Thanks a million, Joe! It's great to hear from you, and I hope all is well. I've been swamped with work, but spring is approaching, and I hope to get back out there with the Revs soon. I recorded a video of the Blast with the light leading edge, but I wasn't happy with it. I'll re-record it as soon as I'm able, as I still have a lot to say!
Hi there. I'm looking at getting a 4 line kite, after flying 2 line kites (Prism) for past 20 years. What's the learning curve like for the Blast? Was thinking of getting one of the Reflex models (or maybe a Supersonic), but the Blast looks pretty amazing, esp for lighter winds. Thoughts?
Hi @rocketsciencedesign. Thanks for asking. I think it comes down to your flying style and the wind conditions you usually find yourself in. Firstly, I would not recommend the Supersonic as your first quad-line kite - it sacrifices precision for speed and is quite jittery. You really have to work at getting precise movements with it, and I fear the learning curve will be steep. The Blast is far more precise than the Supersonic, but not as precise as a XX or RX model. It's like two kites in one because it comes with two sets of leading edge spars. With the "heavy" leading edge, the Blast loves to slide sideways, and can be flown in winds up to 20 MPH - it prefers big and bold moves on longer lines. With the "light" leading edge the kite can be flown in winds up to 10 MPH, and it trades its ability to slide sideways for lighter, more precise turns and stops. In light mode it flies like an approximation of a XX, preferring smaller, more delicate moves on shorter lines. The XX models are very stable, reliable and predictable - they are like luxury cars. The non-vented model is suited to lighter winds (up to 12 MPH), while the vented Tarantula and Super Tarantula shift the sweet spot and upper bound of the wind range upwards. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the vented XXs require strong wind to fly, but this is not the case; the XX Tarantula can be flown in next to nothing, and the XX Super Tarantula only needs a light breeze. The RX models are like sports cars, they trade the ultra smooth ride of the XX models for a lighter, more agile feel. Again, the sweet spot of the wind range shifts upwards as you add more venting, but I think the sweet spot is narrower with the RX range - they are more particular about it, but a joy when they are in it. Venting increases the upper bound of the wind range the more you add, and it also has a big impact on reverse flight performance. Adding more venting reduces the kite's tendency to flip over while reversing, enabling you to reverse faster and more smoothly. Also of note is that with more venting comes reduced braking; I find that I need to be more forceful with my stop commands when I fly the XX Super Tarantula or RX Super Spider. I keep changing my mind, but my favourites right now are: Strong wind - RX Super Spider Moderate wind - XX Super Tarantula Light wind - XX Tarantula If I could go back in time and choose my first Revolution again, it would be the XX Tarantula. This kite flies beautifully in light winds, can handle moderate winds, and feels more agile than the non-vented model. As my skills increased with the XX Tarantula, I would have then bought one of the fully vented models for stronger winds.
@@__revbox thx for the detailed feedback. Think I will go for the blast since it comes with the 2 leading edge spars, plus being a kitesurfer I think I'd find the Blast more to my liking. Just have to find a retailer in the southern hemisphere that actually has them in stock!
Very impressive flying brother. It's awesome getting to watch this camera angle of your hands relative to the kite. I've been trying to find some footage That really helps me wrap my brain around how these four string kites work and this is it
Nice skills mate. I flew a kite on weekend with my nephew. Simple kite but really enjoyed it. He loved it. My brother too. We are all into kites now. I'm looking for a serious kite. Before I spend 300 I wanna get the right one. Anyway excellent control skills
Hi Robbert. For someone just starting this hobby, I would recommend one of the vented XX models. While learning how to fly the Blast, I constantly fall back on the foundation I learned flying the "standard" Revolution models, note where the Blast differs, then adjust my controls to suit. The Blast brings many new quirks to the table, and I believe that without a solid foundation to fall back on, it might be too much to take in all at once. I first flew the Revolution in the late 80s, but couldn't afford it as a kid. I took up the hobby again in September 2021, and the Revolution XX Reflex was the first Rev I owned. However, I soon discovered that it was NOT the kite for me. I was very impressed with the "Reflex" mechanism of the wings. When you take the kite beyond the edge of the wind window (either above your head, or to the far sides), instead of stalling and falling out of the air, the kite glides back into the wind like a paper plane. Light wind performance was also amazing, there were so many times where mine was the only kite in the air, and it was easy to do. I wasn't having fun though. The Revolution XX feels like a luxury car; it's a perfectly smooth, balanced and classy ride - but this is not what I want! I want a sports car that I can throw around. So I bought the 15 inch handles, hoping the increased throw would make the kite more agile, and they did. These handles made my movements sharper, and gave me the agility I was looking for, but it still wasn't enough. When the wind picks up, the sail distorts the wing, and you lose that nice recoil on the leading edge when you stop or change direction. Reverse flight was also disappointing, the wings have a tendency to flip over if you reverse too much. It's totally manageable, but you always need to be aware of it, and I didn't want to. The vented models solve this issue, and I keep flip-flopping back and forth between them as my favourite kite. The mid-vented models (the RX Spider and XX Tarantula) allow you to input far more reverse on the controls before the wings start to flip (the fully vented models even more so), pretty much making it a non-issue. Also, I initially believed the fully vented XX Super Tarantula was purely for strong winds, but this kite can actually fly perfectly well in a light breeze. They are more agile, and the venting reduces the distortion of the wing when the wind picks up, maintaining that snappy recoil of the leading edge. My go-to kite is the XX Super Tarantula, and I wish I bought this one first. It's very windy where I live, so I prefer the fully vented models, but if your conditions are lighter, I'd go with the XX Tarantula. These kites keep up with you as your skills increase, neither overwhelming or limiting you.
