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I spent many happy years flying stunt kites, and now I have to spend time on the beach with young family, it seemed it was time to dust one off and fly again. Needless to say, the kite had decayed in the years of storage, and it was clear a new kite was in order. I'd seen foil kites being flown on the beach, and so, despite how expensive it seemed, two years ago I got a Symphony 1.4 as a birthday present. I can thoroughly recommend it, but when holiday loomed last year, I felt a new challenge was needed. I was interested in learning to fly four string kites, and at first thought I might use the two anchor points at the back of the Symphony 1.4 to make a conversion (the 1.4 is so small it does not come in a four string version). My argument was that I'm not interested in traction, simply flying kites. Common sense prevailed, however, and started looking at small traction kites. Small, because I didn't want some lumbering giant, but something whose speed rather than pull made it interesting to fly. I finally settled on a Buster 1.4, partly because the adjustable bridle looked as though it would allow me to gain speed at the expense of traction. On-shore at Woolacombe had already given me sound advice on the phone, so a visit provided me with the kite, a stake and some good advice on flying, at the cost of about 75 pounds. A lot has been said about this kite already in reviews here and elsewhere, so I will concentrate in the adjustable bridle. Before doing so I feel I must comment is on what one reviewer called the "happy shopper" bag. For me kiting is a solo operation, and I don't like having to remember where you've left things. So this small bag is a real boon; having laid out the strings, you unpack the sail, and stuff the bag into a pocket. I also have to make sure that none of the bridle lines have caught on the bridle knots... Now to the bridle itself. There are four rows of lines attached to the sail, each row running parallel to the leading edge. The rearmost lines are attached to the brake lines. On each side of kite the front two rows are bundled together, and attached to one end of a piece of knotted string. The other end of each piece of knotted string is attached to the next-to-the-back row of lines. The flying lines are attached to the piece of knotted string, and so it acts like a classical kite bridle. There are five equally spaced knots down the bridle, which I will number from the leading edge backwards one to five. The kite comes with two knots pushed through the larkshead of the flying lines, despite the fact that the instructions give the impression that only one knot at a time should be pushed through. My understanding of the theory is that if you use the lower numbered knots the kite has a low angle of attack, and so will not develop as much lift, but will also generate less drag (in the aerodynamic sense), and so should move faster. Of course whether the kite will fly or not in light wind is a competition between the drag (meaning it won't fly) and the lift (meaning it will). Drag turns out to be the more powerful, so if you have light winds it should fly if you lower the angle of attack. Now comes the bit I'm really hazy about. With a low angle of attack, the kite will fly faster, but turn more slowly. I guess that it must be because you use the difference in lift/drag between the two sides of the kite to turn it, and if the lift/drag forces are low (as they are with small angle of attack) then the turning force is lower. So much for the theory. What happens in practice? Using the lower numbered knots certainly makes the kite fly in lighter winds, and reduces the pull. The first time I tried the lower numbered knots I thought (due to the lack of pull) that the kite was falling out of the sky, but then realised it was staying up there, and apparently flying faster (though this is hard to assess objectively). Less traction, more speed - exactly what I wanted. I'm not convinced there's any effect on the turning circle by changing knots, but practically its irrelevant anyway, as by using the brakes you can turn the kite around its own center anyway even with knots one and two (simultaneously) through the flying line's larksheads. The kite is (as others have reported) completely unflyable on knot five. This year I wanted something new to try on holiday, and so bought some 30 metre lines. Then I discovered what the much-maligned adjusters on the brake lines are for. With the longer lines, the brakes had less effect, apparently because the brake lines needed shortening. I could use the adjusters to experiment with the brake-line length and get it right. I guess I have two options now. Either shorten the brake lines by the appropriate amount, or tie a knot in the lines on the handle, so the beads hold the brakes at a shorter length. The latter is clearly preferable if yo want to use the same line set with different kites. So, in summary, I think both the brake-line adjusters, and the adjustable bridles are great innovations. I suspect in a year or so I'll be looking to a new kite. Something bigger would be nice, but I'm not willing to sacrifice speed. Were any manufacturer to offer adjustable bridles they'd be high on my list, as I know I can trim it for speed and not be left with some lumbering giant designed purely for traction. By : timn

Been flying the buster 2 4m for sometime now and in doing so thought id do a quick review of the kite. On recieving the kite, it came in a blue stuff sack which was ok not really much use for anything else because you can only get the kite,lines,stake, and handles in there, also two bags which you can fill with sand or rice to help hold the kite down if you wish and some stickers,instructions you download from there web site all helps to keep the cost down. On setting it up straight forward, although it would have been nice to have different colour brake lines to the power lines, helps tangles!!! Anyway flying the kite it was blowing about 10-15mph which was about right for this kite i pulled the handles and the kite shot to the zenith and on doing so over flew slightly so I landed it and ajusted the brakes slightly. Launched it again and she sat perfectly at the zenith waiting for my instructions,slight pull on the handles and away the kite went flying straight across the window from one side to the other with very little luffing at the edge of the window.Turning was quick when the break lines were spot on and positioning the kite in the window was no problem. As for power PLENTY. This kite can really exhilarate you, it is a great kite for a beginner,stable,predictive and not to much lift, don't get me wrong this kite will lift you but its not like my blade4 4.9. Also on this kite is the aoa adjuster which helps you to define your flying conditions. I find that this kite is a all rounder great for static flying will drag you all day long,also good for buggying to. CONCLUSION 1. Superb value for money for your first kite and also because of the kit you get with it. 2. Well made apart from the handles and kite killers (just buy some flexi or ozone) 3. Great stability and some lift. 4.A kite that stays in my quiver for sometime. All in all this is a great kite but it will give you pain if you don't respect it.

