Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 17:26:53 -1000 From: JerryYurek@aol.com Message-Id: <950724232648_40049772@aol.com> Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology Subject: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Force-10. I do not sell kites or anything else! This report is meant to simply inform the power hungry kiters amoung us about a prototype kite that I had the priviledge to fly at the South Suburban Kite Festival in Chicago Heights on Saturday, July 22. OK, Here's the scoop. Steve Shapson (of Force 10 Foils) was one of the attending sponsors of the SSKF last weekend. He brought out a couple of prototype foils for us power hungry kiters to try. Before I knew who he was, I noticed he was flying this eliptical foil with no manufacturer's markings. The foil sparked my interest. So, being the busy body that I am, I casually strolled toward Steve and asked if the "bag" he was flying was some kind of custom colored Quad Trac (from the eliptical shape, that's what it looked like to me). I'm sure he took offense to this comment, as he quickly responded by telling me who he was, and that this was his prototype for Force 10's new 50 sq.ft. foil. He told me that the new design should be available in about three weeks. He explained that the new foil was being assembled in Israel. He also noted that the design and eliptical shape of this new foil would translate into a more efficient, exceptionally more powerful kite than the Force 10 Model "4.4" foil that I was carrying onto the flying field. Before I could ask anymore dumb questions, he handed the controls over to me for a "test drive". The first thing I noticed was the new handle design. Steve told me that the new handles were made of a nearly unbreakable PVC. They were much lighter than the metal handles that came with my Force 10 "4.4". He pointed out that the new handle design would eliminate breakage of the thick connection lines that are attached to the handles. This new handle design has foam padding and was also much more comfortable for my thumbs than the old handles. On to the foil. As I previously mentioned, the foil has an eliptical shape. Steve told me that this new foil had a polyester sail cloth and will be bridled with Spectra line (the prototype had kevlar). It did not look like the Icarex sail cloth I've seen on the Sky Tiger Hi-Aspect 60 (the one my flying buddy brags about all the time). Steve's new foil flew effortlessly. It turned very smoothly, quickly and tightly. I found that the foil had very good pull in the center of the wind window. The cells kept their shape and did not collapse as much as my 4.4 does at the edge of the wind window. By visual comparison, it appeared that the new 50 sq.ft. foil was not as wide as the 4.4, but was obviously deeper. OK, so the kite can fly, but can it pull my 220 lb. butt around the field on my buggy? You bet! I felt that this foil was much more powerful than my 4.4, and much easier to control while buggying. After my "test drive", I asked Steve how much this new foil would cost. He said that it would definetly be more expensive than the 4.4 Model (for which I paid U.S.$300 retail), but he could not be more specific. I guess that we'll just have to wait for pricing untill he gets the first shipment in from Israel. I asked him if he would trade his prototype for my 4.4 model. He just laughed. He said that he really prefers to fly his newly designed foil much more than his old, rectangular-shaped foils. There's the scoop. Remember, the opinions that I've expressed above are mearly that, my opinions. I don't care what you fly or buy, JUST FLY and HAVE FUN! "Good Winds and Good Friends, That's What Kiting is All About!" Jerry Yurek = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 05:36:50 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <3v332i$h0p@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles In article <950724232648_40049772@aol.com>, JerryYurek@aol.com writes: >OK, Here's the scoop. Steve Shapson (of Force 10 Foils) was one of >the >attending sponsors of the SSKF last weekend. He brought out a couple >of >prototype foils for us power hungry kiters to try. > > ----------snip---------------- But how is it to buggy? How far upwind does it go? How fast, slow is it? How is it bridled? How well does it 'park' at the edge? Was it going past other designs? Tell us more! aoxo = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 06:40:05 -1000 From: jburka@Glue.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Message-Id: <3v36p5$fde@geog25.umd.edu> Organization: Project Glue, University of Maryland, College Park Subject: Re: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles In article <3v332i$h0p@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, AhClem0013 wrote: [shapson's new prototypes] >But how is it to buggy? How far upwind does it go? How fast, slow is it? > How is it bridled? How well does it 'park' at the edge? Was it going >past other designs? C'mon, Dean, weren't you paying attention at Wildwood two months ago? Lee was playing around with one of Shapson's prototypes...you could have taken it for a spin! That's what you get for keeping your butt glued to the buggy and your eyes glued to your peel. Jeff (who asked Lee what the kite was, but did not fly it. Come to think of it, he never got around to asking Lee if he could play around with the next generation of Tabor's toy) -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | Pithy, insightful quote to be inserted when one | |jburka@glue.umd.edu | occurs to me. *If* one occurs to me. | |http://www.wam.umd.edu/~jeffy/html/home.html | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 26 Jul 1995 00:40:43 -1000 From: Chuck.van.Eekelen@net-engine.nl (Chuck van Eekelen) Message-Id: Organization: NLnet Subject: Re: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) wrote: stuff deleted >But how is it to buggy? How far upwind does it go? How fast, slow is it? > How is it bridled? How well does it 'park' at the edge? Was it going >past other designs? >Tell us more! Yeah, like have you got the plans already ? :-) Chuck = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 26 Jul 1995 17:29:17 -1000 From: JerryYurek@aol.com Message-Id: <950726232914_123890006@aol.com> Organization: Harvard University Office of Information Technology Subject: Re: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles In a message dated 95-07-25 18:34:40 EDT, ahclem0013@aol.com writes: > >But how is it to buggy? I was able to make about four passes of the field considering the low wind conditions that weekend. The prototype foil had good solid pull throughout most of the wind window. > How far upwind does it go? I've only been buggying for four months, so I'll take a stab at this question. While heading the buggy on a reaching course at approximately 90 degrees from the wind direction, I was able to bring the kite to about a 30 degree angle from my direction. It seemed to reach upwind a bit more than my 4.4 foil. Hope this is what you want to know?!? > How fast, slow is it? In my opinion, the prototype foil seemed to be much faster than the Force 10 "4.4" or the Sky Tiger Hi-60. It turned very quickly and was very easy to control. >How is it bridled? The prototype foil was bridled with kevlar and the bridle appeared to be set up in much the same fashion (pattern) as the current Force 10 Foils. >How well does it 'park' at the edge? Due to the low wind conditions that day, I was not able to keep the foil "parked" at the edge of the wind window for very long without it losing altitude and getting sloppy. It did seem to keep its shape well and not collapse as much as my 4.4 foil does at the edge. >Was it going past other designs? I felt that the prototype foil did well comparitively versus the production model Sky Tiger Hi-60 and out performed the current Force 10 "4.4". No other mentionable foils or prototype designs were on had to try out. >Tell us more! Steve Shapson of Force 10 Foils did mention that his new prototype 50 sq.ft. foil is the first one of Force 10's Foils that Lee Sedgewick was willing to endorse (sure sounds like name dropping to me...). Hope this follow-up helps you :) Jerry Yurek "Good Winds and Good Friends, That's What Kiting is All About!" = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 10:39:34 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <3v8ti6$8ds@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: First Look at New Force-10 Foil and Handles In article <3v36p5$fde@geog25.umd.edu>, jburka@Glue.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) writes: >C'mon, Dean, weren't you paying attention at Wildwood two months ago? > >Lee was playing around with one of Shapson's prototypes...you could >have >taken it for a spin! > > whoops! aoxo = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =