Airbra (Custom)

Airbra (Custom)

This is my copy of Andy Wardley's Airbow - a wonderful new quad line kite that has a number of dual line trick kites flying characteristics (e.g. you can do slack line tricks with it). When I saw the videos released on the Internet in November 2003 I wondered about having a go at building one - partly for the challenge (and it has really proved to be a challenge), and partly to see what it was like to fly (I wondered if it was similar to the Deca). In construction it looks like a cross between a Synergy Deca and a couple of Delta kites joined together. The whole sail is tensioned by a central "bow" spar with vertical standoffs to give the sail an even more 3D shape. And it's the shape that made me call my version (which is a long way from the original in terms of construction and performance) the Airbra because it does bear a resemblance to a garment of that name.....

Made: January 2004

Details

Width : 230 cm Height : 83 cm Depth : 33 cm Weight : 250 g

Spars : Revolution EXP (central bow), 4mm Carbon (vertical & stand offs), 8mm Carbon (central vertical) Sail : Ripstop Nylon

Wind Range : Medium

Cost : £8 approx., Spars: £9 (for the 4mm carbon - I already had the Revolution EXP spars).

Good Things

Quite precise.
Flies very well forwards or backwards (asymmetrical design).
Has some strange flight things - floats, and axels unlike either the Revolution or the Deca.

Bad Things

Needs a fair amount of wind to actually fly.
However too much wind causes damage to the spars - therefore a limited wind range.
Wind window not as large as for other kites (but not too bad).
Quite hard to fly...
.... and easy to break!
Doesn't do the cool Airbow tricks.

Final Thoughts

It appears that I have only been partially successful with the Airbra - it doesn't do the Airbra tricks i.e. it won't fall on it's front or back, but it is fun to fly and seems to have more than a few unique things it can do.

It flies like nothing else I have tried - more precise than the Deca, more radical than the Revolution. Even if it has 60% performance of a real Airbow I think I will have fun with this one.

Update January 2021