This is my second review, my second Kite but my first 4 line kite, so please bare in mind that I have limited experience, therefore my review is based on a beginers point of view. What's Included? Kite, Lines, Handles, A pair of Kite Killers, Stickers, Sew on labels, Ground Stakes, Pouches (to weight the trailing edge) Sack type bag. The Kite. Being the 3.0m the colour is mostly red with a single black stripe and white trailing edge. Material seems to be nice and crisp, stitching appears to be of good quality. The bridle seems quite complex to a novice such as myself, and is adjustable, allowing the AOA to be adjusteded depending on wind and preference. Zipped dirt outs at the two lower corners are a nice addition. Lines. The brake lines seem awfully thin to the untrained eye. All the lines seem to tangle quite easily, and I am unsure of the quality. Having said that, they are all the same length, give good feel, and do the job just fine. It would make it easier for a beginer if they were different colours, but I have had no problems with them, so they function just fine I guess. Handles. Not the comfiest of things I must say. Plastic construction. Neoprene type foam/rubber grips. Nice touch are the cleats on the brake line end, which allow for adjustment on the fly. As supplied they come with a strop, which I didn't like the idea of, it seemed too short to me, so I got rid of it. After a couple of times flying I invested in some clear PVC rubber tube, which I put over the main line attatchments to stop the lines digging into my fingers (something I had seen on a Flexi) and I must say, it's 75p well spent. Kite Killers. Seem to be quite good to me, although I have no comparison to make. They do seem like they are a little on the small size with regard to wrist size, but the little loops make doing and un-doing them quite easy. The leashes are elasticated, and seem to be quite long. Being long they seem to get wrapped around the flying and brake lines quite easily. Ground Stakes. Two are supplied in a sheath, they are small diametre, and have very small red anodised ends. Very funky, but in my opinion virtually useless. They wouyld be no use in sand, and the ends are so small that you would easily loose them in grass. I've not used mine, I use some large yellow plastic tent pegs which work great in grass and are easy to see. Stickers and stuff. Erm, they are stickers, they stick like sticky things and have the PKD logo on them. The sew on patches are a similar idea, except, well, you erm, sew them on instead of sticking them on. The pouches for weighting the trailing edge are a nice idea, but I have never had to use them. They will do the job though I have no doubt. The Bag. Awfull. No compartments, thin material, naff straps and a simple drawstring, having said that, it holds stuff inside and stops it falling to the ground. I bough the kite, not the bag. I wouldn't let the bag put me off buying another one, but I would advise anybody buying one of these to do as I have done, and use the bag to keep the kite tidy inside another, better quality bag. Setting Up. The kite comes ready to fly, all lines ready attatched. I had to attatch the kite killers, and I did decide to remove the strop before I took it out for it's first flight. First time out I found the lines were a little tangled, but this might not have been the first time it had been out of the bag. Laying out the lines and handles and staking the brakes, I went back to the kite and layed it out, lifted up the leading edge, and it sat very nicely. First Flight. Kite killers on, not sure quite what to expect (in approx 5-10mph wind) I gave a quick tug and up up and away! The kite inflated well and went straight up to the top of the window although nowhere near the Zenith. She sat there quite easily, and the amount of pull suprised me. (My previous kite was a cirrus power 1.8m) A few manouvers later and it was quite apparent that this is not a slow kite. It moved briskly through the window. I tried for the first time the brakes. I was staggered that I could make it fly backwards, not something I was expecting. More Flights. Turning on the brakes is easy, and staggers me how sharply a kite can turn. It seems so effortless. Landing is something I am now used to, and I can manage quite well. Weather this kite is good or not remains to be seen as I only have this one to judge by as the cirrus I own is ony dual line, so landing is a challenge with that. On the occasion that I land it a bit wrong, it is easy enough to reverse launch. I have ended up gaining a few feet of scuds, but to be honest this is not something I am used to yet, and more often than not end up staggering towards the kite rather than leaning back and enjoying the ride. This kite seems to like a fair breeze, much less than 10mph and it is a challenge to keep it inflated, although not impossible. It likes to be kept moving in low winds otherwise it fluffs. Overall. I would rate the kite as a very good beginer to intermediate kite. A lot of pull, not much lift, and very stable in 10+mph winds. It can be hard work in low winds, but on the whole is a very enjoyable kite to fly. It represents good value for money. I'm not sure if I would buy a smaller version than the 3.0m, but larger???? maybe! By : mikeinderby

I have only flown stunt kites before and spent some time playing with a small powerkite several years ago. I've fancied getting a powerkite for a while now, it happens when you hit your forties, mid life crisis and all that. Another motorbike was out of the question and too expensive so the idea of a kite seemed reasonable. I did a lot of research (mostly on this site). I considered one of the Radsail pro's or a Beamer, but then thought a Crossfire would be fun as the idea of a bit of lift appealed to me. I hadn't even heard of PKD until I saw one on ebay, so I checked out the reviews and it sounded like it might be what I'm looking for. The reviews didn't seem to think it was that lifty but may have potential in stronger wind. I managed to get it for £90 including postage and it arrived the next day. I unwrapped it like a maniac and seeing as I'm self employed, phoned my customer up to say I was feeling under the weather and wouldn't be coming in today. Everything was fresh and crisp and nothing was showing any signs of wear, quality seemed fine. I prayed that my customer wouldn't be walking her dog near the beach as yes...you guessed it, that's were I was heading. I did some speed reading on this site regarding set up etc and off I sped to the beach. On arrival I had to spend a fair bit of time sorting out tangles which I found a little tricky and more annoyingly so because the handles have a strop keeping them together and make sorting them out a bit complicated, but seeing as I was going to para pack it later the worste was out of the way. The wind was a steady breeze so I grabbed the handles and checked the kite killers, gave a tug and up she went. The kite sat at the top very comfortably and within seconds I was moving across the window left to right, up down, all over the place. The wind picked up a little and I managed a few 8ft ish skids here and there. I had great fun but after about an