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My personal Revolution choice for light-wind flying: Blast or XX? by Revolution Kites

The Reflex XX or the Blast Reflex in light wind? Both wings in flight, the value of short lines, and what tips the choice one way or the other.

From the series Choosing a model. Transcript by QuadKites.org.

My personal Revolution choice for light-wind flying: Blast or XX? by Revolution Kites

Key takeaways from this video

  • In light wind, 30 ft (about 9 m) lines make setup simpler, reduce tangles and let you practise 3D and the hand launch in a small space.
  • The Blast Reflex keeps speed and power in almost no wind; it prefers 65 to 85 ft (about 20 to 26 m) lines to reach full speed.
  • It comes with two leading edges: 7/16 inch (about 11 mm) for stronger wind, 1/4 inch (about 6 mm), lighter and more responsive, for light wind.
  • For speed and a range from 0 to over 25 mph (about 40 km/h), the Blast; to progress from the basics to advanced and Reflex tricks, the XX.

Transcript

  1. Short lines for light wind

    0:00

    Hi, I'm Joe Hadzicki, inventor of the Revolution, and I often get asked which Rev I personally fly in light-wind conditions. On the short list are the Revolution Reflex XX and the Revolution Blast with Reflex. When flying in light conditions, I also like to fly on short 30-foot lines. These are perfect for setup and tear down because they're so short, which makes it super easy. I also like the short lines for practicing my hand launch, it's my favorite skill.

  2. Sharpening skills on short lines

    0:44

    Short lines are also great for sharpening your skills. They allow you to fly in small, tight spaces like here today, and they're also great to reduce your tangles, because you just have a lot less line. Short lines also keep things interesting by allowing you to practice your 3D and Reflex skills, like I said before, the hand launch. How low can you do your hand launch?

  3. The Blast with Reflex

    2:21

    Moving to the Blast with Reflex, what I really like about it is that you can feel that speed and power even in really light conditions. Wow, it's amazing to see the speed and power you can get in near-zero wind conditions with the Blast. I like longer lines in that range, 65 to 85 feet. This allows my Blast to reach full speed. 65-foot hand launches always amazed me.

  4. Frames and Reflex float mode

    3:32

    The Blast Reflex comes with two different leading edge frames: a 7/16 diameter, stiffer, for higher wind conditions, and a 1/4-inch diameter for light conditions or near-zero wind conditions. Even in these light conditions I'm using the large diameter, which is for higher winds, so in lighter conditions switch to the quarter-inch. It'll give you a lighter and more responsive touch. The Reflex float mode allows you to regain ground in virtually any wind conditions, including virtually zero wind, with all Revs. Combining the speed of the Blast with the Reflex design allows you to have an incredibly large window, even in extremely light conditions.

  5. Blast or XX

    5:56

    It really comes down to personal preference. If you're interested in speed and power and you want to be able to fly in virtually 0 to 25-plus mph winds, the Blast is your wing, and you're going to push your skills in a new direction. If your goal is to develop your skills, basic through advanced, and also to be able to fly in light and/or unsteady conditions and even work on the float and glide Reflex skills, then the XX is going to be the wing and you're going to love it. We'll see you on the field.

Keep going

In the series Choosing a model — Revolution Kites tutorials

  1. Which Revolution kite model is right for you?
  2. Choosing your first Rev: EXP or XX
  3. The best Rev for light-wind conditions
  4. Revolution Reflex: see how it adds stability
  5. My personal Revolution choice for light-wind flying: Blast or XX? — you are here
  6. Revolution question of the day: Blast or Power Blast 2-4?
  7. Is the Revolution Tarantula the right wing for you? A vented Spider version of the Reflex XX
  8. Revolution Spider Reflex in light wind versus the Revolution Reflex RX
  9. Revolution Reflex XX: the missing link to Rev mastery

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