Power Kite Forum - Another Nasa Star 2 review

Another Nasa Star 2 review

3shot - 26-10-2014 at 06:10 PM

Well, I finally got a chance to fly today. The wife packed a lawn chair and a book, and the kids brought their bikes, scooters, and balls. I dug in for awhile. For starters, I received 3 NS2 and a bar setup from Steffan at Born Kite in Germany. Like John Holgate and ssayre have already said, these kites are built VERY well, and being single skin, you can stretch your dollar a long way relatively speaking. The 2.5, 4, and 5.5m together cost about as much as one 4-5m foil RTF. Great value!!!

At my local field, the winds were less than ideal today. NW which is no good for the buggy. Shifty 5-10 mph gusting 20. True janky conditions. Again, I didn't even load up the buggy. I wanted to see how well they flew in this trash, and get familiar with setup, pack down, and the safety systems.

A very different bar concept than I am used to with traditional trainer, DP or arc bar. Yes its a bar, but learning to push away for depower was a bit weird. Where the 3 line bar really shines (IMHO) is its 3 line depower operation, and the ability to hook in, and un hook on the fly. Also having the ability to operate the DP system un hooked blew my mind (not grabbing the third line like a trainer to stall it out) :cool:

!!!

So up went the 2.5m first because of the gust factor. It has LOADS of pull :o. Unlike a small foil that gets its power from speed, these kites are slower and grab twice the air. In the same high wind, I could zip my 2m Ozone, etc. all over the place standing still. The NS2 drug my but all over the place with loads of grunt. When the wind settled a bit more after the first hour, I was able to put up the 4m. It was just as great as the 2.5m only on a larger scale.

Because I didn't have the buggy today, I got a good work out. I wanted to mimic being in motion as best as I could. I would dash 50 yards one direction, then back the other while working the kite in the window. I also tried different angles to the wind. Very impressive! I can see where the NS2 is going to work really well in my trashy jank filled wind. Now, is it going to save the day always? No! But, where I found the NS2 to shine was having the ability to stay airborne in a lull when a foil would collapse/luft/invert and fall out of the sky. I can see with the NS2, I'll be able to keep it up a lot easier in a lull. I may lose traction ability for a moment or two, but if I keep the kite moving around for a few seconds, I will be under way soon enough. Not climbing out of the buggy every time to unwad a collapsed foil. Again, It wont be the end all kite, but should make my janky inland wind a little more useable than before. I didn't get a chance to put up the 5.5m. The gusts never really dipped below 15mph. And 15mph was about all I could hold down static with the 4m :wee: The wind window is a bit smaller than a foil, but not too bad.

I tested the safety system several times today. It works really well. It did take me about an hour to get going with the landings and re-launch. Definitely a different animal, but pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I would have no problem at all getting the buggy prelims in now. Its going to be great and I cant wait! I hope to pick up the 7m soon.

Ssayre, it was GREAT talking with you today. It really does look like there is no end with all the possibilities of line configurations and bar mods. Also, a big thanks to the wifey for all the pics and realizing I wasn't going to dive bomb you with a kite today :D. Thought I'd share a few...

the 2.5m

the 4m.

The depower ability. Looks like you took a bite out of the top LOL.

And these have the sickest side profile on the planet!!!!! :evil:

ssayre - 26-10-2014 at 06:56 PM

Great review and pictures! It's no secret I like these kites so it's nice having another perspective. I enjoyed talking and it's got me thinking about trying some bar mods.

IMK - 26-10-2014 at 07:01 PM

Nice review :thumbup:

Can't wait to hear your thoughts after a buggy session.

soliver - 26-10-2014 at 08:02 PM

Lookin great Jason!... Can't wait to see how it works for you in the bug!... If we make it to JIBE this year, you gotta let me try one!! Great review!

We'll bring lawn chairs for both the wifey's :D... And all the girlies... That's too many women :shocked2:

indigo_wolf - 26-10-2014 at 10:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 3shot

And these have the sickest side profile on the planet!!!!! :evil:

Reminds me a little bit of the profile of the Ozone Seagull LEI.