@@__revbox Thank you very much for your elaborated reply. Very much appreciated. I am still doubting because I think I will like this hobby very much but haven’t actually tried my hands on it. Therefore I’m also still contemplating the cheapest model, just to not waste too much money if the kiting hobby isn’t as fun for me as I expect it will be. I have been kiting, but only with two-liners. Thanks again, you have given me lot’s of valuable info to take into consideration.
Hi Revbox - that Blast (and your flying skills) looks awesome!👍 I have a 2007 Rev SLE 1.5 (which cost me a hefty £217 back then!). I am looking at what you are doing with the Blast, seems like it is in a different class altogether! The SLE backwards and sideways performance is nowhere near what you are doing. Am I persuading myself there is a case for adding a Blast to my collection I wonder! They are quite expensive. My usual wind speed is sub 12mph. I take it there is no “reflex” feature on the Blast, so how does it cope if the wind drops/varies direction (unpredictable conditions I get quite a bit)? They can trouble the SLE in standard trim for sure in moments of inattention.
Thanks for watching Adrian LW! Yes, the Blast has "Reflex" springs on two of the vertical spars. It also comes with two sets of leading edge spars. The "light" set is meant for winds up to 8mph, but I haven't had to use them yet. I'm keen to try them, and I'll post some footage as soon as I have the opportunity.
@@__revbox - thanks for the reply! Some while back I made up some home-design springs for my SLE 1.5 to give reflex-effect to mimic production Revs. Transforms usability of the kite, as it is now almost immune from drop-out with wind changes/fluctuations. Hence my query re the Blast. Also, with the springs, it is possible to do a face-down launch from the ground which can be handy! Looking forward to more Blast vids. I expect the lighter LE will mean for softer responses/less precision.
@@adrianlw2750 I finally got an opportunity to try the light leading edge with the Blast today, and... what a surprise! "I expect the lighter LE will mean for softer responses/less precision." It's actually the opposite, as crazy as that may seem! I knew I wasn't imagining things; when you fly the Blast in its standard configuration you REALLY feel the weight of the leading edge. The kite is top-heavy, and the momentum of the leading edge is significant enough to influence your next move. This means that you need to counter-steer heavily when you want the kite to snap to a particular position. The heavy leading edge also causes the kite to fall when you descend sideways, stopping the kite in this situation is akin to a dive-stop. But when you switch over to the light leading edge, it becomes a different kite. The weight and momentum of the leading edge disappears, changing the kite's handling completely. It feels like a standard Rev in this configuration, with a snappy bounce to stops and turns. The kite feels lighter, and far less counter-steer is needed to snap the kite to a particular position. It also no longer falls when you do a sideways dive-stop, it descends like a standard Rev. I've got some footage of it, and will post a video soon. It honestly feels like two kites in one.
@@__revbox - Fantastic! Surprises all round then! Now you’ll have the (nice) dilemma of which LE to use any time haha! Will look forward to your video comparison 👍
I've been a REV Fan since the 90's & now I was toying with the idea of getting this version in these colors & now I'm convinced thanks to you!
Glad I could help. It's an awesome kite!
Great camera work, great narration, great skills !!! I'm gonna buy a Blast 😅
Wow revbox! I just watched this video again, and I'd have to say it is excellent! Especially the 'Dive-stop' at 7:26! Wow!
Thanks a million, Joe! It's great to hear from you, and I hope all is well. I've been swamped with work, but spring is approaching, and I hope to get back out there with the Revs soon.
I recorded a video of the Blast with the light leading edge, but I wasn't happy with it. I'll re-record it as soon as I'm able, as I still have a lot to say!
@@__revbox Can't wait to see the next video!
Hi there. I'm looking at getting a 4 line kite, after flying 2 line kites (Prism) for past 20 years. What's the learning curve like for the Blast? Was thinking of getting one of the Reflex models (or maybe a Supersonic), but the Blast looks pretty amazing, esp for lighter winds. Thoughts?
Hi @rocketsciencedesign. Thanks for asking. I think it comes down to your flying style and the wind conditions you usually find yourself in.
Firstly, I would not recommend the Supersonic as your first quad-line kite - it sacrifices precision for speed and is quite jittery. You really have to work at getting precise movements with it, and I fear the learning curve will be steep.
The Blast is far more precise than the Supersonic, but not as precise as a XX or RX model. It's like two kites in one because it comes with two sets of leading edge spars. With the "heavy" leading edge, the Blast loves to slide sideways, and can be flown in winds up to 20 MPH - it prefers big and bold moves on longer lines. With the "light" leading edge the kite can be flown in winds up to 10 MPH, and it trades its ability to slide sideways for lighter, more precise turns and stops. In light mode it flies like an approximation of a XX, preferring smaller, more delicate moves on shorter lines.
The XX models are very stable, reliable and predictable - they are like luxury cars. The non-vented model is suited to lighter winds (up to 12 MPH), while the vented Tarantula and Super Tarantula shift the sweet spot and upper bound of the wind range upwards. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the vented XXs require strong wind to fly, but this is not the case; the XX Tarantula can be flown in next to nothing, and the XX Super Tarantula only needs a light breeze.
The RX models are like sports cars, they trade the ultra smooth ride of the XX models for a lighter, more agile feel. Again, the sweet spot of the wind range shifts upwards as you add more venting, but I think the sweet spot is narrower with the RX range - they are more particular about it, but a joy when they are in it.
Venting increases the upper bound of the wind range the more you add, and it also has a big impact on reverse flight performance. Adding more venting reduces the kite's tendency to flip over while reversing, enabling you to reverse faster and more smoothly. Also of note is that with more venting comes reduced braking; I find that I need to be more forceful with my stop commands when I fly the XX Super Tarantula or RX Super Spider.
I keep changing my mind, but my favourites right now are:
Strong wind - RX Super Spider
Moderate wind - XX Super Tarantula
Light wind - XX Tarantula
If I could go back in time and choose my first Revolution again, it would be the XX Tarantula. This kite flies beautifully in light winds, can handle moderate winds, and feels more agile than the non-vented model. As my skills increased with the XX Tarantula, I would have then bought one of the fully vented models for stronger winds.
@@__revbox thx for the detailed feedback. Think I will go for the blast since it comes with the 2 leading edge spars, plus being a kitesurfer I think I'd find the Blast more to my liking. Just have to find a retailer in the southern hemisphere that actually has them in stock!
@@rocketsciencedesign Glad you found it helpful. As a kitesurfer, you'll have no problems handling the Blast.
A gentleman and a scholar. Genuinely appreciate you sharing everything. ✌️ ❤️🪁
Very impressive flying brother. It's awesome getting to watch this camera angle of your hands relative to the kite. I've been trying to find some footage That really helps me wrap my brain around how these four string kites work and this is it
Thanks a lot. I'm glad I could help.
Nice skills mate.
I flew a kite on weekend with my nephew. Simple kite but really enjoyed it. He loved it. My brother too.
We are all into kites now. I'm looking for a serious kite. Before I spend 300 I wanna get the right one. Anyway excellent control skills
Those inverted slides man!!! Wow
It honestly feels like you're cheating with this kite! The slides are so smooth.
This kite looks like so much fun. I'm looking into starting this hobby, would you consider the Blast a suitable beginners kite?
Hi Robbert. For someone just starting this hobby, I would recommend one of the vented XX models.
While learning how to fly the Blast, I constantly fall back on the foundation I learned flying the "standard" Revolution models, note where the Blast differs, then adjust my controls to suit. The Blast brings many new quirks to the table, and I believe that without a solid foundation to fall back on, it might be too much to take in all at once.
I first flew the Revolution in the late 80s, but couldn't afford it as a kid. I took up the hobby again in September 2021, and the Revolution XX Reflex was the first Rev I owned. However, I soon discovered that it was NOT the kite for me. I was very impressed with the "Reflex" mechanism of the wings. When you take the kite beyond the edge of the wind window (either above your head, or to the far sides), instead of stalling and falling out of the air, the kite glides back into the wind like a paper plane. Light wind performance was also amazing, there were so many times where mine was the only kite in the air, and it was easy to do.
