So it’s finally here – the Deep Space Ultra Light (DSUL) has landed. To say there has been a bit of wait would be understating things rather, as the kite has been in development in the Benson workshop for a little while now, and in serious development since the start of 2009. It’s fair to say that Tim Benson doesn’t release a new kite until he’s completely happy with it.
DeepSpace standard (left) and ultralight (right)
The obvious question has to be asked. What, and who, is the DSUL for? Given that the standard Deep Space (DS) has a published lower wind range of 3mph, and can be flown with a few small tweaks down a little lower, the first of these questions isn’t quite so easy to answer. Perhaps it’s just an obvious progression and a useful addition to the DS pilot’s quiver to have a light version capable of extending the lower end of the flyable and trickable range. Hence the second question is also addressed. It’s a kite for the flyer who already appreciates the capability of the standard DS, but who wants to exploit those light wind days, or avoid being grounded when the wind drops. As with the UL versions of most other top-end kites, it’s unlikely to appeal to most as their first DS.
From the very beginning, Tim didn’t want the DSUL to simply be a re-frame of the existing sail, but a fully optimised kite in it’s own right. There have been several unofficial DSUL’s (and one official one) with pilots exchanging the standard P200/5PT frame for something lighter. So as well as a lighter frame, the DSUL sports a sail lightened in key areas. The Mylar reinforcement is lighter, and less obvious is the reduction of the internal LE reinforcement at the cutouts and wing-tips. In the final version, the LE material is the same Dacron as used in the standard. Although several lighter materials were tested (a process which was responsible for the most recent delay in releasing the kite), none were found to perform satisfactorily. This leaves the sail closer to the standard than was desired - perhaps if a suitable material can be found a later iteration will emerge.
The geometry of the sail is shared with the standard version, as is the bulk of the material being Icarex PC31. and many of the neat touches are also carried over. The handling of the wingtip tensioning is super-neat, and the standoff sail fittings are concealed in pockets to give a smooth rear surface of the trailing edge. Adding in neatly formed and cut nose and tail reinforcement makes line-snags near-impossible. The DSUL also retains the roll-bar design from the standard, again eliminating areas for lines to get accidentally caught while providing an easy-to-catch yo-yo stop solution.
Super-neat LE spreader cut-outs sporting reduced reinforcement for weight saving
Snag-free and smooth treatment of the reinforcement at the nose and tail
Lighter Mylar used in reinforcement of the trailing edge (standard on right)
As for the frame, it’s basically lightened in all the obvious areas. The spine and leading edges are P90 rather than the standard P200, 3PT’s replace 5PT’s as lower spreaders and the upper spreader is thinned a fraction from 5.5mm to 5mm tube. Pretty normal changes then, but yet the attention to detail in a Benson kite is evident in the less obvious alterations. Shaving the standoffs and roll-bars down from 3mm to 2.5mm and 2.3mm to 2mm might not be immediately apparent, but have been implemented to save a precious few grams. But now the dedication to optimisation (some might say obsession) really starts with 3 grams shaved off the tail weight and hollow LE ferrules. Even the bridle line is lighter than the standard. The overall effect is to reduce the weight of the kite from 305g to 240g, representing a little under 20%.
Thinner rods are used for the upper spreader and roll-bars on the DSUL
As ever, Benson build quality is superb
The conclusion then, is that this version of the DS, already an excellent kite, is pared down to the absolute minimum with no area of weight saving left unexplored, and with build quality amongst the best in the business. It should therefore prove to fly in the lightest winds and remain trickable too, although the inevitable compromises due to the lack of mass, and hence momentum, will have to be accepted. Of course, everyone wants to know how it actually performs, but that will have to wait for now since Murphy’s Law has ensured that since delivery I’ve had nothing but ballistic winds. For now then, I’ll have to be content with imagining how it is to fly, but I’m sure that when the time comes, the DSUL won’t disappoint.
Update - The First Flight!
