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Thanks PF!

Thanks NB! Glad you enjoyed. I’m looking forward to more of your videos. You’re lucky to fly in such a beautiful place

Many thanks! I’m pleased you enjoyed it. I was lucky with the UK weather being kind to us at the moment

Thank you!

Thank you PF. I appreciate you watching and enjoying!

I’m pleased you enjoyed the video, Jim. It was an unusually good day for flying, and gliding - one or two of them did take to the air. We seem to be having a few good days of weather here at the moment, which is a pleasant change! Thanks again for all your videos, they are greatly appreciated too.

Thanks NB, I’m glad you enjoyed!

Thank you Vikram, I’m glad you liked it!

Thanks Vikram!

Thanks NB, I’m pleased you enjoyed. I enjoy your videos, they are beautifully shot

Sorry, a little play on words. They are collective nouns for Red Kites, the birds! I quite like the idea of using them for our non-feathered kites. ‘A soar’ seems a great description.

@@SMALLsails Ah, I understand now! We don't have kites of the avian kind here, although I believe they have made a great resurgence in recent years in the UK.

Thanks PF and thanks for watching. I appreciate you appreciating them!

What is the line weight, is where I'm getting at.

Can it also fly quite close to the ground say 30-45 meters?

Hi, I think this was flown on a 110kg line, that’s about 240lbs. But you could fly it on a much lighter line. It really depends on the wind speed and how gusty it is, a strong gust can put a lot of strain on a line. The wind is quite light in this video so I didn’t really need such a strong line. You can fly this as high or as low as you like. Usually, stronger more stable wind is higher up though.

@@SMALLsails thanks alot i appreciate it.

Thanks Ron. Appreciate you liked it

Thanks Ron

No, not in that wind. In a much stronger wind it would pull harder but not as much as the newer octopus kite design.

Thank you. I appreciate the comment.

Thank you, pleased you liked it!

Thanks Jim. Unfortunately the middle part of the three-section cross spar broke on the Levitation, so needs replacing. I’m not sure if a cross spar in three parts is the best design for flying. The outer sections with their metal ferrules don’t allow the whole spar to flex, mostly just the centre piece. I’ve ordered a new centre but I’m wondering whether to change the whole spar. What’s your experience of replacing breakages? Thanks for watching and commenting. I’ll be flying in the Downs before the British weather turns! Tim

@@SMALLsails Tim, the three-piece cross-spar was introduced by Into The Wind some years ago after several complaints about the original two-piece breaking. These came mainly from people using the kite for aerial photography, for which it was a favoured lifter at the time, and obviously they were putting added strain on the camera in lifting sometimes quite heavy gear. I don't like the three-piece idea, and I think a single spar is best, except of course that it means the kite can't be packed down so small, which was one of the selling features of the Levitation. If you have a choice, I'd go for a single spar of suitable strength. Your long tails do, of course, put quite a bit more stress on the kite so you need to allow for that, and I think the pockets are big enough to allow for a slightly bigger and stronger spar. I don't have the 9ft Levi anymore, although I still have a 7ft one with 2-piece spar, which has given no trouble. I'll look out for your videos on the Downs - have fun!

Thanks Jim, great advice. Back to the shops for a single spar…..

Thanks NB, appreciate your comment!

Hi, I think the top bridle has two functions. I’ve never used a lifter so haven’t used the bridle for attaching one. I fly the octopus with the top bridle thrown out of the way on top of the kite and only use it when bringing the kite down. When it’s within reach, take hold of it and pull it down in front of the kite and it acts as a brake that quickly deflates it. You may find this is less important in the 12m version. The difference in pull between 12 and 20m makes the top bridle really useful. Hope this helps. Happy flying!

@@SMALLsails Thanks very much for that--makes sense. One more question-on the back of the kite roughly where the head and tentacles meet is a zippered opening maybe 6 inchers or so wide. When unzipped there's a piece of red kite material sewn to the top and bottom of the opening but not on the sides so it's almost like a shallow pocket but the sides aren't sewn. Any idea what this is? Thanks.

Hi, apparently it’s a vent to unzip in higher winds, although I haven’t really experienced much of a difference whether it’s opened or closed. If it’s a really high wind it’ll pull hard either way.

@@SMALLsails That's what I was thinking but the existence and red color of the of the interior piece of kite fabric had me wondering. Maybe it's there to act as a fail safe to keep the vent hole from getting larger by tearing if the winds get too strong. Thanks.

