Power Kite Forum

Speed 4 on the way

Kamikuza - 26-10-2012 at 02:17 AM

8 & 10m for now, 12, 15, 18 and 21 next year.
Looks like Gin had a hand in it too... wonder what the "stiffiners" are? Simpler bridle and mixer should be nice too :)

http://www.flysurfer.com/en/produkte/kites/speed/




Kamikuza - 26-10-2012 at 02:32 AM

I wish I was Eddie :o

https://vimeo.com/51987968

WIllardTheGrey - 26-10-2012 at 02:49 AM

I have been watching way too much Lie to Me.



Quote:
Fear
Fear, in its slight form, is commonly missed in everyday interactions.

Lips: The lips may stretch outward toward the ears.
Jaw: The jaw may tuck back in toward the throat.
Eyes: The eyes may widen, the lower lid may tense, and the eyebrows may pull up and together.
Skin: The skin may blanch.





Awesome photo by the way.:wee:

lives2fly - 26-10-2012 at 03:16 AM

Oh great. I'm struggling trying to choose a light wind set up as it is without more kites to choose from. Maybe it will push the prices down on the speed 3...

joedy - 26-10-2012 at 04:11 AM

Auguh! If a company that sells KITES makes a new video about a new KITE, why the hell would this company assume that I want to watch riders doing tricks instead of seeing the damn KITE?!

-joedy

Kamikuza - 26-10-2012 at 05:35 AM

There's another one on the facebook page (maybe) with Eddie talking about the kite and doing a walkaround... in German though.

https://vimeo.com/52191378

lives2fly - 26-10-2012 at 05:58 AM

They are some damn fine tricks to be fair.

I particularly like the "board off, hands off, fall out of the sky" trick which I have done a couple of times myself though not on purpose.... :no:

Flyfish - 26-10-2012 at 06:25 AM

Oh my god! :bigok:

shaggs2riches - 26-10-2012 at 08:51 AM

I was looking at getting a big speed 3 next fall. I just might be getting it a better price or this.

tridude - 26-10-2012 at 09:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lives2fly
Oh great. I'm struggling trying to choose a light wind set up as it is without more kites to choose from. Maybe it will push the prices down on the speed 3...


look no further than the Ozone Zephyr unless youve got 3k on hand

macboy - 26-10-2012 at 09:49 AM

Wow....how on earth are we supposed to keep up?

kitedelight - 26-10-2012 at 10:00 AM

ya, mucho dinero, but nice refinements, especially the leading edge strengthening, simpler bridles, and improved aerodynamics when sheeting in and out. With less bar throw and the improved lift when sheeting in, I am expecting this will lead to a more explosive jump feel.
Definitely gave ear to customers, not sure how many requests I've read for the 8 and 10 sizes to return.

I have heard rumor of the psycho and speed crossing over eventually? anybody can confirm this? not sure how that could be done without modifying lots simply cause of the position they sit in the wind window and profile of the kite.

Flyfish - 26-10-2012 at 01:42 PM

I'm not sure, but It seems to me like the speed and the psycho just mixed.

Kamikuza - 26-10-2012 at 06:06 PM

Talk at foilzone is that the AR of the small Speed4's is the same as the Psycho4 in same sizes...

Shape in the sky looks different too - maybe it's just that they're smaller, but they look fatter to me too!

AD72 - 26-10-2012 at 09:06 PM

That is a nice looking kite. Clean.

AD72 - 26-10-2012 at 09:22 PM

Wow some serious airtime in the video. Hmmm maybe I should try a 10M foil again. I still have my SA2 19M for low wind. I rarely see a foil locally. Only time I saw one this summer the owner was speaking German and obviously a tourist.

kitedelight - 26-10-2012 at 10:28 PM

Kami, profile definitely seems thicker from the videos, shape seems a bit different too, hard to tell.
AR nearly the same as the p4, almost certainly means the psycho4 is the last of the line.

bit puzzing though,
I wonder if the speed4 series will be a split design for the smaller vs larger sizes regarding the AR, less AR for the 8-12 and higher for the larger sizes.
I have a hard time thinking FS would ditch the basic format for the huge success of the higher AR speed3.

Kamikuza - 27-10-2012 at 01:46 AM

4.85 vs 4.8 - close!

Seems more C shaped to me, a smoother curve rather than what I remember from the rare occasions I see other foils here...

tridude - 28-10-2012 at 08:02 AM

Trailing edge looks different as well....too facilitate better low end?

Kamikuza - 28-10-2012 at 04:11 PM

No jet flaps either. Cheaper price?