hour or so I thought "yes great, but is that it....what now?,should I have got a bigger kite?," I Para packed it ready for it's next flight. Ok.... let's fast forward three days. It's blowing a bit and the trees are moving and my friend phones me and asks whether I fancy showing off my new kite...Err it's a bit blowy out there, I say. Ten minutes later we are on a local field as I refuse to make an idiot of myself on a public beach. At this point I cut the strop in the middle because it was confusing the hell out of me trying to get the lines sorted and I tied a knot in the loose ends so I at least have the option in the future. I later sealed the ends with a lighter Ready for lift off.....Sh*t........where has my kite gone, no worse, where has my upper torso gone, are my legs still connected to me, let go, no keep hold, brake..brake...brake...bloody brake....why don't the brakes work? Kite killers, that's it ..kite killers...let go ...let go...Agh! thats better, the kite hits the ground and I look behind me and my friend is about 100 yards away pissing himself laughing with a video camera in his hands. Do I need a bigger kite? No. Do I need to be a little wiser about flying in strong gales? Yes I tried again and managed to get the kite to the top this time and managed to hover and travel a few feet in the air but as soon as I lowered the kite I was off like a missile. The wind was getting even stronger now and I actually lost the bottle to try anymore. The kite killers were a God send in these conditions and saved me running for miles. I think this is a great kite for begginers as it's easy to control in light winds but you need to bear in mind that it can be a beast if you don't respect the weather conditions. I can't comment on line quality etc as I've not really looked closely at any others but i'm almost 13 stone and they held me in the air ok. Even if you pay top whack for this kite I think it offers good value for money and if you ever think you've outgrown it then try it in a strong wind. I think I'll keep hold of this kite, but i'll get a smaller kite for the gales By : anton6

What can I say? I like old kites. Or at least, while I can't afford new kites, I like old kites! I was looking for a low wind (and low cost!) foil for the buggy, my 6.2 Oxigen Standard won't pull much below about 10mph (for me at least - combined 'me and buggy' weight of about 140kg) and doesn't really get moving 'til 12mph. From 12 to about 18mph it's a good kite but I've been caught out with no sub 10mph foil a few times. Enter the 7.5 Century, a couple of years old but potentially a bargain low wind beast. Mine's in Porcher Marine fabric - slightly lighter, more waterproof and theoretically flyable in lighter winds. First impressions ....are that this kite is very well-made, bridles are multi-coloured and very light, all stitches on the sail are strong and straight. There's lots of stiffening inside with cross-vented cells. No dirt-outs or velcro bridle crocs though, don't know whether later models have them (bit of a surprise considering that the Airea Raptor II, upon which the century is based, did have them). Opened, it looks larger than its 7.5 metres. It looks good with its "soulfly" graphic too [at least to everyone not flying it - I wish manufacturers would put the nice bits where the pilot can see them]. My first flight ....was fantastic - occasionally as low as 8mph, but mostly 10-14, smooth north-easterly winds (the best for our flying site, not only smoothest direction but means you can get the longest runs). For a race kite - especially an older design - it was stable, barely luffed and rarely bowtied, power was [mostly] progressive, speed phenomenal and the kite cut upwind like it didn't know where the wind was coming from! Second flight - next day was simply awful: the wind was anything from 0-8mph, then 16mph gusts so the kite wouldn't get off the ground one moment, then pull you straight upwards (or outwards) the next. It also luffed, bowtied and frustrated the hell out of me; I'm so glad I got the good session in before the bad one, I think this could've put me off it! Since this session, I've not experienced another bad one, so I put this one down to a combo of pilot error and bad wind! After a couple of months of ownership I realise this kite benefits from being flown with active brake input. It's certainly pretty quick for a big kite, you can work it if you have to, and because of this speed you can fly it straight out of the window if you're not careful. There is also a surprising amount of lift too; something I try to avoid, but the freestylers out there might enjoy! Acceleration is phenomenal but creamy smooth, on our slightly cramped site you find the end coming up with alarming speed while the kite is still accelerating! I fly mostly on a flat-ish common, which, if the wind is right, offers a run of about 500m maximum; I thought I would struggle with any race-type kite simply because of lack of space and not ideal winds, but this (mostly) hasn't been the case. Yes, it doesn't like really lumpy wind, but efficient kites generally don't. Otherwise, I'm glad to report that the Century is almost as stable as my Oxigens. Having said that, it isn't a learner kite, you will need some skill to fly it, but it's much more stable than a race-bred kite - with origins going back about 5yrs - has any right to be, even to the point of allowing the lines to go slack for a moment in a turn, without everything going bosoms up - the advantage of so few open cells I guess. Any pilots who consider themselves to be 'intermediate' flyers wouldn't have too many problems, though it does have a tendency to lull you into a false sense of security and spank you every now and again, not quite "a la Blade", but it still needs to be respected. As I said earlier, When I bought this kite I was looking for an ultra light, low wind sail; I don't think the 7.5 is a really low wind kite (even in the light material) so I ought to be disappointed. However, what I've found is a mid-range high-performance kite that will perform [highly] even in the inland site I call home. Let's face it, for a small outlay you get a lot of kite with a Century, but unlike some other old race kites, you don't need to be a skilled racer to enjoy them. If you've got enough skill to fly an "intermediate" kite and you want something fast then there's very little else that'll give you so much "bang for your buck". Yes you could buy a PL Viper for only a little more, or a blurr for 3x the price, and yes, they might even be just as fast in the right hands. But when you can't (or can't bring yourself to) afford a new kite, I guarantee you'll get as much fun out of the century. And, if you decide to move onto the latest race gear, you probably won't lose much in the resale value. Conclusion These kites, despite their age, have a lot to recommend them. OK, so the century (not this size anyway) isn't the low wind kite I hoped it to be, I wouldn't really consider getting this kite out until the wind is about 12mph, (though it'll pull in around 8mph) but the fun I have when I do fly it is immeasurable: it puts a smile on my face and a few extra heartbeats in my chest, it's surprisingly agile for a big kite and, in my particular situation it's ideal - challenging my kite and buggying skills every time I fly it. The Century may not be a race winner these days, but it's a long way from being redundant, its stability alone will make it a worthy addition to your quiver and unlike many kites around the 7m mark, it doesn't handle like a Jordanian oil tanker. If you're thinking of giving racing a go, or like me just want to cruise fairly quickly then spare it some time, it will reward you handsomely. By : mikeymustard