ATB,
Sam

John Holgate - 27-10-2014 at 02:03 AM

Nice review and pics :thumbup:

I reckon they're even better in the buggy - they just lock in almost as soon as you get moving. Cool Magoo :D

robinsonpr - 27-10-2014 at 03:49 AM

Hi, great review, thanks!! I am potentially looking at getting one of these kites (or more given their price!) for I also have janky winds, inland here in the UK.

I too have arcs - a Venom I 13m and a Synergy 15m, but they both scare the cr#p out of me and I've recently been injured using the Synergy (long drag downwind + stupidly put hand down = broken thumb).

I'm trying to learn to landboard. I have a 3m Twister which has been OK to get me rolling but I want to progress to a depower now and I just don't think I'm ready for the arcs yet.

I was looking at something like HQ Apex 8m, and then ssayre threw the Flysurfer Peak and Nasa Star 2 into the mix!

I'd kinda ruled out the Nasa Star as it just looked too different, but sounds like they could work for me.

Quote:

Yes its a bar, but learning to push away for depower was a bit weird.

Is this not normal for depower kites?

3shot...of that set you bought which size do you think would be suited to beginner landboarding? I have similar winds to you by the sounds of things...10mph variable, gusting to 15mph.

I fly solo most of the time, is solo launch and landing of these Nasa Stars a pain? That's one thing about the Flysurfer Peak that looks ideal for me, as it's a bugbear with the arc too, having to pre-inflate and then get the solo launch just right.

3shot - 27-10-2014 at 04:22 AM

Hi Robinsonpr. I guess my wording on the term"depower" is a little off. Sorry. Like others say, the term "depower" in the bridled and arc world is kinda misleading. With the NS2, you have the option to unhook on the fly to operate the depower, or pull the depower ball on the third line. Unlike a traditional "depower" that has its AOA changed by the bar push/pull, the NS2 has its leading edge shape changed causing the air flow over the kite to spoil. This feature truly "depowers" the kite.

Ssaye and John holgate are much better suited to give suggestions and recommendations with these kites. I've only flown 2 one day so far lol. However, I'm 6'2" @ 210 lbs. My VTT buggy is a good 100 pounds. I would have to say the 4m would have been a good engine yesterday in th described wind.

If by chance you are entertaining the idea of a NS2, watch all John Holgate's videos on YouTube.

Oh my goodness Spencer!! I just thought about it. Thats a lot of girlies. :lol

ssayre - 27-10-2014 at 04:32 AM

Yes, John holgate has the best instructional and informative videos on these. Another key difference is a traditional depower you can sheet in and out and all the load is on the harness at all times when hooked in. With Ns2 kites, when your hooked in, your at full power and cannot sheet in or out. When you unhook and sheet out, there is a 3 line hooked to the harness that pulls the nose in and you get variable depower, but (unlike traditional depower) the full force of the kite is on your arms and not the harness. When I'm in the buggy, I'm hooked in and at full power all the time, but I'm just learning to landboard so I often fly unhooked when I do that. These give you the option of using them unhooked or hooked in, but that is at the expense of not functioning like traditional depower. They are, however, the most forgiving kites I have flown.

Price wise, I think these are very close to the peak since it would take at least 2 nasa kites, bar, lines to cover the same wind as a peak. If higher performance faster kite is your goal than go peak, or if you want a more laid back cruising style and ultimate versatility with control gear and long and short lines, than go nasa.

robinsonpr - 27-10-2014 at 04:58 AM

Thanks guys!!

Laid back cruising does have it's appeal, I'm over 40!!

ssayre - 27-10-2014 at 05:41 AM

I like the nasa's because they mirror my personality. I was an offensive linemen and they are the linemen of the kite world. Strong, all torque, and quietly doing their job without a lot of glory or fanfare :D

3shot - 27-10-2014 at 06:14 AM

Sean that is a great perspective!!!!! Lolololol.
My wife was like "meh....kinda looks like a clam". Lmao

I'm in the over 40 club as well. I like to just cruise around. No Xgames. No speed records. Getting air is no problem. Coming down is not as forgiving as it was 20 years ago lol. I did notice these have very minimal lift, if any. Of course, my kites were sized to the wind conditions. If yesterday I was flying a 4m fixed bridle stropped in, I would definitely have been lofted. Not so with the NS2. Just loads of raw side pull. I was yanked all over the field laterally, but not the first feeling of lofty being overhead :thumbup:

IMK - 27-10-2014 at 01:55 PM

Me too, I'm in the over 40s club and have no desire to break any speed records. I've flown the NS2s really over powered on occasions without fear of lofting. At the upper end of their wind ranges the side pull becomes uncomfortable. This will most likely be the limiting factor when in a buggy.

