13 replies to this topic

[CaLi]

I have been looking at getting a Rev for quite some time and finally and spent quite some time trawling the internet. In the end i decided to order a b2 online. Unfortunately the colour i ordered was out of stock and the retailer also wanted to discuss the suitability for me as i will be new to flying a rev. He did not recommend the b2 for me and suggested a 1.5 or 1.5SLE as they are more versatile? and its also whats the majority fly.

From the things i reading i cant work out why a b2 would not be as suitable for a beginner.

From what i gather, because of the shorter wingspan and different LE's the b2 is going to be faster and therefore more difficult to learn.

Seeing at the b2 is fairly new i was expecting to hear the majority of people to be flying a 1.5 or another model that's been around longer.


On an older thread on here John had said this about the b series

"It's not harder, it's exactly the same controls, just smoother and more precise."

i presume this statement would include the b2?


The angle I'm looking at this is, how many people recently have tried to start flying revs with the much newer b2 if most people automatically recommend the 1.5 because its somewhat the norm.

Is there anyone who has made this jump from 1.5 to a b2 and can honestly think back to when they first began flying and say that a b2 would have been a bad decision as a starting point?


I know flying a rev is going to be difficult and alot if it comes down to the user and not the kite, some people learn faster than other and some people also have a natural feel for things and are able to improve more rapidly.

Would appreciate opinions on if i should take the kite dealers advice or that i go with the b2, but with me having no starting point both are going to seem difficult and it would then come down to my persistence to master the model i chose anyway.

Regards

CaLi

[andelscott]

Would appreciate opinions on if i should take the kite dealers advice or that i go with the b2, but with me having no starting point both are going to seem difficult and it would then come down to my persistence to master the model i chose anyway.

They're just different kites and each is good for its chosen application, so it really depends what you want to do. If your aim is to go street flying on short lines, get the B2. If you really want to try team flying with others, then the 1.5 (and 120 foot lines) is the way to go. As you noted, the B2 will be a bit zippier and initially may give you less reaction time to (re)gain control (the same is true on shorter lines too, of course) - but if this is what you want to do, would you buy a family car if you really want a 2 seat sportster?

..if you've not seen or tried team flying, there are a number of centres of excellence around the UK (and centres of mediocrity if I get to fly) where the pilots will be more than willing to give you a few pointers once you get your kite.

Hope this helps!

[REVflyer]

kites have improved tremendously since I got involved, construction techniques, materials available & even the overall designs themselves have evolved significantly. I started on a small kite (*that's what's being compared here CaLi) So see if it's possible to meet up with some other folks in your area and try the different sizes out for yourself.

The 1.5 size is in the middle, it does most of what the other 2 sizes available/those two extremes can do and it does 'em pretty darn well. It has most of the precision capabilities of the Rev1 and most of the speed possible with the Rev2, just as an example.

I'm a hyper-active type of guy myself, I learned on a Rev2, so it can be done. My coach was a guy who didn't use a bridle, handles of 15-19 inches in length and 35 feet of kevlar line though. Twitchy doesn't begin to describe those initial sensations! When the 1.5 platform was introduced I crossed-over and never looked back. For my style, it does the most and does it reliably. It won't axel or flick-around like a smaller sized platform and it won't hold a laser's path like the big brother.

I love analogies,
if the Rev 1 is an aircraft carrier and the Rev 2 is a kayak, then the 1.5 boat is about perfect for maneuvers in the any kind of wet environment!

try each size on if you get chance, try 'em in different wind conditions and on various lengths of line and using different handles. Here's what you're going to find out. Holy Crap, is this stuff cool. I want all of it, that's why it's an addiction!

[stroke survivor]

I think both Paul and Andy have said it right, it's a reaction thing!! Things happen faster on the smaller platform, add in shorter lines, even faster yet!! The 1.5 is the middle ground, fast enough, maneuverability good, to be the "norm"! That being said, go with what you want!! Expect to start hard, learn from it, and stick with it!! Any Rev is better than no Rev!!

[Baloo]

Hi, welcome to the Forum.

I would say the dealer is offering good advice. It is possible you might buy the B2 and think wow this is crazy fast, dont want anything to do with this and it will gather dust on a shelf for the rest of its life.

I thought Revs were expensive when I first met them, so went for a cheaper quad to start with. It was crazy fast and spun round out of control all the time, so it lingered on a shelf. To let you know haw bad it was, I tried to give it to JB to give away on Kitelife and he refused it, suggesting I gave it to someone I didnt like I ended up giving it back to the dealer to strip for spares.

That was about 18 Revs ago. Including 4 Rev 2's which I love, I would SO like a B2.

I know of folks who started flying Revs with the Speed series kites, and if you think the B2 is fast, try One of those.