Introduction Although there is now the Mk II of this kite this is a review of a 3m Mk I. After I had decided that the buggy was the form of traction that I wanted to continue with, it was time to upgrade the Beamer II to a more intermediate type of kite that would give me pull but minimum lift, I also needed something that wasn't going to luff as most of my flying is inland. After looking around the web for something a little different, and reading what people had thought of different kites, I opted for the PKD Brooza ready to fly option. The Bag and Contents. The Brooza's come in the sizes of 2m, 3m 4m 5.5m and 7.5m The bag is colour coded to that of the kite. It's a stuff sack come rucsak the reason as I say this is its basic but with 2 straps for backpack carrying perfect for being able to stuff the bag into your pocket when setting up. Inside the bag comes a nice crisp kite, a set of handles which are covered in a hard rubber, they have small cleats on the bottom of the handle allowing you to change the brake length on the fly, they also come with a strop between them. A set of 22m lines grey in colour. A PKD Lanyard, set of different size stickers, 2 sew on patches, spare cleats 2 ground stakes, a set of kite killers and 2 orange sandbags. The Kite The kite comes in Red / White with a black bird like logo on the rear of the kite, this looks totally striking and is perfectly sewn onto the kite, its certainly a head turner! The inside of the kite is plain white with a PKD logo. The other kites in the Brooza range come in their own colours so its easy to recognise a kite size by colour. The build quality of the Brooza is really good, all the cells and bridle attachment points are reinforced which helps the kite keep its shape in lighter winds. The bridle is all in bright colours, and nice and strong. Setting up. The winds were quite strong the first time I actually got to fly this kite. After putting the lines out the kite just wanted to fly and didn't want to sit on the ground. Fortunately PKD supply you with 2 bright velcro bags allowing you to fill them with sand to hold the kite down, saves digging handfuls of sand to throw on your kite! https://www.extremekites.org/uploads/rk/reviews/brooza.jpg Performance. With a pull on the lines the kite went steadily skywards straight to the top of the window and sat there, it didn't fall back into the power zone nor did it want to fly over my head. You also don't get that sudden jerk on your arms due to the reduced amount of air intakes in the leading edge this makes the kite inflate slower than normal. In lighter winds I found that you do have to turn the kite a little to enable the kite to fill with air. With a gentle tweak on the brakes and a pull on the handles the kite turns so smoothly, it seemed to just turn on the spot. With some static flying moving it around the window my grin was stuck on my face. OK time to get in the buggy. Brooza and the Buggy I took the kite to the zenith and sat in the buggy. I gently lowered the kite into the power zone, and we are off with a smooth acceleration. The kite holds a perfect shape in the sky, even when taken to the edge of the window it doesn't lose its shape or luff. As I gained my confidence and picked up speed so this kite just wants to go faster and wants to keep pulling harder. Upwind I can nearly fly into the wind allowing me access to anywhere in the field or beach. This kite can generate more power and speed than I have ever experienced. Other fliers that I know of have made speeds of 50+ mph powered by a Brooza. Downsides of the kite. Well there aren't many! In my experience with the kite the only problems I can see is I found that the strop is a little too short. This I have since cut off and replaced with a longer one for my needs. Also the fact that the kite doesn't want to sit on the ground this is remedied with the sandbags and also adding another stake to the handles to put a little power on the lines. I found in a buggy that the kite killers are a little too long and got tangled more than once, so again these have been changed for a shorter pair. Conclusion This kite is awesome and a dream to fly. Build quality its superb looks beautiful in flight its exciting, forgiving, challenging, predictable, smooth rarely luffs and pulls like a train. Upwind capabilities of the kite is amazing. In short this kite is superb and will leave you grinning like a chesire cat! So much so I now own the 2m 4m and 5.5m (2m and 5.5 are MkIIs) The MkII. The MkII has an adjustable bridle the pattern is on both sides of the kite so the flier can now see the fantastic motif and also has dirt outs with the material of a softer fabric. They have made an existing kite even better - if that's possible! By : nudge

Unpacking this kite was great, I bought this kite from a local shop (UFO kites) as a ready to fly package, It was my first kite, so I was extra specially exited, the set includes- - The kite (red) - the colour coded lines - the handles with strop - 2 orange stakes - to orange sand bags - PKD kite killers - the instructions The kite was crispy as you would expect, and has nice graphics of a bird in the middle, which looks great and the lines are ready attached to the handles and the kite. The fist time I took out this kite I spent about an hour of constant flying, the wind was poor but after that I was really tired and my hands stung because of the handles not-so-nice grip. I used to go out 3/4 times a week with my friends (who all have kites of their own) but now I never go out kiting because I feel this kite is unusable. The main reason for this is that the kite is the most unstable kite I have ever used, and the brakes don't work. To land this kite I had to develop a way of getting it to the edge of the wind window, and asking a naive friend to jump onto the kite. To start of with I thought the kite falling out of the sky was me doing something wrong, but when I tried out my friends flexifoil rage 2.5 (great kite!) I hardly ever crashed it. To it's credit, the brooza has way more float than the rage, we have a small hillock at our local field and as we became more confident, we started jumping of it, the brooza floated me down to the bottom of the hill very smoothly, and then crashed, where as the rage user, jumped, then landed in the stinging nettles (the kite still in the air). I suppose that this kite should be used for static flying, as the other sports need more stability, as a final note I would say buy this only if you want an unpredictable kite with a lot of power, if you are looking for a more user friendly kite then you should probably consider something more like a flexifoil rage.