John Holgate - 27-10-2014 at 02:46 PM

In 10-15mph, I'd be thinking you'd need at least the 5.5m - even the 7m. I have to keep in mind that on a landboard, you'd have the kites a lot higher in the window than what I do in the buggy - I try to keep them low down in the window in the buggy. Jump onto the ExtremeKites website and get in contact with Bakersdozen - he uses the 5.5m with the Landboard. If you look up this vid: Kite buggying at Narrawong 2014 on youtube, you'll see Mark with the 5.5m on short lines on the 'board. I've got the 3.2m on the Pro Depower bar and the 5.5m on the std 3 line bar in the vid.

Launching and landing is a piece of cake. Launching is the same for a foil whereas landing, you fly them to the bottom corner of the window, then point the bar at them and they just sit there. I usually just plonk the end of the bar over a footpeg and go grab the kite - flip it onto it's back, nose into the wind then fold the edges in (gets a bit messy in 25knots but I sort it out later!). There's a bit of a demo of the landing and 'bar pointing at the kite' on the 'Pro Depower bar for Nasa Star 2' vid on my channel too. (quedecree).

Even hooked in (ie: no depower function) I still find the 2.5m more forgiving and equivalent in power to my 4m Ozone Access. (The Access is a little faster and easier going upwind).

3shot - 27-10-2014 at 03:51 PM

That's what I found was easiest too John. When I switched from the 2.5 to the 4m, I flew to the edge of the window, and tipped the bar like you described. I staked it just like it laid. I sand bagged the upwind tip, then unhooked the downwind tip first. Then reattached the next kite in the reverse order. I also packed up on the edge of the window as well. Great kites I tell ya!! They really are strong little diesel engines! Already saving for the 7m and another bar setup. I wanna try a set of the extensions as well. :D

ssayre - 27-10-2014 at 03:58 PM

I got a set of 5 meter lines from steffen. Wind was in the 20's today so I tried the 2.5 meter on a paved path at a park. It worked great! I forgot to mention I was on the board, not the buggy. That was actually the 2.5's maiden voyage.

WELDNGOD - 27-10-2014 at 04:07 PM

I'm now in the 50s club and I'm not slowing down to be no ragflapper. :P Only FBs for me. I like blastin' past y'all :D Keep calm and flap on :lol:

3shot - 27-10-2014 at 04:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

I got a set of 5 meter lines from steffen. Wind was in the 20's today so I tried the 2.5 meter on a paved path at a park. It worked great! I forgot to mention I was on the board, not the buggy. That was actually the 2.5's maiden voyage.

That's awesome. It was snatching me all over the place in the 20s yesterday. Not too sure there weren't a few gusts in the 25 range.

Quote: Originally posted by WELDNGOD

I like blastin' past y'all :D Keep calm and flap on :lol:

C'mon Donnie. You gotta have a few slow pokes in the way. Makes traffic patterns more interesting!

I still love my FBs too.

WELDNGOD - 27-10-2014 at 04:34 PM

Just stay out of the fast lane :lol:

ssayre - 27-10-2014 at 05:37 PM

I've still got a few foils for speed :D

Jason, I had some lulls below 20 and with short lines on the board you need to size up because the kite stays overhead mainly. The 5 meter lines are sweet though, there's just enough throw to get you going but short enough to miss most of the trees and other obstacles beside most trails.

3shot - 27-10-2014 at 08:53 PM

Yea. I'm gonna pic me up a set of those extensions.

