Sport, Trick and Freestyle Kite Flying Forum

Moderators: Craig, Andy S

 
User avatar
Zippy8
Topic Author
Posts: 4865
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: Vihtavuori, Finland
Contact:

Challenger Sails Mondrian

Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:03 am

The nice people at Challenger Sails have been good enough to send out a couple of their kites for people to review them and give them feedback. There is a Mondrian and a MirĂ³], both standards. I've got them to begin with but they will soon be going out on tour.

Here's my initial thoughts on the Mondrian to begin with:-
Image
It's pretty much a regular, full-sized kite with conventional frame choice for a standard (P200 LEs and 5PT LSs), two standoffs per side and with slight battenless winglets .
Image
Build is very nicely detailed with fully covered LEs, plenty of reinforcement across the TE and spine, a reverse turbo bridle that is adjustable on every leg with leaders already in place, tidy plug-in covered wingtips and the nose area is tidily folded and sewn in a way I've not seen before.

The logo wear patch at the US/spine area (a 3D rubber item) is a sweet touch.
Image
Image
As has become expected the Mondrian employs tail weight as a tuning option. Once again this is dealt with in a tidy and thoughtful manner - a metal barrel with a hole to mount it securely, held in place with velcro at the base of the spine.
Image
Yoyo stoppers are in place too, Exel standoff connectors.
Image

The overall impression is of a very well put together kite with some really nice touches. It looks solidly made and ready to go but with plenty of tuning and tweaking options to investigate.

Do you wanna know how it flies too ? :wink:

Mike.
Last edited by Zippy8 on Tue May 12, 2009 12:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 
User avatar
misterbleepy
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 2864
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: near Newquay, Cornwall
Contact:

Re: Challenger Sails Mondrian

Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:23 am

Zippy8 wrote:
The logo wear patch at the US/spine area (a 3D rubber item) is a sweet touch.


Do you have a picture of that ? It sounds intriguing

Zippy8 wrote:
Do you wanna know how it flies too ? :wink:


Yes please - it's a nice looking kite (biased - I like Mondrian)
Keith B
--
Kite Tricks mind map

bleep bleep bleep
 
User avatar
Zippy8
Topic Author
Posts: 4865
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: Vihtavuori, Finland
Contact:

Re: Challenger Sails Mondrian

Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:31 am

misterbleepy wrote:
Do you have a picture of that ? It sounds intriguing

Image

I'll compose some flying thoughts later. I even have video but it is cursed, as always, by a fickle wind goddess.

Mike.
 
User avatar
Craig
Site Admin and Supporter
Site Admin and Supporter
Posts: 5242
Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2003 6:46 pm
Location: Epsom Downs, near the red cross.

Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:34 am

I'd like a go please :)
 
User avatar
misterbleepy
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 2864
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: near Newquay, Cornwall
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:38 am

thanks for the picture - you're right, the logo wear patch is very neat
Keith B

--

Kite Tricks mind map



bleep bleep bleep
 
User avatar
Zippy8
Topic Author
Posts: 4865
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: Vihtavuori, Finland
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:27 pm

Some more just about the build:-

The nose is very neatly done with some fine work going into it.
Image

The wingtips are enclosed and finished off with heatshrink.
Image
Whilst this makes for an astoundingly tidy setup you have to cut it away if you want to adjust the LE tension (no leech line), break the kite down for transport or have to replace a broken LE spar (which I already have had to do... not a 5 minute job).

I broke a LLE doing Yoyos in 5km/h wind on 50# line. As it has stood up to far worse than this I'm putting it down to One Of Those Things.

A couple of things I'm not mad-keen on; firstly there are a lot of red construction marks in pen on the sail. I don't know if this is because it's a demo. kite but it is numbered #031 so it's not a prototype. I wouldn't hope to see this on a kite I'd paid for.
Image

Secondly the yoyo stoppers, whilst they "work", look a bit agricultural on such a slick kite. I had plenty of trouble with bridle catches on them unless they were rotated just right and for a kite as yoyo friendly (as we'll learn in a later installment :wink:) I'd have thought that rollbars might have been a better choice. Not a major problem but as the rest of the kite is so well done.....

Overall though this is a spectacularly well put together kite, a few very minor problems aside. There's neatness and detailing that really impress.

Mike.
 
PieroS
Posts: 354
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 10:02 pm
Location: south london

Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:41 pm

Construction looks very similar to the Opera's with a few new touches, they also had the pen marks on the sail.
Looks nice though I'll have a go after Craig please.
Piero
 
User avatar
fworley
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 2236
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:18 am
Location: Under A Bridge
Contact:

Re: Challenger Sails Mondrian

Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:47 pm

Zippy8 wrote:
misterbleepy wrote:
Do you have a picture of that ? It sounds intriguing

Image

I'll compose some flying thoughts later. I even have video but it is cursed, as always, by a fickle wind goddess.

Mike.

Heres another shot:

Image

-Frazer
 
Keithgrif
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 1933
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 12:46 pm
Location: near Towcester
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:05 pm

Have to say, don't like the way the sail is so 'wavy' on the original pics. Looks like they haven't aligned the grain with the tension directions, it may stretch badly over time.
Keith
STACK UK
National Director 2006-2012

ExGrads pairs, fourth in Europe 2011!!!
Airheads team, 10th in the world 2012
 
User avatar
Zippy8
Topic Author
Posts: 4865
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: Vihtavuori, Finland
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:12 pm

Keithgrif wrote:
Have to say, don't like the way the sail is so 'wavy' on the original pics.

The sail has quite a bit of looseness in it at rest. A bit of sail profiling from a sail maker, I assume. Even the spine reinforcement is curved to (again, I'm guessing) to provide some for of aerofoil-management.

Once in the air there's no sensation of looseness though. Little to no noise either.

Believe me when I say that I've looked over the kite pretty closely and they've not made such a schoolboy error.

Mike.
 
Keithgrif
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 1933
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 12:46 pm
Location: near Towcester
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:45 pm

Fair enough, look forward to seeing it fly (as opposed to falling out of the sky in an interesting fashion :P )
Keith
STACK UK
National Director 2006-2012

ExGrads pairs, fourth in Europe 2011!!!
Airheads team, 10th in the world 2012
 
User avatar
Zippy8
Topic Author
Posts: 4865
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2003 8:43 pm
Location: Vihtavuori, Finland
Contact:

Wed Jan 28, 2009 1:51 pm

Keithgrif wrote:
Fair enough, look forward to seeing it fly (as opposed to falling out of the sky in an interesting fashion :P )

Ah... then you and I could have a problem. :lookround:

I think the maximum wind speed since these kites (we'll get to the MirĂ³ later) arrived here has been 5km/h. The Mondrian is supposed to have a minimum of 6km/h.

Mike.
 
User avatar
ITBVolks
Posts: 90
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:09 am
Location: Canterbury, CT

Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:04 pm

Flew the orginal here in the states.

Flies pretty well actually.

Looks like old pants though #-o
 
Fiction
FA Supporter
FA Supporter
Posts: 1126
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 7:43 pm
Location: Island of Carlotta

Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:08 pm

I'd like a pop at this. I may be looking for something new.
Rob
6Fivers aria del sud
 
User avatar
Miles F
Posts: 548
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Here, as defined by WGS84.

Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:29 pm

Take it the Miro takes it's design cue from it's namesake ? Could be very interesting if it does. Looks like some nice touches in the construction there.
A NOHD will be published for the DS in due course, till then wear sunnies.