I wasn't having fun though. The Revolution XX feels like a luxury car; it's a perfectly smooth, balanced and classy ride - but this is not what I want! I want a sports car that I can throw around. So I bought the 15 inch handles, hoping the increased throw would make the kite more agile, and they did. These handles made my movements sharper, and gave me the agility I was looking for, but it still wasn't enough. When the wind picks up, the sail distorts the wing, and you lose that nice recoil on the leading edge when you stop or change direction. Reverse flight was also disappointing, the wings have a tendency to flip over if you reverse too much. It's totally manageable, but you always need to be aware of it, and I didn't want to.
The vented models solve this issue, and I keep flip-flopping back and forth between them as my favourite kite. The mid-vented models (the RX Spider and XX Tarantula) allow you to input far more reverse on the controls before the wings start to flip (the fully vented models even more so), pretty much making it a non-issue. Also, I initially believed the fully vented XX Super Tarantula was purely for strong winds, but this kite can actually fly perfectly well in a light breeze. They are more agile, and the venting reduces the distortion of the wing when the wind picks up, maintaining that snappy recoil of the leading edge.
My go-to kite is the XX Super Tarantula, and I wish I bought this one first. It's very windy where I live, so I prefer the fully vented models, but if your conditions are lighter, I'd go with the XX Tarantula. These kites keep up with you as your skills increase, neither overwhelming or limiting you.
@@__revbox Thank you very much for your elaborated reply. Very much appreciated.
I am still doubting because I think I will like this hobby very much but haven’t actually tried my hands on it. Therefore I’m also still contemplating the cheapest model, just to not waste too much money if the kiting hobby isn’t as fun for me as I expect it will be. I have been kiting, but only with two-liners.
Thanks again, you have given me lot’s of valuable info to take into consideration.
@@robbertjansen885 Glad I could help! Spring is finally approaching, so I'll be back with some more spoken content soon.
Hi Revbox - that Blast (and your flying skills) looks awesome!👍
I have a 2007 Rev SLE 1.5 (which cost me a hefty £217 back then!). I am looking at what you are doing with the Blast, seems like it is in a different class altogether! The SLE backwards and sideways performance is nowhere near what you are doing.
Am I persuading myself there is a case for adding a Blast to my collection I wonder! They are quite expensive.
My usual wind speed is sub 12mph. I take it there is no “reflex” feature on the Blast, so how does it cope if the wind drops/varies direction (unpredictable conditions I get quite a bit)? They can trouble the SLE in standard trim for sure in moments of inattention.
Thanks for watching Adrian LW! Yes, the Blast has "Reflex" springs on two of the vertical spars. It also comes with two sets of leading edge spars. The "light" set is meant for winds up to 8mph, but I haven't had to use them yet. I'm keen to try them, and I'll post some footage as soon as I have the opportunity.
@@__revbox - thanks for the reply! Some while back I made up some home-design springs for my SLE 1.5 to give reflex-effect to mimic production Revs. Transforms usability of the kite, as it is now almost immune from drop-out with wind changes/fluctuations. Hence my query re the Blast. Also, with the springs, it is possible to do a face-down launch from the ground which can be handy!
Looking forward to more Blast vids. I expect the lighter LE will mean for softer responses/less precision.
@@adrianlw2750 I finally got an opportunity to try the light leading edge with the Blast today, and... what a surprise!
"I expect the lighter LE will mean for softer responses/less precision."
It's actually the opposite, as crazy as that may seem! I knew I wasn't imagining things; when you fly the Blast in its standard configuration you REALLY feel the weight of the leading edge. The kite is top-heavy, and the momentum of the leading edge is significant enough to influence your next move. This means that you need to counter-steer heavily when you want the kite to snap to a particular position. The heavy leading edge also causes the kite to fall when you descend sideways, stopping the kite in this situation is akin to a dive-stop.
But when you switch over to the light leading edge, it becomes a different kite. The weight and momentum of the leading edge disappears, changing the kite's handling completely. It feels like a standard Rev in this configuration, with a snappy bounce to stops and turns. The kite feels lighter, and far less counter-steer is needed to snap the kite to a particular position. It also no longer falls when you do a sideways dive-stop, it descends like a standard Rev.
I've got some footage of it, and will post a video soon. It honestly feels like two kites in one.
@@__revbox - Fantastic! Surprises all round then! Now you’ll have the (nice) dilemma of which LE to use any time haha!
Will look forward to your video comparison 👍
oh, it looks so nice! The wind was calm, wasn't it?
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the wind was fairly calm that day.
Excellent!. Looking at the xx or spider..... And now this one also!
What did you get?
@@tristanshane8208 the xx tarantula.