the new kite,I also built a buggy with 16'' BMX wheels for cross country travel on the grass plains which are the most open and even terrain available locally.

The kite like all the Flexifoil products I have ever bought was beautifully packaged and of excellent quality. The only flaw was a dyneema line where the sleeve pulled lose under no provocation at all.

Under light wind conditions I found that it takes work to keep the kite up. The relative wind speed over the kite must be maintained so the kite cannot be parked or it is in danger of collapsing.With such a large kite this gaurentees a good work out and is a lot of fun. The novelty of the giant kite in this part of Africa also guarentees an interested audience.

I found that a jury rigged abseiling harness worked very well and allowed for longer flying sessions and increased control over the kite, by easing the strain involved in just holding on to the bar.

For three months we experianced only light winds in the late afternoons with only the occasional storm front added for excitement. These led generally only to a drenching within five minutes of take off or a mad rush to shelter with lightening bolts crashing around. In those pre storm gusts I did however get an inkling of what was in store when a sustained wind finally did get up.

That happened over the Easter long weekend when I travelled to the Mpumalanga highlands, a drop in air pressure signalled a front with steady fresh winds gusting to about 20 knots.

I weigh about 92 kilograms but at those wind speeds I was held at full stretch to stay on the ground.The kite behaves beautifully under these conditions it parks high and sits stable anywhere on the edge of the wind window. There is absolutely no sign of overfly or the risk of collapse that must be gaurded against at low windspeeds.

The kite turns smoothly into the zone and provided that you can manage the massive power surge without losing your control, behaves cleanly,predictably and reliably.

With such stability and exceptional levels of control climbing into a buggy didnt seem quite as scary as I had imagined. Hold the kite near the edge of the window then ease it gently into the zone for forward traction, pull back to the edge when it gets hairy.

The African grasslands are however not ideal buggying terrain with thick grass tufts, aardvark and warthog burrows,scattered termite mounds,acacia thorn scrub and other hazards abounding.

At most any speed I found myself leaping and bounding across the veld like a springhare smooth and controlled transitions into and out of the power zone were all but impossible. It is all I could do to stay on board but even this could not be sustained for more than a couple of minutes of adrenaline charged bedlam. Scratches grazes bruises and thorns imbedded in the flesh were very much part of the deal.

The power and accelaration, for one with no previous experiance of buggying, is extraordinary. I can only imagine what it must be like on the extensive salt pans in the Northern Cape (where Malcolm Cambpell once set a world speed record in Bluebird). I reckon a land speed record on a home built buggy must be within my reach there if propelled by the Blade.

In light winds the Blade 6.6 is well within the capability of my slightly built 15 year old who routinely pulls off some amazing airs. Loops and figure eights are a doddle. When the wind gets up some however you need a fair amount of weight to anchor the controls.

If a better buggy terrain were available, smoother with fewer holes and thorns, I reckon buggying would be a pleasure.There is a lot of control available and steering around obstacles, even tall ones requiring you to place the kite very precisely in the air should present no difficulty.

Landing the kite with the brakes or just putting it down on the edge of the window is easy and controlled even in a fresh wind. The emergency brakes put the kite down fast and recovery and untangling the lines after such an event is no problem at all.

The bar has its drawbacks and I reckon handles must be the first choice for buggying giving even better control, but out of the buggy the bar makes flying a lot less strenous especially if used with a harness.This means longer flying sessions that are otherwise only within the realms of the superfit.

For inland flyers who must make do with light and variable winds I feel the 6.6 is an excellent compromise between control and stability that makes flying fun under a wide range of conditions. Contrary to what most reviewers seem to believe I think the Blade III makes a fine buggy engine.



Postscript; Wild animals are terrified by kites. Even huge animals like Cape buffalo go into a complete panic when a kite is up.I suspect that they think it is a giant raptor intent on carrying away their calves. Zebra and antelope just bolt.

By : Richard Spoor