I have finally got around to flying my PKD Buster II 2m. I bought the kite second hand off eBay before going on holidays to the beach. I had grand plans of spending some hours flying kites on the sand, but sadly children and visiting relatives got in the way. Yesterday I got the chance to scoot down to my local park to put the Buster II up for an hour. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane was experiencing wind of 14 knots (26 km/h) gusting to 22 knots (41 km/h) at the time. Who knows what the wind was at my local park, but it seems about right. Bought off eBay, the Buster II still had sand on the kite and in the lines from the previous owner's last use. Ohh, and the lines were twisted. It took me a good 10 minutes to sort out the four lines. The Buster II launched easily. Initial impressions are that it is slower than my Prism Stylus P3. The Buster II also had a tendency to overfly and then collapse, falling to the ground in a tangle of lines. Time to do the walk of shame ... again. The Buster II gave me a lot more confidence to fly in the power zone than the Prism P3. After a little practice, with the four line set up I knew that I could de-power any time I liked. The four lines were also useful to stop the Buster II over flying. At the zenith, I could pull back on the brake lines to drag the trailing edge as well as reducing the efficiency of the kite, meaning that it does not over fly. I also managed to reverse the kite into the air after crashing leading edge first into the ground. Cool! Even though my PKD Buster II is only a two metre kite, it could easily drag me across the grass on my backside in the gusts. Heaps of fun! I am thinking of getting a mountain board to ride with the kite ... By : rantrex

Ok so this is my first kite review having only taken up kiting in the last 6 months, but thought id better add a little feedback as it was mainly the information on this kite on this site that convinced me that the Buster was the way to go for my first traction kite. Here goes then. Build quality Pretty fantastic from what I can tell and I was very happy with what arrived. The sail material was very crispy and felt good when pulled at (i know you shouldn't really do that but im a bit of a perfectionist and I like to know what things are capable of) as the stitching all appeared to be neat and tidy and strongly linked the panels of the sails together. The bridles seemed extremely tough and somewhat firm to touch and the bridle points appear to be well sewn into the sail lining. The lines themselves seemed a tad woolly for my liking though and initially did not instill much confidence that they would be able to haul my 14 stone frame from the ground despite their quoted line stress rating. Also being all white meant that tangles were more of a pain to sort out than they should have been. However these were just minor things and after a few flights it was not a problem anymore as you just get used to it. The handles seemed perfectly adequate although after a few cold flying days they could have made them slightly more padded. This has got better and more comfortable as the weather has improved however. Al in all though I was very please with my purchase and I was glad that I did not plump for a flexi Rage or Beamer as I felt that I had value for money in abundance. Flying First day flying was in 10mph or so winds and had a great time, took to it all really well, setup was a doddle once the lines were sorted and had a fantastic half an hour. Straight away I knew this kite was going to give me all the power and learning curve that I was looking for. A few luffs but ill put that down to me not the wind although initially the kite did overfly somewhat, however a few adjustments on the step less brake lines meant that this stopped pretty quickly. Nice long scuds, minor air (didn't really want to much on the first day anyway) and I was one happy muddy person. Turning was quick when the break lines were spot on and positioning the kite in the window was no problem. Since then I have been pushing this kite to its limits with great results. 10ft or so of air can easily be achieved using the right method and adjusting the tunable bridle to the top knot so that the kite flys slightly slower but provides more lift. the best technique for jumping with this kite seems to be a 10 o'clock position, with a quick brake turn to get the kite right in the power spot in front of you and then another quick brake turn taking the kite straight up. This always gets me off the ground no problems. Nice soft landings as well. This kite can really exhilarate you, the scudding can be immense and I have already mentioned the jumps (even though this is technically not a jumping kite). I plan to use this on a board shortly as soon as I have figured out which board wil be best for me. Superb value for money also because of the kit you get with it. Sandbags, kite killers and stakes etc. The kite killers have let me down a few times though as the velcro does not seem to have enough bit to hold the kite to me. All in all this kite is great, it will spank you badly if you dont use it properly as with all other powerkites and I have one broken bone to testify to this, but I have never been put off flying it and I can see that it is going to be a kite that stays in my quivver for sometime. Great job PKD, I will be buying from you guys again. G By : grantimus

Having got into 4 liners with a Rev stunt kite, I and a friend were both keen to find something that "pulled". The inevitable happened, and my mate bought a couple of Busters before I could raise the funds. Off he went and learned to fly them, then bought a buggy to use the power with. Muggins here eventually turns up on a day when the wind sat at about 20-25mph with his pride and joy new toy, a 4m Buster. My buddies first words when we arrived at the flying field were "Don't get your 4 out, it's too windy. Have a go with my 2m instead". What? No way! I've got a new toy, and I'm going to play! So I left him and his girlfriend setting up their kites and got the 4m out. Oops! No sooner was the kite off the ground than I was on it. That was the day I learned some new tricks. Bum-scudding, chest-scudding, chin-scudding, and even at one stage on-the back-of my-neck-scudding! *LOL* Hell, I learned to do just about everthing except stand upright and fly the damned kite. Lesson no.1.. These kites pull like a train. The Busters are not designed to give lift, they are traction kites, but at one stage during a good gust (Probably about 30 to 35mph) I found that the 4m gave enough lift to pull my 14 stone self well clear of the ground before lowering me gently back down exactly where I had taken off from. A quick learning curve saw me being persuaded into my mates buggy that day, and flying his 2m Buster I took off across the turf like a scalded cat. I even managed to almost make it back to my start point after a while. The seed was set, and grew like Jacks beanstalk. Now, between my girlfriend and I we have Busters in 1.4m, 2m, 3m, 4m, and 7m, a Flexdeck board and a Peter Lynn Competion XR buggy. The little 1.4m is too fast to sensibly use for traction in my opinion. It whizzes through the air so quickly that you cannot afford to take your eyes off for a second (i.e to see where you are going) It pulls well enough to teach you where the power zone is when there's a fair breeze blowing though and is great fun to fly. In winds over 20mph the 2m sees you whipping down the field on the