3shot - 25-11-2014 at 08:03 PM

Really looking forward to getting that 7m now Sean. Oh the agony of across the pond shipping :lol:

ssayre - 25-11-2014 at 09:36 PM

Congrats! The 7 and 5.5 are the ones I use the most and really my favorite looking ones too. On sunny days the light shines through and really makes them pop. Shipping is painful but seems to get easier each time. :lol:

3shot - 26-11-2014 at 04:46 AM

Your second shipment seemed to go pretty quick. Maybe mine will move along that fast

3shot - 1-12-2014 at 08:27 PM

So. What to do with all the NS2 kites? These things pack up incredibly small. I was telling Sean about when I put the 2.5 in my pant's cargo pocket lol. I picked up the perfect backpack today at Dicks Sporting Goods. It's built just like most other kite packs. You can see my Yeti beside it. With the new pack, I can carry all my NS2s, two bars, helmet, and the Divine harness. Even room for lunch and a few drinks. A 100% mobile kite rig. If I could only fit the VTT in there. Was on sale for $30. Normally $50. It really is a high end pack like you'd find on the upper kites. The included compass was kinda cool too :D. Just waiting on the 7m now.

ssayre - 2-12-2014 at 04:34 AM

That looks like it will work great Jason. I'll have to check that out.

sadsack - 2-12-2014 at 12:36 PM

I made a small 1.1M2, that pulls me on my skates in wind over 12mph on payment. here is a photo of it

3shot - 2-12-2014 at 08:47 PM

Looks good sadsack! Its very satisfying to make a kite that actually performs I bet :cool:

The 7m has left Germany :D :D :D

Cerebite - 5-12-2014 at 01:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 3shot

So. What to do with all the NS2 kites? These things pack up incredibly small. I was telling Sean about when I put the 2.5 in my pant's cargo pocket lol. I picked up the perfect backpack today at Dicks Sporting Goods. It's built just like most other kite packs. You can see my Yeti beside it. With the new pack, I can carry all my NS2s, two bars, helmet, and the Divine harness. Even room for lunch and a few drinks. A 100% mobile kite rig. If I could only fit the VTT in there. Was on sale for $30. Normally $50. It really is a high end pack like you'd find on the upper kites. The included compass was kinda cool too :D. Just waiting on the 7m now.

I did a very similar thing with my NPW quiver and a "school book bag" sized backpack from T@rget. 40 sqm of kites, 20 m lines, 15 m lines, 10 m lines, 5 m lines, 1 m lines and a set of handles

3shot - 5-12-2014 at 03:06 PM

I only wish it had the Born logo on it. My OCD is having a hard time with this one. LMAO

soliver - 24-12-2014 at 03:09 PM

Can anyone tell me the difference between the 3 line depower bar and the Pro depower bar?

ssayre - 24-12-2014 at 03:39 PM

Myself and Jason have the 3 line depower bar. When un hooked the full force of the kite is on your arms and the 3rd line stays hooked. As you let the bar out, it pulls the nose in and you have variable depower. I only use the depower as a safety and remain hooked in. The pro depower splits the load between the outsid and center line so it functions more like a traditional depower. John h uses it fixed so all power is on the harness and uses it more as a safety. Using it like that makes it function similar to the much less expensive 3 line depower which is why I opted for that. He has a good video explaining it and I'm sure he will chime in with a better description but that's the way I understand it.

The 3 line depower also has a ball you can grab to activate the depower without hitting the safety. I haven't been using that option but I have been meaning to practice using it more because it would be somewhat more convenient than having to reset the safety.

Randy - 24-12-2014 at 07:11 PM

There is also another option for the NS kites. I have the "streetkite" version with the "S.I.A" (not sure what the initials stand for) allowing the adjustment of the 3rd line which can lock in more nose compression to reduce the power of the kite. To me, its more like "tuning" the kite, rather than an "on the fly" adjustment. I also use it as a safety, though I could "tune down" the kite in stronger winds somewhat. Most of the time I have used short lines with my 5.5. (This has worked pretty well on pavement, but not so well on grass.) I don't know how much range the 3rd line/nose adjustment gives on NS2 as compared to a traditional depower kite. I don't use a harness. Since I got my 4.0 from Susan, I like 4 line control a lot better, and probably will be changing the 5.5 to the 4 line set up so that my 4.0 and 5.5 will be using the same setup. BTW, I have found there is a tremendous difference between the amount of power I can handle with 15 or 25 foot lines as compared to 60 ft. I've flown the 5.5 right off the bar, but haven't found that as useful as 15 foot lines.

