Seattle Airgear Winddance 3

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