buggy, although it will pull you along at a fair speed in wind a slight as 10mph. The 4m is my most "universal" kite for buggying with. It seems to handle winds from 7 or 8 mph right through to 25mph plus (If you're as daft as us and are willing to launch it in those winds) Initially the 7m seemed too sluggish to use for buggying. This was my big mistake... I was trying to use it when there was not enough wind for the 4m. I thought that the bigger kite would catch more wind and therefore provide power from a light breeze. It does, but only if you try and stand there holding the thing back (or for scudding). Try buggying with it in too light a wind and you soon outrun the kite, only to see it fall behind you and/or luff out and collapse onto the ground. More experience (and not an incosiderable increase in bottle / stupidity) now sees us getting the 7's out in winds of up to 25mph, strapping the harnesses on and going like the clappers! For light wind scudding the 7m is a great buy. On the Saturday of the Weymouth Kite Festival earlier this year my buddy and I were scudding down the beach with our very new 7's when other power kite flyers could not get any cloth in the air due to the light wind. One thing that we have done to all our Busters is to change the lines and handles on them. The lines fitted when you buy the kite are 25m long (I think) and are quite thick, soft dyneema(?) They seem to drag in the air and visibly hold the kite back. On the smaller kites they also seem too short, the kites whip through the wind window too quickly on their short leash. All our kites are now flown on 30m lines. (The yellow and red ones sold seperately at kite shops) These are not only longer, but much thinner and they seem to be just about perfect as far as we can tell, allowing more time in the power zone due to the greater arc, without being too cumbersome. Handles are nice big Flexifoil jobs with neoprene tops for comfort. All in all, I'd recommend the Busters to anyone starting out on power kites. They fly well in even light winds and pull for all their worth. I can't compare them to other kites as they are the only power kites I have, but I think that alone says enough. They are all I've felt the need for so far, (Thats a lie.. I'm thinking I might treat myself to a PKD Century soon *S*) but the Busters are great fun, easy to use and are far from expensive when compared to other kites. By : Ian A-R

PKD 2m/3m/4m Brooza. For those that need to know, conditions were. * NW 17 mph gusting to 22. * stoke on trent. * 60% cloud cover with thermals. * dry short grass * and three grinning people. On seeing the kites we, Zotty,stig and myself (scud) were well impressed with the build quality of the kites, the stuff sacks are spacious and colour coded to the kites. The bridles are neatly packed and lanyard knotted for easy separation. The bridles are sleeved dyneema and are of very good quality,(dont know the material but its not the cheapest stuff in the box). On lining up,we used the 3 mtr first, we found that using a spare set of lines we had laying around fitted ferfectly and the kite sat on the short grass and couldnt be more well behaved. We took up the power on the mains and the 3 mtr sat up in anticipation awaiting the tug to launch.It then took off smoothly and went straight to the zenith showing off its progressive power,.We then went daft and being hooked in dropped it straight into the power window.... we were well suprised by the power it produced and how smoothly it excellerated into the wind, there was no hint of a luff or tuck during the sweep through the window and when we parked the kite at the edge it still sat there patiently and was able to maintain a modicum of control( they are new crispy kites and not at their aero efficient best). We had jumps off the 3 mtr all beit very snappy ones but the kite didnt show signs off luiffing at the zenith after the power was gone. They DO require a touchy feely amount of brakes. But not enough to make a difference to the canopy,just enough to make all 4 lines do the Work. We were using Zotty's buggy as a platform to get some traction,. I'll let him type the buggying bits.... first off i was surprised with how smooth and steady the kite supplied me with power as i dropped it into the window to get underway in the bug.before i know it i was doing maybe 20mph with the kite just parked there, not wanting to push things to far (scuds new babys n all) i made an normal up turn turn and headed back up the hill and again was surprised with the steady amount of power delivered, cutting up wind was also impressive for this type of sail (huge huge improvment over the busters) on my run down the hill again and feeling a tad more confident i sent the kite behind me to see how it lifted and up i went. prob gained about 20 inchs or so (again remeber these are scuds new babys lol) the landing wasnt a sudden slam. on the whole i'm impressed. it did what i asked and did it without question!. The Stig arrived,Phil Quinn, and being the youngest of all of us and the only one to enjoy throwing Raptor "'s around like they are chicken feed,promptly jumped into Zotty's buggy and being without a harness used his pie eating weight to keep himself into zotty's buggy,.He knows the hill and how the wind works and was ,within seconds,asking for the 4mtr to be lined up and given airtime. The 4 in all its blue glory was out of the bag and lined up.It proved to be the best of the bunch so far, ( the 2 mtr came out but was underpowered), both zotty and Stig commented on how the 4 produced copious amounts of grunt all through the window and was willing to be thrown around like a rag doll and still maintain its shape. The use of 4 cell entries makes a massive amount of difference, compaired to the likes of the busters that have cell entries over 80% of the leading edge. Sadly the wind was too strong to allow the 5.5 to get an airing,we were twitching with the idea but decided against it. All in all ,, first impressions are .. Good kite,, great build quality, excellent handling. Predictable but it does have a possibility of biting.They are lifty, i (scud) couldnt hold down the 4 mtr after the stig gave it to me)and couldnt physically get into zotty's buggy. They do feel more like race kites but without the instability and "im gonna kill ya" notion the higher aspect kites produce. They are NOT a beginners kite and they are not a race kite,, they are,, the best of both worlds. The kite than can be used inland for blattin around with ya mates , and can be used as a kite to get into racing.They have only been tested so far on a turbulent hill,, .Next airing will be at Hoylake... They will be put through their paces draggin my buggy around and i will not be as lenient as zotty is. I will get as much out of them as i can and hope to get footage of it too.. We have pictures of todays few hours and will put them up later,. Oh btw,, its the most stunning design.. Day Two. The wind was low enough to get the 5.5 out and after a quick pre-flight inspection it was lined up and ready to go,(please note,,, lines and handles do not come suppied with this kite)The kite was lined up on 30 odd mtr lines and set to fly. As with its smaller sizes the 5.5 sat on the ground and didnt jump around whilst staked. The cells didnt fill up and make the kite jumpy/bouncy on the ground like other kites with more cell entires,( the 4 cell entries on the brooza really do make a difference in more ways than one) Once the handles were looped into the harness and a progressive tug was applied the kite launched to about 10ft above the ground and by looking at the cells you could tell it wanted to be turned and flown,like race kites, we threw the kite into the wind and watched as the cells progressively filled. This one aspect makes the brooza very user friendly because the power isnt a snatch face plant on/off switch.The cells filled as the kite gained momentum and the more it sped up the more it filled and the more it pulled,a bit like one of those perpetual engines that dont exsist, it just got better and better. After a few minutes of static testing the buggy was next on the list, .This point in the test flight produced the most stunning result. We parked the kite at the zenith..As in directly above the flier. The kite duly went up to its sitting position, then carried on... and on... and on... Now you'll have to believe me on this.. the kite will fly about 6-10 ft above and beyond the zenith.