soliver - 26-12-2014 at 06:44 PM

So is there an advantage to using the pro depower bar? or is it just a fancier version of the same thing?

ssayre - 26-12-2014 at 07:42 PM

John Holgate will have to answer that question. He is the only one that I'm aware of that has used both. When I asked him before I bought my set up, he told me that the pro depower is nice but not necessary. If I remember correctly from watching his video, it looked like the pro depower set up was a little bit more complicated set up wise and I was worried it would be more hassle than it was worth. I could be wrong about that and I would like to try one.

soliver - 26-12-2014 at 09:05 PM

Good info, thanks Sean...

John? Whatcha say? Is it worth the additional cost?

3shot - 26-12-2014 at 10:33 PM

I'm also really fond of the 3 line bar. Extremely simple to operate. I picked up one on my first NS order to share between the 2.5, 4, and 5.5. I picked up another 3 line bar with my recent 7m order. I want to keep a bar rtf for the 5.5 and 7m mostly. One week of hunting season left, then I can concentrate on kiting again. I'll be posting more of my experiences as well.

I have also kicked around the idea of building a swivel loop and a trim strap too for the 3rd line. Very similar to the home brew bar I got from Markite for my venom. Where strap is below the bar, close to the chicken loop. This would minimize drag on the third line as well. This would also give me a solid depowered bar position to run down wind without unhooking from the spreader bar to depower the kite. Then a quick trim adjustment for max power coming back up wind. This of course for the looong beach runs. Not the quick jibes at the soccer fields. It would give you the ability to park and ride with one hand in a constant depowered state if needed while still being hooked to the spreader. Yeah, because I'm lazy like that. Lol. Hope I'm not confusing things here. The 3 line bare is great as it is, but us kiters constantly fix what ain't never broke. Lol

soliver - 27-12-2014 at 07:16 AM

Thanks guys... I'm planning to wait til mid February to start to reconfigure my quiver... That will give me plenty of time to heal the heel and get new stuff in time for JIBE

ssayre - 27-12-2014 at 07:27 AM

Good ideas Jason. I will use the 3 line depower bar unhooked on landboard but I don't care for it unhooked in the buggy. Holding all the power on a bar in the buggy really twists your body, much worse than handles. Last time I did that I pulled a muscle in my abdomen that felt almost like having a cracked rib. It had me goofed up for a week.

3shot - 27-12-2014 at 08:45 AM

Agree Sean. Liked we were talking about on the phone awhile ago. It would give you the option to fly depowered while being hooked in if needed. Plus, I like to kite loop and down turn. The swivel loop would let you do this by spinning the bar. Basically you set your trim like an arc or dp foil. The bar would operate like any other PD bar with the exception of a 3rd line mod down at the chicken loop.
Its just an idea anyway. Might not work. As long as it doesn't create drag on the center line, it "should" work.

John Holgate - 27-12-2014 at 03:10 PM

Quote:

I like to kite loop and down turn. The swivel loop would let you do this by spinning the bar.

I occasionally miss not being able to spin the std 3 line bar. Having said that, I have a lot of fun downturning the kite (which, unlike a foil, doesn't seem to produce anymore power than an upturn) then looping it back the other way to untwist - steer the buggy a bit towards the kite when you do this so it doesn't get behind you. Gives a bit of extra ooomph to get you going back the way you came.

Dayhiker - 28-12-2014 at 04:26 AM

This is great stuff for to read for a sport kite flier who is entering the power kite world. Remember, we're out here listening....

3shot - 28-12-2014 at 05:24 PM

So I had an extra hour or so this afternoon. I loaded up my buggy and headed to my local field. I really wanted to fly my new 7m NS2, but the wind speed was a little too much for it. Up went the 5.5m. This was my first ever flight in a buggy with the Nasa Star. All I can say is WOW :o :o :o!!!It was as fun and amazing as I had imagined it would be. The kite never did anything that "I" didn't ask it to. I got lifted out of the seat once, but only because I lost some speed coming out of a turn, and sent the kite up a little too high in the janky gust I think. I wasnt lifted up high. Only enough to stand me on my feet. It has the least amount of lift of any kite I've ever flown, but there is the potential in a strong gust. I really wanted to mention that for the people that may think the Nasa Star is an end all safe kite. It is still a power kite. like all, they demand respect too!!!