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.542262355788247.14...

grigorib - 31-10-2012 at 10:39 AM

1. looks a lot like Psycho
2. simple is beautiful - no jet flaps - they should have openly mentioned why not (other than it's been somewhat helpful but a significant marketing point in the past)
3. simple is beautiful - simpler bridles - right away exciting and also worrying - I wouldn't want to lose wing quality because of production cost cutting and marketing factor
4. if Psycho is a goner, is Unity a new Psycho then? Market segmentation is good but why Unity has to come in deluxe and in the same sizes as Speed then?

kitedelight - 31-10-2012 at 04:03 PM

interesting the flow pattern could be replicated with different tech no doubt, or sufficiently close to leave a FS tech standard out.

although the name unity would suggest a middle ground, from what I've heard, it's not really like the psycho as far as the wow factor in power development.
wonder what's gonna happen to the higher AR speed design...bet its staying for the larger sizes, it's just a matter of how it plays out exactly.

kitedelight - 31-10-2012 at 04:24 PM

just read this
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2378025

seems no doubt about it being the p4 replacement, sounds like an awesome kite.

grigorib - 2-11-2012 at 10:53 AM

So I checked with Armin and here's what I've fugured:
1. See #4
2. Less bridles relates to latert competition paragliders design with A/B/Z bridles only. More comlicated to design the wing but result is less drag/weight/maintenance and easier handling
3. New design compensates and beats jet flaps so they're out
4. The line is Viron (trainer/entry) -> Unity (middle ground, or "air" should I say) -> Speed 4 (highend/advanced)

So if anyone is interested I have few depower flysurfers to let go to finance the new wing, let me know if interested
2m Rookie II - has patches but is in good shape
9m Cool - new
8m Outlaw - like new
8m Pulse2 - great shape
19m Speed3 Deluxe - like new

kitedelight - 4-11-2012 at 03:48 PM

thanks for doing some scouting, that's nice to know for sure,
I find it a unusual that FS would count the viron as a entry model consider it's only available in the smallest sizes. I guess the name 'unity' really was a bit of a hint as to what was ahead in the model line up.

Kamikuza - 3-12-2012 at 04:30 AM

http://vimeo.com/54706464

Jet flaps are inside the kite...

B-Roc - 3-12-2012 at 01:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kamikuza
Looks like Gin had a hand in it too... wonder what the "stiffiners" are? Simpler bridle and mixer should be nice too :)


I don't want to give credit where it is not due but I'm wondering if Gin had any other influence on the kite design as well (namely the trailing edge and new single pulley mixer system / setup)? The only reason I put that out there is because one month before Gin closed shop I was talking to them about the Sherpa and if it was more like a Yeti or an Eskimo since it wasn't the Yeti II or Eskimo V and they said its totally different with a "revolutionary single pulley mixer and trailing edge system".

Now in retrospect I know they were in the midst of a financial crisis and were looking to sell their name and designs off. I'm not saying that FS is using that system in the Speed 4, I'm just wondering if they did buy that design from Gin and if its now FS owned and branded technology and they are just giving some credit to Gin for the stiffeners?

I give full credit to FS for the innovations they have brought forward but just found it interesting that their new kite features many of the now never to be released technology that Gin was incorporating into the Sherpa at the same time they were looking to sell their brand off.

Snake - 3-12-2012 at 04:50 PM

Hmmm... It looks like flysurfer may have taken some technology from Peter Lynn too. I noticed there are straps inside the kite and they added mesh to the trailing edge like Arcs.

Kamikuza - 3-12-2012 at 05:44 PM

In that interview, Armin talks about how some version of paragliders have only A, B and Z lines... it could have come from anywhere.
There are straps inside the Speed3 too.

martinipro - 3-12-2012 at 06:26 PM

The rigid airfoil technology is interesting, together with the "faster inflation feature".

Not sure where they are using this feature but:
The Spleene x19 has the same "rigid airfoil" that makes the leading edge keep its shape, also allowing the intakes to be always open, making it extremely fast to inflate.
It seems like the downside would be air escaping through the intakes.


Just my thoughts and assumptions as I have not seen a Speed4 yet.
Maybe someone will chime in and clarify this for me?!

Kamikuza - 3-12-2012 at 06:56 PM

The socks in the intakes stop leakage but don't forget, all Flysurfers fly with good sized holes in the wing tips that are always open ;)

While it's flying, it should mean the kite holds air better... firmer and keeps a tighter shape?

Basically, I'm of the opinion that if it wasn't good, it's not on the kite :lol:

martinipro - 4-12-2012 at 05:34 AM

If it helps inflation, I cant help but to think that it will deflate easier as well.
Yes it should hold its shape better.

My other concern is the added weight. I guess time will tell!
If it has the same or better low end than the S3 I will probably be upgrading to a 18 or 21 S4.

grigorib - 24-5-2013 at 11:54 AM

I got mine!