(another perk of 4 cell entries).It just kept on flying and then found its favoured place and just sat there... no luffs... no drop back and run forward,,it just sat there,long enough for me to turn around and fly facing backwards. The kite does produce lift, loads of it when the cells are full inflated and its moved in the right way and asked to give. I have been airborne in my monster bug (50+ kgs) under the 5.5 in a wind speed just under its designated wind area. Day Three. Off to Winsford to hook up with PKD pilot Simon Bailey. Simon had flown the proto Brooza and was eager to get his hands on the production model so as to compare the difference and his first comment was on the cell entries being so small .We laid the 2 mtr Brooza ontop of a 2 mtr Buster and the difference in shape was eye opening. The aspect ratio(something that is as knowlegable to me as brain surgery) suddenly became apparent. The Brooza is the best part of a foot longer and 4 inches thinner in depth. We then laid a 2.5 century ontop of then pair of them and saw how close the Brooza is to the race kite and how far it is from the Buster. Simons local field is totally different to my hill so the winds were different and gave us a chance to test the kite in a more turbulent condition. first out was the 4 mtr simon gladly took the reigns and was pleasantly suprised by its feel and stability. Then the 5.5 was out and Si ,using his increased weight and skill hooked in and got her in the air... first comment was... damn this is fast and it goes upwind as good if not better than a race kite( there's the stability of just having 4 cell entries again) after a good half hour we got together to run a 4 Brooza against Simons 4.5 Century. Simons Century would launch shed load faster than the Brooza,which takes its time to get itself ready and gives the pilot more reaction time to unforseen incidents.But once both were in the air(on same length lines) they were almost uncomparable, both went to the edge and would sit in the same place give or take 3 ft and both had comparable power throught he window. At the zenith the Century would,as is expected from a race kite, sit there just at the edge with brake input, the brooza sort of ran at the zenith like a kid at a sweet shop that had free sweets for sale,,, but still didnt luff.. It did the same,, flew over n amazed the pair of us. then cos of it being more turbulent, dropped backinto the same area as the Century. We then decided to have a kite fight....... Brooza versus Century....... Sorry ,,, the Brooza won almost all the time,, it doesnt suffer from having the wind took out of its lungs as much as foils that have 80% of the leading edge with open cells like the century did. Hoylake. Sadly the weather wasnt on our side so the kites didnt get much of an airing. In between storms the kites performed wonderfully on the clean winds that we all cherish on beaches. They still overfly at the zenith and stay inflated,which proved to be good because the upwind in a buggy was almost as good as the race kites. After a niggling problem of lines,(i had a set sent from pkd that were set for the new Kombat) i got the brakes set ok and went off on a shake down run. The 2 and 3 were the kites i decided to get up, the wind was between 20-35. The 2 was underpowered but got me used to flyin a fast kite.It sat great at any position in the window with no hint of wanting to drop back during the gusty moments. The 3 got lined up and sat still on the blowing sand.On launch it gently filled and produced power from about 15 ft off of the ground. It does launch slower than other kites with more open cells but isnt as snappy,which in high winds is nice but as soon as it was full it rocketed to the edge and i was off sideways. Once settled it only required minimal work to keep it parked . It pulled like a train. It stayed where it was asked and not once did it luff. It was so stable. Turns were no trouble, just nudge the brakes to get rid of the apparent wind and then gently turn the kite whichever way you want and itll lose cell pressure enough so as not to launch you out of the buggy. I cant praise this kite enough,, its far far more than a buster but its not something that will be comparable to a race kite,that is unless its in turbulent wind. In turbulent wind i think this kite,given its stability, will be far better than the race kites. The kite can only be described as an inter to expert kite.Its not a beginner to inter kite because its profile leans more towards the race element than it does the recreational side.That said my first kite was a 6.5 viper,which isnt a beginners kite. Treat this kite with more respect than the Buster,dont be worried about it like would would with a race kite. Just go fly it, enjoy it and relish at the graphics when you manage to plonk it square at the sun and the "pheonix" glows through the lower skin. It is a work of art. Go fly one and you'll be as impressed as me By : scud4984

Intro My first power kite after two flights, after a long history of simple stunt kites (started back in the 80s with a genuine Peter Powell...) and inspired by a simple small Revolution 1.2 kite. So, please, don't believe everything I say, it's just first impression of a newbie, amazed by the power of some nicely colored cloths, put together with some sewing line. Build quality Looks great - no visible seams, neat finishing, strong fabric, bridles strangely colored but obviously strong enough. The air holes on the leading edge give you a sneak peep inside, where everything looks ok as well. One minus: the little zippers on the dirt outlets are of a lesser quality. Even without being polluted with sand, they close and open with much resistance, scaring me for undesired damage. And when the dirt kicks in, it's even worse. The stakes are toyish, but ok - the kite killers are ok, the lines have a tendency to twist easily, so you have to keep the lines tight. Bag's well-sized, Buster-boy fits into it, even it;s to windy to fold it in perfectly. Flying mr. B Wooo, this Buster is a strong guy. His first flight was in a 3-4 Beaufort wind and he surprised me with rock-solid power, it felt like a concrete wall pulling me. But mostly, I could hold with my 90 kg - my 14 year old son was pulled over the beach. Since it's my first 4-liner I have to get used to how brakelines feel. The Buster disappointed me there, it's more an on/off feeling than something you (or I) can control more subtle. But maybe, that's wrong expectations from my side, I haven't been able yet to land Buster with 100% control. The second flight was in higher winds, 5-6 Beaufort. After one short flight, I took Buster down, he was too eager, too strong, and my kiting location was too narrow to take the long slides I needed to keep this impatient Buster under control.. Next time I'l drive to the Dutch beaches... Overall A great starter's kite for me, but I need more practice and more space to use (and better judge) Buster's capabilies. It is an affordable kite, it costed R2F 170 Euro, sems to be worth the money. -may the wind bring you to higher levels - I'll adjust this review after some more months of experience. By : theDutchy