I'm very pleased with my experience today in the buggy finally. It was perfect conditions to see what the kite could, and could not do. Shifty, and gusty. I was able to buggy, so that right there says a lot! In a lull, I would lose traction and kinda roll to a stop. The kite never fell out of the sky, I would just keep it moving a little until the wind got up again. With a foil, it would have folded up and fell, causing me to get out of the buggy and untangle with a relaunch to follow. The Nasa Star is light enough in a lull (at least what I experienced today) to just stay afloat with a little movement until the wind came back.

Now. I'm 210 pounds. My VTT weighs at least a 100 if I had to guess. My ground today was a little boggy. Not wet and swampy, but still wasn't dried out from the rain the other day. I had the 5.5m up in my best guess was like 10-12mph. my on the fly wind map said 3-5 but I KNOW that wasn't right.There were a couple strong gust as well. Not quite sure of the strength, but like I said, one pulled me up and over my rail, so it must have been a 15+.

I cant wait to try my other sizes out. I'm REALLY looking forward to clean ocean air so I can park and ride. Today, it pulled me like a freakin' diesel truck!. HUGE low end with these NS2! I do run PL extra wides, but the Nasa pulled me through damp soil with no problem!! If you are on the fence about trying one, Just do it. Especially if you suffer from stubborn wind. I wish I was able to get some footage today, but it didn't happen.

soliver - 28-12-2014 at 05:59 PM

Awesome... Good info on the lift Jason... I've been wondering that, but if all you got was just up over the rail, that's still WAY better than 10-15 ft :o

Did you have your Garmin running to clock speeds?

3shot - 28-12-2014 at 06:29 PM

That's right Spencer. I went over the rail onto my knees actually, then pulled up to my feet. I think that qualifies me for my first ever OBE. Lmao. By the time I was being pulled up to my feet, I pulled the yellow depower ball and stalled the kite out. I wasn't able to process the ejection fast enough for the main safety. Like I said, it wasn't a violent lift. Just a little up and over.

I didn't bring my Garmin either today. Yeah I suck...

ssayre - 28-12-2014 at 08:44 PM

Sounds like fun Jason :thumbup:

I haven't explored using the yellow ball yet, but I've gotten pretty good at being quick to hit the main safety. I haven't been lifted up and out yet but I have tipped and been pulled sideways. Even then I had enough time to hit my main safety before being dragged. They are forgiving but you have to be careful about poking the bear too much. I usually have hit my safety when I'm starting to feel out of control or I'm about to run out of room before I can negotiate a maneuver to get out of trouble. So far, I have had enough time to react and it's more of a matter of deciding if I should pull the safety or ride it out. Also, I have been practicing steering fast downwind then hard upwind to scrub speed and absorb power.

bobalooie57 - 29-12-2014 at 08:27 AM

:thumbup:

I like this thread! Good to see more rag flappers out there. Don't forget our own kitemaker4 if you are looking for a custom colored NASA wing in your wanted size! Quality build and great price, too! Flying these wings as 4-line on handles can be quite productive, satisfying and exhilarating, too.
Spent the day after Christmas at the parking lot of Long Point State Park, Chautauqua Lake. Buggied for about 4 hours, just zipping back and forth on the asphalt. Wind was off the lake, but shifty and maybe 4-5mph in the lulls and gusting to around 12mph. I used the 7M NPW9 on 35 foot lines, and was easily able to hit 20mph+ on the not so long parking lot. Several hikers/dog walkers commented on how much fun I looked like I was having, one cyclist said it was the coolest thing he had seen in a while, and several people in cars stopped to watch. I had a blast, and had to take a nap when I got home!(It's been a while since I've rode all afternoon)

kitemaker4 - 29-12-2014 at 09:51 AM

I agree Bobalooie, there can never be enough people flying nasa wings.