Thanks PF, really pleased you liked it. It was a gentle, end of the day flight

Cheers Dustin, thank you. A little more sedate than your flying!

Thanks NB. The tail was my addition. A rare inland gentle breeze!

The kite is a bargain. Despite the cost cutting corners it’s been pretty well made and flies great. The tail is my addition and I had to sew tail attachments but, all round, a great bargain. Thanks for watching and commenting Jim. I’m enjoying your winter videos.

Thank you. It was a great day for flying 🪁 🪁 🪁

Thank you

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed them.

Hi NB, yes, it was a good day and the kites (mostly) performed well. I’ve had a look at some of your videos too. You’ve filmed some good ones. I especially like the little star delta - looks great in blue.

Thank you. Yes, a great location. I’m kind of pleased that a number of fields there have been given over to ground nesting birds. W. H. Davies would have found time to stop and stare!

@@SMALLsails or Wordsworth watching clouds and daffodils.

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🤗

Hi Ian, it’s a Chinese copy of an Into The Wind Sweet 16 Delta. It is very well made and flies in almost no wind. I bought it from AliExpress, there’s a number of kite manufacturers/shops who sell them but they may not all be the same quality. Mine was from here: a.aliexpress.com/_EQWUbNt The tails I designed and cut out myself to match the kite and I had a local seamstress do the sewing. Thanks for your comment, glad you appreciated it all.

@@SMALLsails ah brilliant, yes I thought that might be the case. I'd like one in my collection too. I'll take a look.

@@ianriches5545I’ll look forward to the video!

Thank you. Sea Palling beach does seems to go on forever. Yes, shame about the wind dropping, at the end all the kites just gently made their way to the sand. Interestingly, the larger delta managed to stay up with nearly zero wind even with its heavy centre tail, but eventually even that came down. Thanks for watching and commenting👍

Hi Jim. Yes, Sea Palling Beach on the Norfolk coast is a great place for kites. The wind started good but sadly disappeared at the end of the day. I’m looking forward to our summer here to fly more but still not the clear blue skies that you seem to capture! It was a great day and the first outing of the homemade outer tails on the Chinese Sweet 16. Thank you for watching.

The star tube does seem to go very well, although I’m not sure about flying tubes on wing tips. I think they should be ribbon/flat tails. I’ve an appointment with a local seamstress who hopefully will sew some fabric I’ve cut to match the kite, for the wing tips. Having said that, when she sees what I have in mind she may not be very keen to sew 28 metres!

@@SMALLsails It shouldn't be a problem, as tails are usually straight! Even I find straight sewing fairly easy, but curves are much more difficult. Good luck with your project anyway!

It was a little bit blustery, the cloud dude had to hang on for dear life!

Thank you for watching. The gecko is a great kite, so easy to fly. I hope the weather improves for us all so we can get out and enjoy 2024, it seems to have been a long winter!

@@SMALLsails merci 👍😃

Small world! In the 70s I used to live just outside Dunstable Downs in a small village called Markyate. I’m a little further out now but go there regularly to fly and enjoy the coffee. The Downs are great for walks and wildlife. In the 60s I imagine it was very peaceful. Thanks for watching.

Hi Nick, it’s on a 170kg line. This is probably over cautious on my behalf, especially when flown in this wind as it could be flown on much lighter line. I’ve flown it in much stronger wind where the kite has just about pulled me over and I’ve been unable to tie down, where I definitely needed that line strength! I also have a 12m octopus, you can see in other of my videos. I fly this on 110kg line, for comparison. The ‘extra hand’ is a Crocodile line grip, an absolute must. If you haven’t got one I recommend you look to get one. It’s a clever little bit of kit that clamps on the line, whatever size. You can then hold the kite on your wrist with its cord, freeing up both hands to tie the kite down. In the video I’ve just left it attached to the line but it can be easily removed. Hope you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching. Tim

Thank you for watching and commenting. I hope to fly a few deltas together before the autumn sets into winter

Thank you, I was lucky with the weather and wind allowing a great day of flying.

Thanks PF, I appreciate you watching and commenting. Thanks again

Thanks PF. The gecko is a real easy flier. Thanks for watching and commenting

Thanks PF, the octopuses are my favourites. I’m trying to find suitable conditions to get all five of them up at once, but I don’t seem to have quite managed it yet…. hopefully this summer…