I got these kites a couple of weeks ago, and on holiday at Camber sands was the first time of using them on a beach. On getting them out they look top quality, All the stiching has been well done, the material is Porche Marine and they can be made in any colour you ask for, mine are red and black. They have 'sand outs' at the tips with velcro. The Combats for those that dont know are race kites to be used in buggys and are the new flagship for PKD On getting to the beach the wind was about 30 mph on shore so i took out the 2.9m which was a good choice for the first outing, although after a while i did think it was getting under powered (i'm not sure if the wind dropped slightly) The kite did what i expected of it, really fast on a reach, very good upwind ( I think it might beat a yakuza upwind but with no-one about to test against I'm not sure yet!) down wind was a little tricky but with practise i did get the hang of it , i could tack turn ok , with down turning a tip would occasionly tuck but again with practise and getting my timing right, it was good. Over all the 2.9m was a great fast kite. The second outing was with the 6m in 20 mph winds, now i found out these kites want to be powered up i was on my limit and it was superb the tips tucked on downturns again but it got less and less as i used it.You have to keep all 4 lines taught when turning to stop the tips going in which is down to practise and timing- more down to me than the kite me thinks!! These were the only kites i tryed durring the time at Camber sands but I'm very happy with them, the wind was always on-shore so i don't know what they wil be like in gusty winds yet. But i think the yakuzas will now finally have a fight on their hands as the combats are cheaper, and i think could be quicker or at least as quick, and with the option of any colour scheme to personalize your set, PKD are on to a winner!! By : martnic

The review is for both the 3m and 4m PKD buster kites as I bought the 4m and a friend bought the 3m. The kite comes in a nice and neat stuff sack with draw string. The lines and handles come already attached to the kite. Both the kite came with 20m lines with 300lbs main and 100lbs brake line. These seem a little short and definitely not strong enough for kites of this size but PKD have had to cut costs somewhere to get the prices they have achieved and it looks like the lines are where most of the savings were made. images/reviews/pkd_buster.jpg The lines are not really braided but are just 4 sections twisted together and becasue of this are a bit rough feeling when there are a few twists in the lines when looping the kites. However, the lines have virtually no stretch and come perfectly adjusted for length - and I mean PERFECTLY (Flexifoil take note as a difference of over 18 inches on a quad set of lines isn't just poor but downright unforgiveable!!!). The handles are quite decent too, and have brake length adjustment using a v0-groove system that grips the brake line on the handles. This can slip when not under tension so is best secured by a double overhand knot as well. Gives a quick adjustment method but no better than a series of knots on the brakes lines. The kites themselves look really well made. Not quite to Flexifoil of Ozone standards but good considering the price. The bridles use unsleeved Dyneema that is tied rather than sewn as on Flexifoil and Ozone new ranges. The middle 8 cells are open at the front and the remaining 4 cells are each end are filled through the other cells. This means the kite takes a few seconds to fill when first launched but prevents wingtip collapses during turns. On the 2m, 3m and 4m Busters the cells have diagonal cross reinforcement across almost the full width of the kite. This helps the kite keep its shape and reduces the number of bridle connections required (according to PKD and others). The bridle is a cross-over design on the middle cells so helps support the depowered side of the kite during turns. They really look like Ozone's Little Devil. The bridle is different and the cells are cross braced but in the air they look very similar. These kites are superb performers. The 3m is quite a bit quicker than the 4m but they produce very strong pull in all but the lightest winds. They will fly when most other foils (Blades, Firebees, Razor etc etc) are struggling to fly. Both kites were airborn at this weekends Lytham kite festival when all other foils were on the ground. I have never flown any other large foil kite (over 2m area) that is so controllable. These kites will simply reverse through the power zone when on the brakes without collapsing. The pull required on the brakes is minimal so the orignal 100lbs brake lines may have been adequate after all. They will also turn on their axes if using a combination of 2 line with brakes technique. The kites produce similar ammounts of pull to an equivalent Ozone Litlle Devil or Flexfoil Bullet but with much less forward speed. Another really important point is that the bridle is adjustable on the main lines. This is achieved by having a series of 4 knots at the line attachment points. By choosing to attach at the different knots the angle-of-attack of the kite is altered. This does have quite a marked effect on the performance of the kite (power, speed and penetration overhead and at wind edges). Adjustment takes seconds once the kite is on the ground and in effect gives 4 kites in one. I think other manufacturers will very quickly copy this type of system. Lots of friends have flown these kites and all have been amazed at the performance (and these people were serious large foil fliers with Blades/Skytigers/Jack Foils/Razors etc). The Busters may not be quite as durable as equivalent Flexifoil or Ozone kites but look at the price differences. The 3m was £130 and the 4m £160 with lines and handles included. Only just more expensive than a Firebee but lines and handles are included with the Buster and not with the Firebee. The Buster is also far superior to the Firebees in almost every way. The firebee is quicker through the air but does not produce any more power because of this, collapses easily in light winds and turns and has nowhere near the controllability of the Buster. Sorry Firebee owners but your champion of the cheaper kites has just had its backside kicked by the new boy in town. This is the opinion of a 4m Firebee owner who flew the 4m Buster at Lytham kite festival this weekend! He could not believe the superiority of the Buster and went away a bit cheesed off at having bought a 4m Firebee. Overall I would give the kites 9/10 simply because the kites are not as durable as their more expensive competitors. However, anyone considering buying a Firebee should not bother. The Buster is simply miles better in every way. Its just so close to a Ozone Little Devil in performance for just over half the price. By : Graham Smith