Susan (npw goddess)

Randy - 29-12-2014 at 10:01 AM

I'm in complete agreement with @bobalooie57 - another happy owner of a @kitemaker4 NASA 4.0 meter.

sadsack - 29-12-2014 at 10:11 AM

Yes, NPW are great, I am on making my 9th one. Each one from the 1M2 to the 9 M2 is great fun.
renny:alien:

soliver - 29-12-2014 at 11:45 AM

he he he... ragflappers... i like that :D

I contacted Steffan this weekend... thinking seriously about taking the plunge.., even had an offer on a couple of my RIIs

3shot - 29-12-2014 at 12:03 PM

Oh yeah I forgot. One time the kite got too far behind me and slammed nose first into the ground. This would have spelled certain disaster for a foil. Not the Nasa. It just compressed flat. A quick tug on the bar and she inflated, took off backwards, righted herself and shot back up in the zone :cool:

.
I also found it easiest to swap out kites after you fly it to the edge of the window, let it settle on the ground, and stake it off like in Steffans video. I also pack up at the edge of the window too. Pretty sure that's the best way?? John already mentioned that's his preferred method. Any other unpack/pack up ideas? I didn't care for pulling the stopper ball and letting it flop like a dead chicken on the ground until I could run out to the kite and sand bag it. The edge of the window seemed easiest.

Also worth noting. I was 100% hooked in yesterday. I could have easily had the same flying results if I flew unhooked as well. Still have the depower line attached to the spreader, but bare the pull on my upper body vs. the harness. Just like flying FB. I think my ejection wouldn't have happened then. Just like flying Popeye style FB, a rogue gust would have just ripped the bar right out of my hands like a FB would have done. Pretty ingenious depower setup if you ask me. You can either rely on cat like reflexes and pull the chicken loop safety, or just strong arm the bar and let the wind deploy the safety for you (as long as you let go of the bar lmao).

ssayre - 29-12-2014 at 03:13 PM

Quote:

Oh yeah I forgot. One time the kite got too far behind me and slammed nose first into the ground. This would have spelled certain disaster for a foil. Not the Nasa. It just compressed flat. A quick tug on the bar and she inflated, took off backwards, righted herself and shot back up in the zone :cool:

Yep, you don't have to get up much or at all once seated. I'm pretty sure I've gained weight since owning them from complete lack of exorcise while kiting :D. I don't have to get up with the peak either and the twister has been collecting dust because it feels way too much like work now.

Spencer, join the brotherhood within the brotherhood :borg:

:P

Sometimes people stop and ask me what I'm doing and where to get them and it's just information overload when I try to explain what I'm doing and that the kites I'm using are unusual in an even more unusual activity for my area. :lol:

3shot - 29-12-2014 at 03:40 PM

LOL. There was a lady walking her dog around the edge of the field when I was deployed over the rail. I'm pretty sure se saw me do it. It was however all done in one fluid motion, so as an onlooker who doesn't know what kite buggy is, it looked like I knew what I was doing :ninja:

:D :D :D

ssayre - 29-12-2014 at 05:53 PM

I looked for a bag similar to yours at DicS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s and gander mountain for the ns2's but couldn't find one. I had an old baseball bag that wasn't being used that I was able to put all the ns2's in and the harness and both bars. The smaller baseball bag, I found at Walmart for $5. It was a return that the packaging was messed up on but the funny thing was the original price was only $11. I have the Peak in the smaller of the 2.

3shot - 29-12-2014 at 05:58 PM

I love how small they pack up. I was able to fit all four kites and their bags, both bars, and my harness into the big backpack. Still not sure why my 7m came in a black bag when the others came in the orange bag. My kite OCD is having a hard time coping LOL.

It was very refreshing walking onto the field with only one pack.

ssayre - 29-12-2014 at 06:01 PM

If you don't mind, let me know what brand your bag is. I didn't find anything similar and I still would prefer to have a backpack one like yours for the ns2's.

3shot - 29-12-2014 at 06:24 PM

Its made by Compackteam. I just pulled everything out to find a UPC, tag,etc. I don't see one.