Bit of a long answer, short One, if you WANT a B2 go for it, please dont give up too early, and try to find someone local to help you get the basics. Then again, you might find it easier to do this with a 1.5. My first Rev was a Rev 1. Oh, and they are a bit like Fruit Pastels, you cant help chewing, and you can never stop at One.

Have fun, let us know how you get on. If you are anyweher near me you are welcome to try mine.

[John F]

I started on a REV 2. I learned. I think once I got past the launch roll over and crash phase the REV 2 was actually a better kite to learn on in that it forced me to learn to respond quickly. When I went to a 1.5 that seemed so slow that I was able to progress very fast there.

Advice.

Use long lines because of the speed. On your first launch go to the top of the window and stay there for several minutes and then fly around in small patterns. Enlarge the patterns and when you are comfortable doing that drop down in the power zone and start tempting fate. Good news is Revs are put together with a shock absorber system. Crashes are not that bad.

John

[CaLi]

Thanks for the replies,

John you hit the nail on the head when you say it forced you to learn to respond quickly. That's just it, its going to be less forgiving but you will soon learn faster and because of this have a much better feel for absolute control from the start.

I dont expect flying any rev to be easy but i have a mental lesson plan in my head, it may turn out that i am pretty good flying a rev or not but either way i will still follow my plan to get me to learn and take in the control and response feelings before i progress any further.

Also agree what you say about the power window, coming from having a few powerkites of similar size to a rev, i first learned in strong winds that if you stuck it in the power zone straight away everything goes out the window and either me or the kite ended up on the floor, but by learing out the main window and getting a feel for the reaction and gradually building up helped immensly when i progressed to stronger winds.

Whichever Rev i buy it wont be sat on the shelf gathering dust, im a sucker for punishment and i will simply put in as many hours as possible until i can fly it to a good standard with the idea of getting to a high level in control and tricks.

In my head i'm comparing my old slowish family car to my new sports car, they both have the exact same control inputs, they both drive the same if im slow and steady, but if i'm overly rash then the sports car becomes a handful and becomes difficult to drive

I don't intend to fly team only solo for me really, im sure i will end up buying more revs, so can pick up a 1.5 or other in the future.

baloo yes they are expensive at £250 well yes compared to say a £20 2line stunt kite. Compare it to other things like cinema or pub, spending £10-£15 for about 2 hours of enjoyment, which means i only have to Fly the rev for 25 hours and its paid for itself in entertainment.

I have come to the conclusion there is no wrong choice, it just depends from what i want to get out of it and how determined i am.


Will keep you updated on the progress

Regards
CaLi

[spudnut]

I bought my first Rev a month ago. It was the Shockwave. Even though most recommend not getting that kite until a person is experienced, it did not stop me. The Shockwave really sounded like what I was looking for. I am very happy with my choice. I probably have taken a more difficult way of learning to fly a Rev, but it has been nothing but pure fun. If you are determined to succeed, then get what you want the most!

[CaLi]

I finally came to a decision my JB 1.5 arrived and i had my first flight today, surprisingly it went very well.

After a few errors of pulling on it like it was a 2liner, i got the hang and feel of the controls and was improving all the time.

I even managed to pull off the inverted dive stop (if that's what its called) done this quite a few times and then reverse it spin and fly off.

I just love the way this kite handles and what is possible

Some moments i had a few difficulties but this was down to over-input which i soon figured out and then concentrated on being smooth and gentle to give me time to feel the kite during flight and see what effect pulling on any of the 4 lines had in effect to its movement.

Shame it goes dark so early here as all i want to do is get back out there and fly some more, i am looking forward to many hours of flight and refining my skills to get to a high level of revving.

[stroke survivor]

The JB 1.5 is a great choice!! It will fit in well when you fly with others!! Enjoy!

[HedgeWarden]

The JB 1.5 is a great choice!! It will fit in well when you fly with others!! Enjoy!

I second that!

And from there, you can branch out to the II's or the I's, or the sportier Revs. (II's are as sporty as I get - fast, but not about to pull me across the field on my butt!)

Fair winds, CaLi.

[bretthoward]

Awesome choice in the 1.5. I very much love my B2 but it lives in a bag with four 1.5s a std, a mid vent (soon), a full vent, and an xtra vent. The 1.5s are what I fly with others and work to fly better. The B2 is what I use when I want more speed or when I want to improve my 1.5 flying. The 1.5SLE was my first kite and I'm very glad it was. But when you own your hover on a B2 and can tack it in the sky the 1.5 is really still up there. They are all fun! Look forward to hopefully flying with you sometime at a festival!

[CaLi]

my 3rd time of flying and got my mate to record some stops. Slowly getting there but need more practice on other flight controls.

cant seem to embed video so here is the link My Rev video

[SkyPuppet]

I can tell by the laughter in the video that you and your new Rev are getting along just fine