Of course it was bound to happen. I receive a new UL kite and pen the first half of a review dealing with the build, assuming that I will be able to get out and fly it and make some comments on that later. One bathroom re-fit and four weeks of high winds later and I decide to get the build part out there as there seems no prospect of flying the kite for the foreseeable… Murphy strikes again. One week later and I’m blessed with an hour of evening wind at 2mph – perfect for the DSUL. So finally, here are my thoughts on how this baby actually performs.
It’s a little while since I’ve flown a light kite. My DS standard flies so low that I’ve been happy to work a little harder and use that, or pack up and do something else. Of course, I wanted a UL, but I was happy to wait for the DSUL to emerge from Cornwall. So, was it worth the wait? Oh yes, you bet it was!
After a 10 minute warm-up on the standard and with the wind dropping to the point where I’m struggling not to loose too much ground, I figure it’s time to give the UL its maiden flight. Set-up is just as the standard, and a smooth tug on the lines has the kite in the air. First impression – whoa, this really is light. It feels almost like there’s nothing there (remember, I’ve only flown standard kites). So it’s really light on the lines. Next, let’s try a few axles, and yes, this is a DS. The response is reassuringly familiar, but then a subtle difference emerges. It’s clear there is significantly more frame flex, absorbing the input and adding a tiny delay between the input and the response. It’s to be expected but it needs an adjustment in flying style after which lovely floaty cascades just fall into place. So now it’s time for a yo-yo and another difference becomes apparent. While the standard is happy to pitch around it’s lower spreaders, the UL needs more room and rotates gracefully around a circle. Of course, a little more slack is required and results in the first few attempts being choked off. It’s also clear that the whole flying experience is slower and calmer, the DSUL being the older and more considered brother to the standard’s rebellious teenager. While unmistakably DS, It has it’s own character preferring to be persuaded to perform manoeuvres rather than forced to. I’m sure it can be thrashed around it you like, but you’d miss out on a far more rewarding and subtle experience.
The slower pace is something that is really nice on this kite. If you want it, it will give you a little more time to react to things, while retaining the flowing nature of the standard. 540’s can be made really flat and closer to a true flatspin on the spot than the standard and the kite gives the impression that super-slow taz’s would be possible. Sadly, these are beyond me for now, but one trick that seems to really flow out of this kite is the slot machine. You have enough time to get the kite flatter before the spin input and as a result the kite spins on a flat plane rather than an inclined one. A direct result of this is that it comes out of the first spin and begs to be spun again. I found multi-slots on the spot pretty easy and much prettier without the need for a tiny bit of flying between the spins. This gives access to combinations of tricks that I’ve not even attempted before, 540-to-slot being one such example that seemed to be given up easily. I could also feel that various duplex variations were close, and something I feel I could achieve with some work.
Flaring the kite feels just like the standard, but the pull to fade is a little different. The lack of mass means the kite needs a longer and gentler pull and a little more time and slack to get to the fade position. Once there though it seems to lock in better than the standard. Maybe it was just the relatively smooth wind (and the bumpy stuff I fly the standard in), but I really could hold a fade for as long as I wanted, rising it all the way through the window with ease. Of course, the JL is pretty straightforward too, with just a little extra time required to flip the kite back to the fade. Backspins were there, albeit a little slower and needing a slightly gentler touch. One surprising aspect was the performance of Lazy Susan spins. Since the kite doesn’t settle deeply in a backflip like some others, the more dynamic approach of giving the spin input during the back-flip rotation is required, a characteristic that is shared with the standard. The momentum carried through the spin though, is quite surprising for a light kite being at least as good as it’s heavier sibling. The kite also floats nicely on its back in the spin without losing excessive altitude meaning flapjacks can be executed low and slow, and multis are in there too.
A final word on the frame - although it exhibits significantly more flex than the standard, it strikes me as pretty robust. I gave it a couple of pretty firm tip-stabs without complaint, and the long grass at the field cause a few decent bends in the leading edges during recoveries. It’s been reported that it can withstand a fair level of abuse with prototypes being flown in 15-20mph wind without problems…
So what can we conclude? It feels and performs like a light version of a DS! It might surprise you in a few areas, and if you like the DS standard, all the surprises will be good ones. If the DS standard is “float and gloat”, then the DSUL is definately “floatier and gloatier”.