I did a quick web search and didn't find much. Probably why it was on clearance at DicS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s. Lots of similar ones on ebay and Amazon I see. Keywords camping/mountaineering backpack/rucksack.

ssayre - 29-12-2014 at 06:52 PM

Thanks, I checked as well. That is an elusive piece of merchandise. I'll have to make do with the baseball bags for awhile.

soliver - 29-12-2014 at 08:08 PM

Of course I've been all over the Born website,... it looks like the bags are a separate piece of merchandise from the kites, did your kites come with the bags or did you have to pay for them separately?

ssayre - 29-12-2014 at 08:17 PM

They come with them. I wasn't expecting them to but they did. I assume they still do but you might check. When Steffen emails the invoice to you, it should have the bag listed as included.

soliver - 29-12-2014 at 08:27 PM

It'll be a minute... Got some kites to sell first

ssayre - 30-12-2014 at 09:42 AM

I took my new born-kite streetkite bar with 5 meter lines for a spin today on a compacted gravel lot. Gravel is my favorite surface so far. My grass fields have thick grass and asphalt can be a little too fast for my liking. If your having trouble learning landboard, try and find a surface with little resistance. I'm getting much more comfortable and can finally relax and tack back and forth with little effort in the right wind. I was feeling pretty good about myself so I thought I would give toeside a try. Evidently I'm not ready for that yet.

It's really a lot of fun and I like using the bar because you can easily control the kite with one hand in the middle. The streetkite bar is very different than the 3 line bar and is not quite as simple as it looks. The SIA adjuster allows you to set the depower at the desired level and the same mechanism allows you to adjust the length of the third line for the different size kites so there is not a lot of excess flopping around. The bar and the lines have knot sleeves which are very handy to eliminate bridle tangles. The third line is above the bar and linked to the main leaders on either side. The third line runs through a little peice of metal hardware and back down to where it started effectively creating a pulley. If you have a kite killer attached to it, that allows for the third line to be pulled for adjustment or if you let go it will collapse the nose.

soliver - 30-12-2014 at 09:56 AM

Saw that on one of Steffan's vids... looks kinda cool. What made you want to try the street kite bar over the depow bar on shorty lines? just curious.

ssayre - 30-12-2014 at 10:02 AM

The depower bar works fine as well, but I wanted to have a dedicated short line bar and a dedicated long line bar so I wouldn't have to swap lines. I got the streetkite bar as the short line bar mainly because it's much much cheaper.

3shot - 30-12-2014 at 04:29 PM

You'll really appreciate the operation of the 3 line depower bar Spencer! Of course when I first unpackaged mine, it was prompt call to Sean. I was scratching my head at first saying "whatha......" LOL

I went ahead and picked up another bar and line set. My intentions are to make the 5.5 and 7m rtf. I can tell they are going to be my most used sizes. It is comforting knowing I have an extra bar incase something was to happen for some unforeseen reason. All components are high quality and are just as durable as any other kite gear.

The bar option of being hooked in or strong arm to achieve the same results really seals the deal IMHO. If you are hooked in, simply pinch the depower ball between your fingers for easy operation (like I WASNT doing) as in John's video, or simply push/pull the bar in strong arm mode :thumbup:

. This feature lets YOU control the amount of daredevil :evil:. Hooking in, and unhooking is all done on the fly like a strop on FB handles. No chicken finger to fool with.

ssayre - 30-12-2014 at 05:20 PM

FYI, the SIA on the street kite bar stands for steuer-impuls adapter which translated means tax pulse adapter. I don't know how I didn't guess that, it makes perfect sense now :puzzled: :lol:

3shot - 30-12-2014 at 05:23 PM

Exactly Sean!!!! It didn't help I was trying to figure out the whole bar thing in German! I felt like a tot trying to fit a square peg into a round hole LMAO

ssayre - 14-1-2015 at 12:41 PM

Check out the wild looking custom nasa star 2's in this recent video. Specifically the one at 1:22

John Holgate - 14-1-2015 at 01:43 PM

Good pick up! Looked very cruisy too.

3shot - 14-1-2015 at 01:48 PM

Great find Sean!!! Good Lord I really like the NASA Stars!!! My kinda cruzin'.