Just picked up my new HQ Toxic 8.0m from UPS and stretched my lines out in the local park. At first I was a bit bummed that the new kite curse had
struck me with no wind whatsoever. I decided to at least try to run around with it until I got tired. No need. This baby can fly on a gnat's fart.
I was a little surprised with how easy the Toxic lifted into the air and took flight, even when I could not feel the wind on my skin. The trees were
still, and you could only occasionally feel gusts of maybe 5-6 mph.
I was wearing hiking boots, because I knew I would be either on grass or sand where there could be broken glass(gotta love a city park/beach). Even
in ankle high grass, wearing my very grippy hiking boots, this kite could drag me 5-6 feet in a single 45 degree pass through the window. The power
is extremely smooth, feeling like a locomotive on rails, yet very nimble. The toxic is steerable by the power lines, but will turn on a wingtip with
generous break input.
This thing loves its breaks! That is the best I know how to describe it. You get so much result from break tension during turns and in the window.
I could get huge results in power with tension on both break lines. The toxic can handle a ton of break input before the tail puckers and tries to
stall, which almost gives the kite a feeling of flying a depower on quad handles. You can park the kite in the zenith, tug the breaks and just feel
the lift, but it is not there unless you ask the kite for it.
The Toxic is extremely well behaved as long as it is moving. Like I said, it feels like a locomotive on rails that can turn on a wingtip. However,
if you manage to give too much input and stall, or overfly the window, it will not hesitate to bowtie. That is not a flaw in the kite itself in my
opinion, since all high aspect kites will behave in a similar fashion.
The bag the Toxic came in is huge. Once I took the kite out of the plastic and folded it the way I like to fold, the kite, lines, and handles only
take up half the bag, freeing up the other half for harness and water bottles and other chattel like keys, wallet, etc. It has sweet side pockets
with straps that look perfect for packing other kites like revs or stunt kites, or even more water bottles! You can never have too much water with
you.
Unfortunately, my girlfriend was too tired after her long work day to meet me in the park for pictures and video, so you all will have to make do with
the quick pictures I snapped of when I first unrolled it at my apartment. I didn't think to take pictures of it in the park. I am going flying this
weekend, and I am dragging the lady with me to fly some kites as well as take pictures and video of this bad boy in the air. More to follow!
http://i.imgur.com/YxyUgMc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DeVAzs6.jpg
NAPKA US8008
Kites:
Ozone R1 V3 7m
Flysurfer Sonic v3 15m
Flysurfer Speed 3 Deluxe 19m
Peter Lynn Charger 2 12m
Ozone Access Reride 6m
Peter Lynn 2013 Reactor 5.5m
Peter Lynn 2013 Reactor 8.6m
Prism Tensor 5.0m
Ride:
GT-Race Code:R6
Weird Beard VTT Custom